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Nose clips have been around in swimming for quite a while now, but over recent years, more and more new types of swimming nose clips have entered the market. And with good reason.
Even professional swimmers have started using nose clips during both training and competitions to help them achieve their fastest times.
I’ll explain why in this guide, where I’ll also cover the following points so you can pick the right model for you.
In this guide, I’ll cover:
The best for competition 
You don’t need to have put your head underwater very many times to know the feeling of getting water up your nose. It’s something most people can tolerate, but it still takes away a lot of the joy of swimming.
A nose clip helps you with precisely that: making sure water doesn’t get up your nostrils.
For most swimmers at all levels, water in the nose is simply an annoying part of swimming. But too much water up your nostrils can irritate your mucous membranes and, in the worst cases, lead to infections that keep you out of the water for shorter or longer periods.
Besides the obvious advantage of keeping water out of your nose, nose clips also help you keep air in your lungs for longer periods. That’s a clear benefit during underwater work, such as butterfly kicks off each wall push-off, where it’s all about getting as close as possible to the maximum allowed 15 metres underwater.
Going back to what nose clips genuinely help you with—keeping water out of your nose—they’re particularly popular for backstroke.
Water splashes everywhere and your head is facing upwards, so it can easily feel like the only place water is splashing is right up your nose. That’s not very pleasant when you want to keep a good, steady breathing rhythm from start to finish.
Since backstroke is also part of the individual medley, nose clips are widely used in that event too.
During technique drills with a snorkel, a nose clip is also a great piece of kit to help keep water out of your nose. Especially when using a snorkel, breathing takes place mainly through your mouth, meaning there’s no air pressure from exhaling to keep water out of your nostrils.
They’re also quite popular with divers, snorkellers, and synchronised swimmers, as well as for simply messing about in the water. With a nose clip, you won’t have to hold your nose underwater, leaving both hands free at all times.
That’s why a swimming nose clip can easily double as a diving nose clip.
Now that I’ve touched on why it’s so great to use nose clips in the water, let me share what matters most in a good nose clip.
And luckily, the answer is simple and straightforward: keeping water out of your nose. Exactly as I mentioned before.
However, they come in different styles, so picking the right one for you can easily feel overwhelming. That’s why I’m going to walk you through the key features, based on our experience and testing.
When it comes to the softness of the nose pad, it’s all about how comfortable you want your nose clip to be. A soft pad gives you maximum comfort, while a hard pad offers slightly less comfort.
On the other hand, a soft pad provides slightly less grip, so there’s a slightly higher risk of it slipping around on your nose while swimming.
At the end of the day, though, there isn’t a massive difference between a soft and a hard nose pad.
To make it easy for you to find the right one with either a soft or a hard nose pad, you can find a soft model here and a hard model here.
As a rule, all our nose clips fit both adults and children without popping off your nose while swimming. That’s because the pressure applied to the nose is designed to be just right.
Just as people are different, noses are too. That’s why I recommend a model with lighter pressure for wider noses and a model with firmer pressure for narrower noses.
Naturally, the amount of pressure also affects how comfortable a nose clip feels. You’ll just need to balance that against how much of a risk of getting water up your nose you’re willing to take.
With the different features covered, it’s now time to present our top recommendations for which nose clip you should choose. The recommendations are based on a thorough assessment of a wide range of nose clips on the market, as well as user experience and feedback.
All four recommendations are suitable for swimming, play, diving and snorkelling. We’ve divided them into the categories ‘the best of the best’, ‘the best value for money’ and ‘the best for swim meets’.
To select the recommended nose clips across the different categories, we’ve reviewed a wide selection of the most popular models from both Irish and international brands. The aim has been to give you the most relevant and reliable recommendations, making it easy to find the right nose clip.
These include the following models:
The recommendations are based on an overall assessment of factors such as size, material, price, comfort and fit. This overall assessment forms the basis for the recommendations below.
If you want most of the features found in the pricier models while saving a bit of money, we at Watery have developed our own high-quality nose clip.
The nose clip is manufactured in the same factories as several of the well-known and established brands. That means the quality and durability match, even though the price is more budget-friendly.
Users highlight that the nose clip effectively keeps water out of your nose, while the soft silicone pads ensure great comfort.
This model fits both adults and children from 6 years of age.
So, if you just want the very best in both comfort and the certainty of keeping water out of your nose, this is the nose clip for you.
If you want most of the features from the expensive models, but want to save a bit of money, we at Watery have developed our very own nose clip.
The nose clip is produced in the same factories as the big, more expensive and established brands. That’s why the quality and durability are just as good, even though it falls into the budget-friendly category.
Several users highlight that the nose clip does exactly what it’s supposed to: it keeps the water out of your nose, while the soft silicone pads provide maximum comfort.
This model fits both adults and children from the age of 6.
Watery’s nose clip is great for all kinds of water activities without costing an arm and a leg. It’s designed for you if you want a reliable basic product that does the job without breaking the bank.
If you need a nose clip purely for swim meets, you can’t go wrong with a Speedo Competition nose clip. It’s specifically designed for racing, though you can also use it during training.
The reason it’s specifically designed for competitions is that it’s built around a very thin piece of metal, providing the least possible drag in the water. That’s definitely preferable when racing.
The slim metal piece also means it can be adjusted to fit both narrow and wide noses. Plus, the nose pads ensure it stays firmly in place, even when swimming at top speed.
This Speedo nose clip is also ideal for use across all four swimming strokes.
This Speedo Competition nose clip is for you if you want the absolute fastest nose clip for racing.
If you’re looking for the best possible nose clip designed for kids, this TYR nose clip is the one. And there’s one standout reason for that:
It comes with a strap so the nose clip won’t get lost if it falls off. It will simply hang around the neck if it slips off the nose.
This model is fully moulded in silicone with a metal clip inside. This ensures a great fit and extra comfort, even for the smallest noses.
If you want to help your child keep water out of their nose while playing in the pool, and you want to be sure the nose clip won’t get lost, this TYR Latex nose clip is the perfect choice.
A nose clip is only a small item, which is why you’ll find them at many different retailers – even those that don’t specialise in swimming gear.
We recommend buying your nose clips from us at Watery, where we specialise in everything related to swimming gear. This means you’ll find a carefully selected range of quality products – at competitive prices.
Our high Trustpilot score and feedback from thousands of happy customers are proof of a safe, reliable shopping experience.
