Snorkeling can put the vibrant and unique world of coral reefs and other underwater destinations literally within reach. It’s a fun way for everyone from adults to kids to interact with the ocean since it doesn’t require any skills beyond swimming, and can transform a relaxing tropical vacation into an unforgettable adventure. But traditional snorkels can get in the way of exploring life in the ocean by limiting your field of vision through a narrow mask and tire out your mouth by forcing you to clamp down on the snorkel mouthpiece. It is also frustratingly easy to get water into your snorkel, forcing you to surface and clear it out.
Full face snorkel masks address all those issues by combining goggles and snorkel into a single unit that covers your whole face. The result is a mask that offers unobstructed, panoramic views through a huge lens. It allows you to breathe normally through either your nose or mouth without the need to hold onto a mouthpiece, making it easy to keep your head underwater for extended periods without having to surface. Full face snorkel masks make snorkeling even more simple and fun than ever before, and to help you choose the best full face snorkel mask for your next swim we’ve reviewed eight of our favorites.
How to Choose the Best Full Face Snorkel Mask
Before jumping into the reviews, it’s important to know what features to look for in a full face snorkel mask. One of the most important factors that sets the great snorkel masks apart from the pack is their ability to prevent fogging, since a fogged-up mask negates the panoramic lens and can quickly lead to a frustrating snorkeling experience. Some masks achieve fog prevention with anti-fog coating on the lens, while others separate use internal divisions to separate the breathing half of the mask from the goggle part of the mask.
Another important feature is whether the mask enables you to breathe through your nose instead of, or in addition to, your mouth. Breathing through your mouth feels unnatural and uncomfortable for many people, and some masks incorporate a dedicated valve around your nose to allow you to breathe more naturally. Another common annoyance that the best snorkel masks offer a solution to is water getting in through the snorkel itself when you dive down to chase a fish or when a wave washes overhead. Look for masks that feature a one-way valve on the snorkel if you plan to frequently dive beneath the surface.
Additional peripheral features, like having a built-in GoPro mount, can be a deciding factor between two similar masks. Finally, an important consideration for full-face snorkel masks is their fit and comfort. While masks are designed to fit most faces comfortably, different brands use slightly different fits and it is worth trying on several masks to find one that forms a tight, leak-proof seal against your face without feeling tight.
The 8 Best Full Face Snorkel Mask to Buy in 2020 – Reviews and Comparison
1. Seaview 180° Snorkel Mask – Best for Panoramic Views
The Seaview 180° snorkel offers expansive views of the underwater world around you, and comes with a ton of great design features to make sure that nothing impedes that view. For example, the breathing chamber in the mask is designed to push exhaled air away from the upper part of the mask so that the portion of the lens you’re looking through won’t fog up. The snorkel itself uses a covered top and floating ball design that effectively prevents water getting into the snorkel tube and causing you to gag if you dive beneath the surface. To top it all off, the head straps are wide and supple so that they won’t cause discomfort anytime you turn your head. The Seaview mask also features a built-in GoPro mount, perfect for those who like to document their experience. The cost of the panoramic views this mask offers is a curved viewing lens, which results in distorting the distances between you and the objects you’re looking at. Specifically, the curvature makes objects seem far away – which may be undesirable if you like to get up close and see the details of individual fish, but is perfect if you’re hoping to take in a panorama of the ecosystem beneath you while you float on the surface.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
2. Tribord Easybreath Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Diving Beneath the Surface
Tribord’s Easybreath snorkel is an extremely well-designed mask that allows you to breathe normally through your nose or mouth. The only difference from breathing normally is that air flow is slightly restricted by the diameter of the snorkel and the mask’s double air flow design to move exhaled air away from your face. For most people, this isn’t a problem but it can leave you short of breath if you try to swim hard for any length of time. However, that same double air flow design is extremely effective at keeping air out of the viewing lens and prevents the mask from fogging up. The snorkel tube also features a one-way valve that is, if anything, too good – you can dive underwater without getting a drop of water in the mask, but tipping your head too far down while swimming on the surface can actually trip the one-way valve and prevent you from inhaling. This is also an excellent snorkel for crowded areas with many boats, since the snorkel top is colored a high-visibility yellow and sticks prominently out of the water. Those looking to bring a GoPro along on their adventure may lament the lack of a built-in mount on the top of the mask.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
3. Octobermoon Original Snorkel Mask – Best for Crystal-clear Views
The design of the Octobermoon snorkel is essentially identical to that of the Seaview 180° mask, with the important change that the panoramic lens features a flat rather than a curved design. That means no distortion of the distance to objects, making it easier to chase down fish and take in all the details of the world around you without making everything feel small and far away. Another great feature of this mask is its comfortable design – the wide build makes it suitable for almost any size of face, and the shape of the mask allows it to create a tight seal without tightening the straps down to uncomfortable levels. Similar to the Seaview mask, the Octobermoon features an anti-fogging system that keeps exhaled air away from your face and a floating ball design to prevent water from entering the snorkel tube, both of which work flawlessly. For video enthusiasts, the mask also includes a mount for action cameras.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
4. H20 Ninja Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Choppy Conditions
The H20 Ninja snorkel is a slimmed-down design relative to many of the other full-face snorkel masks on the market, favoring a low-profile mask that is best suited for people with small faces. This low-profile design is great when conditions at the surface are choppy, since the mask catches less wave force and won’t get pushed around. However, it also features a one-way purge valve to easily blow out any water that does enter the mask when a wave hits right where the mask meets your face. Despite the slim profile, the mask features the same 180° view found on much larger full-face masks. The snorkel also incorporates an effective one-way valve that won’t allow water to get in, regardless of what waves wash over the snorkel. The H20 mask also won’t fog up, thanks to the airflow design that keeps air away from your face. And for those who like to document their experience, the mask features an integrated action camera mount.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
5. Ocean Reef Aria Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Travelers
The Ocean Reef snorkel mask is arguably the best full-face snorkel mask on the market. The mask is made by Aria, a company with a long history of building products for divers, and the small changes in design from other masks reflect the company’s experience with building products designed to hold up in the water. The mask is comfortable enough to be worn for an entire day in the water, thanks to the unique shape of the mask that puts pressure on the jaw rather than on the more sensitive cheekbones like many other masks. In addition, the mask simply will not fog up – even after hours of use without taking it off. One of the neatest features of this mask, which makes it perfect for vacationers who need to fit this in a tight suitcase, is that the snorkel is easily removable. The snorkel also comes with a plastic attachment that allows an action camera to be mounted for those who want to bring one along, but doesn’t add an unnecessary permanent mount for those who don’t plan to attach a camera.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
6. OutdoorMaster 180° Snorkel Mask – Best for Easy Fitting
Unlike most other full face snorkel masks, the OutdoorMaster snorkel uses a one-size-fits-all design. The mask accomplishes this using a series of easy to adjust, extra wide silicon straps that can be quickly snapped in or out of attachment points on the outside of the mask. This means that almost anyone can fit this mask without worrying about purchasing the wrong mask size, and makes it easy to share the mask between people during a trip. Best of all, the mask will not leak when adjusted properly – and when you’re still trying to dial in the straps, there’s a purge valve to easily force any water that may have gotten into the mask out. Similar to many other full-face snorkel masks, the OutdoorMaster features a 180° panoramic viewing lens and easy breathing through your nose and mouth. The one-way valve in the snorkel is excellent, and won’t leak even when diving. An included action camera mount can easily be snapped onto the top of the mask for those who want to document their underwater experience.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
7. Vaincre Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Easy Breathing
The Vaincre snorkel mask uses an excellent snorkel and air flow design that makes it easy to forget that you’re breathing underwater when using this mask. While you may get some shortness of breath when swimming hard, when simply using the mask to keep your head submerged and swim easily along the surface it is extremely easy to breathe through either your nose or mouth just as you normally would on land. In addition, the interior of the mask is very effective at moving air out of the mask so that there are almost no issues with fogging. Vaincre offers this mask in either a flat or curved lens version, which allows you to choose whether you want distance distortion for wide-angle views or prefer a flat lens without distortion. In addition, the mask offers two types of action camera mounts – the traditional static mount at the top of the mask, or a movable mount that can be shifted away from the standard camera position.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
8. Segmart Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Comfort
Segmart combined many of the best features seen in other snorkels to produce a full face snorkel that is extremely easy to use and comfortable. The mask itself uses wide straps to make it adjustable to nearly any shape of face and that won’t rub and cause friction during your swim. For those who worry about the one-way valve in the snorkel closing up when a wave passes overhead, this snorkel also features an extra-long snorkel tube. That means it is even easier to breathe continuously and normally through your nose and mouth, making this mask perfect for those who are wary of other masks that can restrict your inhalation occasionally. The simple airflow circulation design in the interior of the mask is also very effective at moving exhaled air away from your face and out of the mask, making it so that the Segmart mask will not fog up under most conditions. Additional small features, like an integrated GoPro mount on the forehead of the mask, make the Segmart a great choice for both beginning snorkelers and those looking to upgrade their current full face snorkel mask.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
9. Easy Snorkel 180° Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Long Swims
Easy Snorkel’s offering is an excellent all-around snorkel. One of the best features that sets it apart from its competitors are the wide, headband-style straps that are made out of soft fabric rather than silicon. This makes them not only extremely comfortable to wear for extended swims, but also makes it easy to dial in the perfect fit for the mask so that it won’t leak a drop after hours of swimming. You also won’t have to take this mask off for fog or water getting in through the snorkel – the air circulation is excellent at preventing fog from building up, and the one-way valve in the snorkel works effectively even when diving. The only downside is for new users to full face snorkel masks, who may be put off by the one-way valve closing unexpectedly when a wave washes overhead. The snorkel tube is relatively short, so this can happen frequently when using the Easy Snorkel mask. For those who like to bring their camera along, this mask also features an integrated GoPro mount.
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#8800da” size=”1″]
10. X-Lounger Foldable Full Face Snorkel Mask – Best for Action Cameras
Many full face snorkel masks either don’t come apart at all, making them difficult to fit in a suitcase, or shrink down by allowing the snorkel to be detached but then make it difficult to secure it back onto the mask. The X-Lounger mask solves this problem by using a unique folding design, which allows the snorkel to be stowed in a small package in your suitcase but won’t give you trouble when it comes time to swim. The locking tab mechanism is easy to use and also ensures that the snorkel won’t collapse when a wave passes overhead during your swim. Another awesome feature of the X-Lounger mask is its integrated action camera mount. Rather than using a static mount that only allows recording from one angle, the mount on this mask is able to pivot and reaches forward from your forehead more so than on other cameras. This ensures that the camera will stay in the water even when you look forward, so there’s no missed footage.
Conclusion
Full face snorkels have become increasingly popular amongst snorkelers, and for good reason. They make breathing in a snorkel feel natural, allowing swimmers to stay out for longer and helping new snorkelers feel comfortable in the water, and they offer a 180° field of view that no traditional set of goggles can match. Full face snorkels also allow you to explore further by enabling dives that with traditional snorkels would have filled your snorkel tube and mouth with water, but thanks to integrated one-way valves are now limited only by how long you can hold your breath. Now that you have the information you need to choose the best full face snorkel mask for your next trip to the beach, it’s time to get out for a swim and explore the vibrant world that lies beneath the waves.
Can you clear your ears with any of these masks?