This giant buying guide will help you choose the best snorkel masks in 2022 for your face type. Don’t ruin your holiday with a leaky mask that fogs up. Pre-buy snorkeling masks to ensure you have the best trip ever!

CONTENTS OF BEST SNORKELING MASK REVIEWS

Imagine jumping into the water on one of your first snorkeling adventures ever. You feel the exhilaration of breathing normally as you gaze under the waves at the plethora of colors and sea life around you. Then, just as a majestic sea turtle sweeps into view, your mask begins to fog up and you can’t see anything. Talk about an anticlimactic and infuriating first experience!

I know from personal experience just how horrible it can be to spend a snorkeling adventure constantly clearing your uncomfortable mask to get rid of fog or trying to deal with a slow leak, and I don’t want it to happen to you! I’ve therefore put together a list of the essential items to consider when comparing snorkel masks. What is the best snorkel mask to buy? Who makes the best snorkel mask? Whether it’s a full-face snorkel mask or a standard mask, all the information you need to know is right here.

OUR TOP PICK

THE BEST SNORKEL MASK: Cressi Big Eyes Evolution

Don’t have time to read the whole snorkel masks guide? My pick for the best snorkel mask overall is the Cressi Big Eyes Evolution. I am a huge fan of the Cressi masks, and I’ll tell you why!

I chose the Cressi Big Eyes as my number one mask because of a whole bunch of reasons. The main one being the mask is made of a High Seal Silicone that fits softly and perfectly onto all face shapes; with and without beards. I have a very small, narrow head so this was essential for me to stop leakage!

But that’s not the only reason this is the best mask. Cressi has perfected their gear, and their patented inverted drop shape gives you an enhanced field of view while the overall design brings the glass closer to your eyes for even more vision. It is hands down the most comfortable mask on the market and the clear, crisp, wide vision brings it to the front of this list. Get yourself a Cressi snorkel mask!

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Once we’ve covered the dry information (heh heh), it’s time to actually take the plunge and pick out a mask to suit your particular needs, and get you in the water! I’ve compiled my list of the best snorkel masks out there for just that reason – from your standard snorkeling masks all the way to the best full-face snorkel masks on the market.

I’ve covered the entire field – or ocean, in this case – and you’re sure to find a mask that will suit you perfectly!

The Best Snorkeling Masks Comparison Chart

If you’re in a rush and looking for the quick answers, just run an eye over the snorkel mask comparison table below for the quick rundown of my top recommended snorkeling masks!

SNORKEL MASKS	NAME	STYLE	ANTI-FOGGING	GLARE PROTECTION	RATING	PRICE
	Cressi Big Eyes Evolution	Standard	Tempered Glass	No	Best Snorkel Mask Overall	CHECK PRICE
	Cressi F1	Standard	Tempered Glass	No	Lightest Snorkel Mask	CHECK PRICE
	SeaDive Oceanways	Standard	Tempered Glass	Yes	Best UV Snorkel Mask	CHECK PRICE
	Promate Slender	Standard	Tempered Glass	No	Best Optical Snorkel Mask	CHECK PRICE
	ScubaPro Spectra	Standard	Tempered Glass	Yes (Option)		CHECK PRICE
	OUSPT Full Face Snorkel Mask	Full-Face	12 Month Warranty	No		CHECK PRICE
	SeaBeast AF90	Full-Face	Hydrophilic Coating	No	Best Full Snorkel Mask	CHECK PRICE
	Ocean Reef Aria	Full-Face	Air venting and circulation	No		CHECK PRICE
	Greatever Full Face Snorkel Mask	Full-Face	Air Circulation	No	Inc. Kids Full Face Mask	CHECK PRICE
	DIVELUX Full Face Snorkel Mask	Full-Face	Air Circulation	No		CHECK PRICE

What to Consider when Looking for the Best Snorkel Masks

🎭 Full-Face Masks Vs. Standard Masks

Let’s dive in with the big question: just what exactly is the difference between a full-face snorkeling mask and a standard mask, and which will be the best option for you?

When I reference that ‘standard’ mask, I’m referring to the stereotypical mask that you see the majority of snorkelers and scuba divers using. These feature a one or two-lens design for your eyes, a nose cover, and a seal around the entire perimeter that provides a nice snug fit. These masks leave your mouth uncovered; your snorkel will, therefore, be a separate piece of snorkel gear.

Full face snorkel masks, on the other hand, cover your eyes, nose, and mouth in one large lens. In this case, the snorkel will be built into the mask and you simply breathe as you normally would, through either your nose or mouth without having to manage a snorkel mouthpiece.

Not having to manage the snorkel separately is only one of many benefits that the best full face snorkel masks offer. Their main allure these days is that they provide an uninterrupted, 180° view of the ocean around you, whereas most standard masks’ range of vision is interrupted by the mask framing. Full face snorkel masks also typically offer a very secure and watertight seal, but herein lies one of the concerns with this type of mask.

While the full face snorkel masks on the market offer excellent seals, there’s always the possibility that you’ll get some water in there. If that happens, it is incredibly difficult to clear the water out as they are very bulky to slip off to clear, and there has typically been no valve right next to your nose to aid in clearing (but more and more full face-masks are fixing this problem).

Standard snorkel masks, on the other hand, make it easy to clear water out. You simply press the top of the mask into your forehead, lift up the bottom slightly, and strongly exhale to force the water out. Alternatively, one feature that I see occasionally is a valve located in the nose section of the mask. If water gets in, simply exhale through your nose, and the air will force the water out the valve, but not let any in.

All things considered, the decision between a full or standard snorkeling mask often comes down to your priorities. Is having the widest possible field of vision for your snorkeling trip very high on your list? Then I’d recommend opting for a full face mask. But perhaps you prefer having the freedom to clear your mask of water or fog with ease; in that case, a standard mask is the one for you.

But don’t get me wrong, full face masks are not a death trap if you get water in them! You’ll simply have to resurface and readjust them as opposed to clearing them on the fly. This brings us to another important consideration when picking your mask – proper sealing.

💌 Sealing Skirt

Exploring the wonders of the ocean hinges on keeping the water outside your mask, and you relatively dry inside your mask! It’s therefore very important to find a mask that will properly seal around your face and prevent any water intrusion.

To accomplish this, I highly recommend you pay particular attention to masks that utilize high-quality silicone for their sealing materials. Silicone will resist degradation over time and is supple enough to mold to the contours of your face for an excellent fit.

I’d recommend steering clear of cheaper masks that use rubber or plastic for their sealing skirts. Both of these materials won’t conform to your face as well and will eventually degrade and turn brittle as they interact with corrosive saltwater. This will, in turn, compromise both their sealing quality and their comfort, which conveniently brings me to another point to consider.

🛀 Comfort

Perhaps one of my most important points for you to think about when looking at the best snorkel masks is comfort. Comfort can just about trounce everything when it comes to snorkeling masks! If you have a mask with an amazing field of view but it hurts like the dickens to wear, then you’re not going to enjoy your experience! Or if your mask fits nice and tight with an excellent seal but feels like your face is on the cusp of being parted from your skull, then you’re not going to have fun!

So, take the time to track down a mask that will be comfortable to wear for several hours. Adjustable straps definitely help with this point, as do silicone molded seals. This is also a perfectly legitimate personal preference when weighing full face snorkeling masks vs their standard counterparts. If you just can’t find a standard mask that will fit comfortably, then maybe you could find your perfect match in a full face mask. Or perhaps the opposite is true, where a full mask isn’t cutting it for you, but a standard mask is a perfect match.

☁️ Anti-Fogging

The last point I’d like to cover when considering different snorkeling masks is fogging protection. Those of us that have ever worn glasses or stuck our faces in a window, know just how easy it is for our breath to fog up an object right in front of us! The same holds true for masks underwater; it is unfortunately very easy – and equally frustrating – for your mask to fog up partway through your adventure.

Even the best snorkel masks on the market cannot escape this reality, and it is very important to focus on masks that try to minimize this occurrence. Many of the top snorkel masks on the market have treated their lenses with anti-fogging coatings that work superbly in preventing excess fog buildup.

You can always take this fog protection to the next level by purchasing an anti-fog spray or defog cream that is developed especially for dive and snorkel masks. I’ve found that these treatments, combined with a mask that already has built-in fog prevention, work in tandem to practically eliminate all fog and keep the lens crystal clear for optimal ocean viewing.

💡 When you buy a snorkel mask online, it’s hard to know which ones will be comfortable and fit your face well. We recommend you buy your mask as early as possible, leaving at least a few months before you leave on your trip. This is so that if you receive it and realize it isn’t the right fit, there’s ample time to return them and buy another pair!

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The Best Snorkel Mask Reviews

Now that we’ve covered the information, it’s time to apply it! Here are my top recommendations for the best snorkel masks on the market in both standard and full face mask form.

THE BEST SNORKEL MASKS FOR TRAVEL

Cressi Big Eyes Evolution Snorkel Mask Review

I’ll admit, I’m a big Cressi fan, and I just couldn’t think of any other mask that’s a better choice than the Big Eyes mask for first on the list. As you may have guessed from the name, this particular Cressi snorkel mask is geared toward giving you the best possible view of your surroundings.

The inverted tear-drop shape of the lenses opens your field of view to what’s below you, while the overall angle of the mask helps erase the fuzziness you tend to get while looking down. The low-profile design of the mask also brings the lenses closer to your eyes, which, in turn, increases your visibility substantially (up to 25% visibility increase, according to Cressi). The lenses may also be replaced with prescription lenses for people with short-sightedness.

Cressi also uses a special type of High Seal Silicone that makes the mask soft on the face while sealing to all face shapes – including people with beards and those with unusual head sizes and contours.

For you folks who are looking for an optimal field of vision with maximized comfort but want to stick with the classic snorkel mask design, then I definitely recommend the Cressi Big Eyes.

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Buy This Mask in a Set

🐠 Cressi BIG EYES & SUPERNOVA DRY Snorkeling Diving Adult Set

Cressi F1 Snorkeling Mask Review

When it comes to efficiency blended with simplicity, Cressi hit a home run with their F1 Mask. The extreme simplicity is thanks to the frameless design that yields a very low-profile mask. The high-grade silicone seal is bonded straight to the lens, cutting out any excess materials and framing. The result is a streamlined mask that is easy to pack anywhere for a snorkeling trip, and even easier to clear of water thanks to its low-volume mask design.

The lens itself is made from tempered glass, providing a highly durable material that also tries to limit fog buildup, with varying success. What’s more, Cressi opted for a single lens design to optimize your field of view, which I particularly love, since we’re all diving for the views, right?

This is the perfect choice for snorkelers looking for a small and easily storable mask for traveling. Perhaps you’re snorkeling abroad and want to take your own mask with you, then this is your port of call.

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Pair This Mask With

🐠 Cressi F1 Snorkeling Mask and Submersible Snorkel Set
🐠 Cressi Pluma Pocket Fins

SeaDive Oceanways Superview HD Snorkel Mask Review

SeaDive throws a modern twist into standard snorkel mask design with their color-correcting technology. The Oceanways HD tempered mask single lens is given Optical Multicoating (OMC) to reduce glare on your eyes by minimizing UV intrusion. What’s more, the lens is specially crafted to pick up red and yellow colors. The SeaDive Oceanways Superview-HD mask will enhance these colors that are usually lost at just a few feet underwater and improve your overall depth perception.

Our SeaDive mask review indicates that this fancy lens is swathed in a soft silicone skirt for optimal comfort and sealing. The frame itself is durable and complements the lens’s wide field of vision to maximize what you can see.

I’d recommend this Oceanways dive mask for folks who tend to experience fuzzy vision when snorkeling. Due to either the lens shape or distortion in the water, this fuzziness can definitely throw a wrench into your underwater viewing experience; the Superview HD could be your ticket to a crystal clear experience. If you are in need of the Oceanways snorkel as well, they do a combo mask and snorkel in the SeeSharp model in the link below.

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Pair This Mask With

🐠 SeaDive Sea Dart Snorkeling Fins
🐠 Kraken Aquatics Dry Snorkel
🐠 Oceanways Mask and Snorkel Combo SeeSharp

Promate Slender Mask with Corrective Lenses Review

If, on the other hand, your fuzzy vision while snorkeling is due to inherent eye trouble, then Promate may have just the solution for you. This prescription snorkel mask gives you the unique option to select a correction factor for near-sightedness, making the lens uniquely tailored to your needs.

The lens will be installed by Promate’s technicians prior to shipping; all you’ll have to do is slip them on and go! The lens itself is also tempered glass, like the masks above, and offers excellent durability and fog control.

This prescription diving mask also features a very wide silicone seal that makes it easy to prevent water intrusion by maximizing the surface area that the seal skirt covers on your face, therefore maximizing the barrier between the water and you.

I highly recommend this snorkeling mask for you folks out there who don’t want to fiddle with or worry about contact lenses while out on a snorkeling adventure. The corrective mask lens completely eliminates that factor and makes for a hassle-free experience.

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Buy This Mask in a Set

🐠 Promate Snorkel Set Snorkeling Fins Mask and Dry Snorkel Gear Bag Set

ScubaPro Spectra Snorkeling Mask Review

Almost no list of scuba or snorkel-related gear is complete without an entry from ScubaPro; in this situation, I am happy to oblige. Their Spectra is a very well-rounded product that easily works its way onto my list of best snorkeling masks.

The silicone skirt is exceptionally comfortable and provides a quality fit for folks with narrower faces who generally have a harder time with standard one-size-fits-most masks. The silicone seal blends very nicely with the nose pocket to create a nice big space for equalizing, even when wearing gloves.

This mask features two individual tempered glass lenses that may not offer the same wide field of view as a single lens, but provide long-lasting quality that is exemplified when you opt for the tinted version to eliminate any annoying surface glare.

While they are on the pricey side for a standard mask, you can bet on a solid and performance-based product that embodies ScubaPro’s build quality.

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Pair This Mask With

🐠 ScubaPro GO Travel Fins

READ: Here’s How to Choose The Best Snorkel Fins

BEST FULL-FACE SNORKEL MASKS

If you’re looking for even more visibility and are ready to take your snorkel mask game to another level, then it’s time to review full face snorkel masks and see which ones will suit you.

Full Face SuperSnorkel Mask Review

The full face mask by OUSPT provides an incredibly comfortable fit along with unobstructed views of the entire ocean around you, and a few extra perks to sweeten the deal.

First off, as we covered above, full face masks come with the snorkel built into the mask. This means that all you have to do is slip on the mask and breath normally through either your nose or mouth. This design also rocks the same silicone seal technology used by standard masks for a nice cushy feel and nearly impenetrable water protection. A detachable camera mount allows you to use your GoPro to capture the amazing underwater world.

This mask also includes the usual refinements that we expect from the best snorkel masks, with a fog-resistant and shatterproof lens at an affordable price. OUSPT also goes the extra mile by throwing in a 12-month warranty in case you had any concerns.

All and all, an excellent full snorkel mask for those of you flirting with the idea of heading in that direction!

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Pair This Mask With

🐠 Cressi Pluma Pocket Fins

Seabeast AF90 Full Face Snorkel Mask Review

The Seabeast really stands out to me and wins its spot on the list with its unique and much-loved fog-free lens. Released recently, the AF90 is at the cutting edge of fog prevention and makes for a crystal clear snorkeling experience.

Seabeast’s battle against fog is centered on a hydrophilic coating that’s applied to their lenses. Hydrophilic is the opposite of the hydrophobic – or water-loving – a label we often see on raincoats. It works by absorbing water straight off the lens, thus preventing any moisture buildup to cause fogging. The absorbed moisture naturally dries over time, allowing the whole process to repeat itself whenever you need it.

The superb anti-fogging technology combined with a GoPro mount pushes this product into the spotlight as a clear contender for the best full face mask snorkel award, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to experiment with this type of mask.

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Buy This Mask in a Snorkel Set

🐠 SEABEAST AF90 Full Face Snorkel Mask and Fin Set

Ocean Reef Aria Top Full Face Snorkel Mask Review

The Ocean Reef Aria full face snorkel mask is yet another whose primary target was to take the wide field of view that full face masks offer and make it even bigger. To that end, Ocean Reef crafted the Aria to have an exceptionally wide and open design, giving your vision free roam over everything the ocean has to offer.

In the anti-fogging department, Ocean Reef adopted the idea that if moisture on your lens is causing fogging, then let’s not let any moisture get there in the first place. They’ve designed the frame of the mask to facilitate breathing circulation and isolate the lens from any of the moisture that you exhale. This has resulted in an excellent anti-fogging system that ensures you get an incredible field of view that is never obscured. It is one of Ocean Reef’s unique patented technology.

The latest version of the Aria also features a quick-release system ensuring greater comfort and ease when putting on and taking off your full-face snorkel.

With 70 years of experience in the industry, Ocean Reef is often considered to be one of the top dogs in the snorkel mask department and I can safely recommend their mask for an incredible sea life viewing experience.

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Buy This Mask in a Snorkel Set

🐠 OCEAN REEF Aria QR+ Duo Travel Ready Mask/Fins Set Diving
🐠 OCEAN REEF Duo Fins. Fins for Snorkeling and Swimming and Low Weight for Easy Packing and Traveling

Greatever Foldable 180° New Full Face Snorkel Mask Review

Greatever has produced a fantastic full face snorkel mask for an equally fantastic price for those shopping on a budget. The mask features a camera mount for some really cool first-person, footage of your snorkeling adventures, along with a very comfortable strap system to get just the right fit.

The flat lens for this mask almost entirely eliminates any distortions that you commonly encounter with lenses that curve around your face. Greatever has also included anti-fogging technology to further improve your viewing of a 180-degree panoramic view.

I definitely recommend this full snorkel mask for anyone that has made up their mind to dive into full face mask snorkeling but may not have the budget for ultra-high-end models such as the WildHorn Outfitters Seaview 180°. This mask also comes in a smaller kid’s full-face snorkel mask version too, perfect for family snorkeling adventures!

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Pair This Mask With

🐠 Cressi Pluma Pocket Fins
🐠 Phantom Aquatics Sport Snorkel Fins, Adjustable Travel Size Short Swim Fins for Snorkeling

DIVELUX Full Face Snorkel Mask Review

DIVELUX has produced a fantastic full-face snorkel mask for an equally fantastic price for those shopping on a budget. The mask features a 10-ft long snorkel that allows people to dive a little bit. Though you might worry about water getting in when doing that, its innovative technology makes sure you stay dry.

The snorkel mask is made with polycarbonate plastic, which means it’s durable and doesn’t fog underwater. Combined with the full-face mask, you can comfortably enjoy the 180-degree views around you. You might wonder whether the mask leaks or not. But since the skirt is made with liquid hypoallergenic silicone, it hugs your face snuggly and prevents any leaks.

Though this full snorkel mask isn’t revolutionary, it is enough for most people’s snorkeling needs. When you purchase on Amazon, the seller also includes an underwater protective phone case and the e-book “Top places to go diving in the USA”. Now, who doesn’t like freebies?

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Pair This Mask With

🐠 Wildhorn Topside Snorkel Fins for Land and Sea

There you go, everyone! I started out by sharing all there is to know about the different facets of snorkel mask buying; from the minutia of anti-fogging technology all the way to the type of mask itself. You’re armed with the information you need to make a well-reasoned decision.

To help you on your way to that decision, I then presented my list of the best snorkel masks on the market, from standard to full face masks, so go ahead and get your snorkel adventure rolling!

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE SNORKELLING MASKS?

If you have a question about the products just let me know and I’ll try my best to answer them! I totally get that it can be difficult to find the best snorkeling goggles and snorkeling masks (full face) for your needs.

SNORKELLING MASKS FAQs

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READ: Let Me Help You Buy the Perfect Snorkel Set Online

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