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Speedo Hydralign ($15)
Swim goggles
by Katy Neusteter

Speedo Hydralign
Speedo Hydralign (Photograph by Nigel Cox)

Feel like your crawl is more of a creep? Don't hire a coach just yet—it could be a simple nod that shaves time off your laps. Olympian Michael Phelps let the Speedo R&D guys use his dome for their new Hydralign goggle design, which coaxes you into the correct position to stroke most efficiently. Here's how: Slanted, frosted lenses blur the lower half of your vision, forcing you to look through the top half of the goggles. This counteracts any tendency to angle your head above the water in order to see. And because proper water posture prevents the spine and hips from sagging, you'll be slicing through chlorinated water like an eel on an oil slick. Neck strain is banished, and your shoulders stay relaxed. Another critical benefit: The Hydraligns don't leak.