Updated on December 6, 2022
When we were children and put on our first mask, and stuck our face in the water of our bath, swimming pool, or lake to blow a few bubbles and see what a mask could do, we discovered what a miraculous and fascinating difference it can make. It keeps the water out of our noses and eyes enabling focus and more clear vision than we had previously imagined. So the masks of our childhood were the introduction to that whole new world.
As we have grown and developed, we have watched the evolution of the full range of underwater equipment, but the simple diving mask is still of supreme importance in our bag of equipment to explore and understand the underwater world.
Today we have an array of highly functional and multi-featured masks that Mike Nelson (Lloyd Bridges) in Sea Hunt with his round-lensed high-profile model could only dream about.
To help you decide which model to choose, ten of the best have been selected as an introduction. First, there is a buying guide, followed by reviews with key features, photos, videos, and a comparison table.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comments section at the bottom. I’d love to know your thoughts
For other popular reviews of masks and snorkels, please check out these posts:
Full Face Scuba Masks Scuba Masks for Small Faces Snorkeling Masks Prescription Snorkel Masks Dry Snorkels Scuba Masks with a Purge Valve Freediving Masks
How to choose the best scuba mask for you? A Buying Guide
Fit and Comfort
To be happy wearing a mask we are most concerned with fit and comfort. If your mask leaks, slips, squeezes or generally feels uncomfortable, it spoils the experience and is potentially dangerous.
Your mask needs to fit on your face sealed without using the strap. If you breathe through your nose and inhale, the mask will form a suction seal and fit comfortably on your face without slipping. If the seal doesn’t hold or slips, then the mask is too big or otherwise not shaped in a compatible way with your face structure. You may think the strap will take care of that, but you would be wrong. Even with the strap in place for a mask that fits poorly, you will have issues once you submerge.
Some people with beards and mustaches have a problem getting a good seal. It is suggested to try a number of masks to find the most suitable. There are some products that are made to place between the mask and hairy face to assist in this process that you can check out. You may just need to consider shaving during the period you plan to dive. Hey, it will grow back.
Purge Valve
When you have leaks you can use the method you learned in training to press the top of the mask and breath out through your nose while looking upward. Otherwise, you can get a mask with a purge valve. This allows clearing the mask just by breathing out without the head tilt. There don’t seem to be many masks with this feature available these days and the valve itself is just one more gadget that has the possibility of malfunctioning, but there are divers that find it useful.
Materials
Most commonly used masks are made of silicone or rubber, which is cheaper. Silicone is softer and more flexible, providing a superior seal, but is also a long-lasting material. One personal note, cockroaches will eat rubber and silicone. For longer-term storage make sure your mask is stored in a roach-impenetrable container. They will start in on the skirt and can quickly consume enough to ruin your seal.
The lens of your mask must use tempered glass to withstand the increasing pressure as you descend. Except for the cheapest of children’s masks, most serious masks you see in the marketplace will have tempered glass or in some cases new-age plastic to avoid dangerous breakage.
Number of Lenses
Dive masks most often come with one single pane of tempered glass or two. The double-paned variety can come in reverse or upside-down teardrop shape which provides a better field of vision downward.
The single-paned version doesn’t interrupt the field of vision in the center of the field, but on some faces may press against the bridge of the nose uncomfortably.
More unusually you can find single or double-paned masks that have side panels for each pane facing outward from the face permitting better peripheral vision.
Corrective Lenses
Some two-paned models have corrective lenses available which allow you to pop out the originals and replace them with various grades of correction. You should only use those manufactured for diving masks to ensure fit and tempered strength.
Fogging
A repeatedly fogging mask that needs to be flooded and defogged during the dive can be distracting and dive spoiling.
The standard prescription taught to us in diving class is to spread a little saliva around on the inside of the lens(es) and then lightly rinse. This has always worked for me for the duration of the dive. There are also liquids and sprays manufactured for this purpose to be spread on the interior lens surface. Some divers use a few drops of liquid soap or toothpaste in the same way.
Buckles and Straps
Adjustment of the mask strap for the appropriate fit is important for comfort and effectiveness. The best systems have the adjustment buckle attached to the skirt rather than the frame, which keeps the skirt sealed during adjustment. Of course, this is all that can be designed on a frameless mask, but many modern masks with frames also have buckles on the skirt. The older style masks almost always have an attachment to the frame.
Color
A variety of colors and color combinations are available so that you can match the frame, skirt, and strap or have them in complimenting arrangements.
A black mask will reduce glare. This may be a consideration for some photographers and spearfishermen.
Cheap versus Expensive
Usually, the basic difference between low-priced and expensive masks is the quality of the materials. The more expensive, generally, the better the quality of glass and silicone. The better quality glass is stronger, and higher quality silicone is more durable and provides a more flexible, secure fit.
Another factor is engineering and design. The more expensive, better models fit better, are more ergonomic and streamlined, and are generally easier to use.
Mask Care
All trained divers know that gear needs to be thoroughly rinsed in fresh water after every dive. After rinsing, let it dry off in an open space out of the sun as it can damage the materials. When dry put it in your bag and give it a rest. Also, as I mentioned above, for longer-term storage it is best to place your mask in a closed container that is impenetrable by vermin, such as cockroaches, which seem to have a particular appetite for rubber and silicone.
Best Scuba Mask Reviews
- Tusa Freedom M-3001 Tri-Quest
- Atomic Aquatics Venom
- ScubaPro Synergy Twin Trufit
- Oceanic Cyanea
- Oceanways Superview
- Cressi Big Eyes Evolution
- Cressi Eyes Evolution
- Hollis M1 Frameless
- Octomask GoPro Dive Mask
- Zeagle Scope Dual
Features:
- rated highly for comfort and dryness
- buckles are easy to use and enable making precise adjustments
- single-window design equipped with side dome windows that enable an increased peripheral view with a reduced frame structure reducing blind spots
- clears reasonably easily and is a good mask overall in comfort and performance
- comes in a wide variety of frame and skirt colors and combinations
- low priced
- Scubalab’s Tester’s Choice
- Rating: 4.7
- Price: $
Features:
- good durability
- high-quality lens
- frameless, wide-vision single-window design
- buckles adjust through squeezing
- ultra-soft flexible silicone skirt for comfort
- expensive
- commenters indicate proneness to fogging
- Rating: 4.7
- Price: $$$
View More Options From Atomic Aquatics
Features:
- watertight, comfortable fit with double feathered edge silicone skirt and wide split style silicone strap
- easy adjusting buckles connected to the skirt
- two large windows designed with a low profile for a wide-angle view
- moderately priced
- Rating: 5
- Price: $$
View More Options From Scubapro
Features:
- oversized modified teardrop twin windows provide wide-angle vision
- easy to use buckles
- comfortable silicone double feathered skirt
- ski goggle-style strap
- thin micro-frame construction
- integrated snorkel keeper
- moderately priced
- Rating: 4.8
- Price: $$
View More Options From Oceanic
Features:
- great for scuba diving and freediving
- single lens with a special coating to resist UV rays and glare
- black skirt, orange or blue-tinted lens to enhance contrast and depth perception
- extra soft silicon skirt
- wide range of vision
- rigid tear-drop frame
- moderately priced
- Rating: 4.8
- Price: $$
View More Options From Oceanways
Features:
- hypoallergenic, crystal silicone skirt for a comfortable fit
- wide split strap
- narrow headband
- easy adjusting buckles
- wide-angle twin window design with enhanced downward visibility
- low volume, easy to clear
- prescription lenses are available separately
- low priced
- Rating: 5.0
- Price: $
This model is very similar to the Cressi Big Eyes model just above but has been modified to fit the features of a smaller or woman’s face more comfortably.
Features:
- hypoallergenic, crystal silicone skirt for a comfortable fit
- wide split strap
- narrow headband
- easy adjusting buckles
- wide-angle twin window design with enhanced downward visibility
- low volume, easy to clear
- prescription lenses are available separately
- low priced
- Rating: 5.0
- Price: $
Features:
- frameless, single lens, low volume mask, with good downward and peripheral visibility
- folds for easy storage as a back-up
- easy to adjust buckle
- double feathered silicone skirt with split strap for a comfortable fit and minimal leakage
- moderately priced
- Rating: 4.7
- Price: $$
Octomask makes several different styled masks under the same name. If this is the style you like, make sure you follow the link provided here.
This mask is suitable for all GoPro models.
Features:
- low volume, twin pane design
- comfortable silicone skirt with a good, minimal leak seal
- easy-to-adjust strap
- comes with a setscrew (for the camera) and travel bag
- low priced
- Rating: 4.5
- Price: $
View More Options From Octomask
Features:
- large twin paned over-molded frameless design with secure fitting, comfortable soft silicone face seal providing an excellent field of view
- gray silicone strap
- easy to use single button buckle
- corrective lenses available
- Scubalab’s Tester’s Choice
- moderately priced
- Rating: 4.7
- Price: $$
Best Scuba Mask Comparison Table
| Scuba Diving Mask | Number of Panes | Frameless | Corrective Lenses | Price | Rating |
| Tusa Freedom M3001 | 1 (with side dome windows) | no | no | $ | 4.7 |
| Atomic Aquatics Venom | 1 | yes | no | $$$ | 4.7 |
| ScubaPro Synergy Twin Trufit | 2 | no | no | $$ | 5.0 |
| Oceanic Cyanea | 2 | no | no | $$ | 4.8 |
Oceanways Superview |
1 | no | no | $$ | 4.8 |
| Cressi Big Eyes Evolution | 2 | no | yes | $ | 5.0 |
| Cressi Eyes Evolution | 2 | no | yes | $ | 5.0 |
| Hollis M1 Frameless | 1 | yes | no | $$ | 4.7 |
| Octomask GoPro | 2 | no | yes | $ | 4.5 |
| Zeagle Scope Dual | 2 | yes | yes | $$ | 4.7 |
For other popular reviews of masks and snorkels, please check out these posts:
Full Face Scuba Masks Scuba Masks for Small Faces Snorkeling Masks Prescription Snorkel Masks Dry Snorkels Scuba Masks with a Purge Valve Freediving Masks
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on scuba masks interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. If there is no comments section directly below, click here:>>comments<<
Hi Joe,
Thanks for all the info, videos, etc.. It is very interesting and informative.
I am not really very serious about diving and will probably never buy a full set of equipment, but am in the market for a decent mask that I can use when I go diving once or twice a year, at most, and to wear in the pool or on trips to the beach. Most of the pricing is really high, in my book, except for a few. I’ve noticed the Akona Breeze is really much cheaper. Is there really a big difference between that one and the others? I like the price.
Ben
Hi Ben,
Thanks for your kind comments.
Currently at Amazon the Akona Breeze is running $30 plus shipping. It’s hard to beat that, so I understand your question. It is a very fine mask, as the Scubalab people indicated in their video. It doesn’t look like something from outer space like some of the other models, but it is not unattractive, albeit with an early 90s kind of styling in mind. It is a high functioning model. Performance-wise, the only major difference between this one and the others is that peripheral vision is not quite as good. I have used this mask and that difference is really minimal, not easy to notice. And it is less than half the price of the cheapest of the others in my post. Hey, you could buy two.
Good luck in your decision. If you have any other questions please let me know.
Joe