A good dive mask is usually the first piece of gear that divers buy for themselves, and it’s a pretty good idea because using a leaky old rental mask from your dive shop can ruin your whole dive.
There are a lot of options to choose from when deciding on what mask is best for you. All of the best scuba gear brands produce their own versions of great masks, but what one is best for you?
We put together this list of excellent scuba diving masks that we recommend so that you can choose the perfect one for your situation. The top things to consider are comfort, affordability, and fields of vision. We made sure to cover all of these aspects in our list, as well as the top brands so you don’t have to.
We put this guide together to make it easier for you to find the best masks on the market so that you never have a dive ruined by a crappy old rental again!
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Our Top Pick
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Best Budget
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Luxury Pick
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Budget Alternative
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Best Dual Lens Design
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Great for Beginners
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$114.95
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$56.51
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$109.95
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$54.99
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$123.00
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$90.00
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FREE Scuba Gear Care Tips
Essential gear care knowledge PLUS tips and tricks for cleaning, maintaining, and storing your scuba gear! Created by dive professionals working in the industry.
FREE Scuba Gear Care Tips
Essential gear care knowledge PLUS tips and tricks for cleaning, maintaining, and storing your scuba gear! Created by dive professionals working in the industry.
- Adult and Junior Sizes
- Lots of Colors options
- Comfortable
- Single Lens
The Tilos Titanica Single Lens Mask is a piece of scuba and snorkeling equipment designed to provide a clear and comfortable view of the underwater world. It is a popular choice for both recreational and professional divers.
Here are some of the features of the Tilos Titanica Single Lens Mask:
- Large single lens: The single lens design of the Tilos Titanica provides a large and unobstructed view of the underwater environment.
- Tempered glass: The lens of the mask is made of tempered glass, which is more resistant to scratches and makes the mask more durable and long-lasting.
- Silicone skirt: The mask is designed with a soft silicone skirt that creates a comfortable and watertight seal against your face. The silicone material is also hypoallergenic, making it a good choice for people with sensitive skin.
- Low-volume design: The Tilos Titanica has a low-volume design, which means that it holds less air than traditional masks which makes it easier to clear the mask of water, and reduces the mask weight.
- Adjustable strap: The strap is also made of a durable material that won’t easily break or deteriorate over time.
- Huge field of vision
- Extra clear glass
- Good for travel
- Comfortable design
- Fits most standard faces
- Not great for smaller faces
- Ultra low volume can cause fogging issues
The Hollis M1 is one of our favorite dive masks. We love this frameless mask with its huge single window that gives a huge field of view and makes sure you see everything undistorted. This helps you to see colors and gives better visibility in low light as well.
This slick, black design from Hollis has both style and efficiency in mind. It features a frameless design and an extra low profile so you have the best visibility possible. It is a very versatile design that fits many face shapes and sizes. The matte black design looks awesome too!
It also folds flat, making it perfect for travel. The low-profile silicone skirt is very comfortable and I have no problem with leaking, but if I forget to put a de-fogger on the lens, it can get a little fogged up since it’s so close to my face. Otherwise, it’s perfect.
- Skirt: Silicone
- Lens: Single window tempered glass
- Comfort: High
- Price: High
- Great value for money
- Soft & durable silicone
- Great fit for most faces
- 2-year warranty
- Plenty of color options
- Can be prone to fogging without Anti-Fog
When it comes to value for money, the Cressi F1 is the best-budget scuba diving mask on the market. Designed and manufactured by one of the world’s leading dive brands, this is a top-quality product for a very affordable price.
Thanks to its premium-grade materials and solid construction with features such as the buckles anchored on so they don’t break off (this is usually a weak point on the mask). This means this mask is exceptionally comfortable and will last a long time even if it takes a beating.
Its ergonomic and easy-to-use design also makes this a great scuba diving mask for beginners. As with all Cressi products, this mask comes with a 2-year warranty. My favorite part is the colors as well, it comes in 9 different colors including clear.
- Great for beginners
- Can fit many different face shapes
- Super soft silicone skirt
- Great for prescription lenses
- Good for a variety of budgets
- Bridge can sometimes cause discomfort
- Mask strap can cause longer hair to get entangled
This is a great mask for beginners that is accessible to a variety of budgets. The low profile means that you can equalize faster and easier. The field of vision is also thought out well so you can see everything you need and where you are going.
TUSA masks are well known for their versatility in fitting many different face shapes with their super soft silicone skirts.
In fact, many dive shops point people towards TUSA masks first when they come looking for good diving masks, as they are so often a perfect fit.
They have two lenses that are removable and interchangeable which is vital if you wish to use prescription lenses in your mask. If you need prescription lenses, this would be our best mask recommendation. If not you can change these lens for different tint as well. The solid part of the frame comes in different colors and the skirt also comes in 12 different colors this is endless combination.
- Very comfortable
- Innovative anti-fog system
- Multiple colors
- Excess silicone in some places
- Expensive
The Quantum is a top-of-the-line scuba diving mask made by Cressi. It is designed to give you better vision when looking downward with its teardrop lenses so you can see all the little creatures when diving.
This mask has a new feature that should prevent it from fogging. The system of membranes allows air to be channeled out around the eyes and nose. Another feature is that the skirt has a cooling system built in that will help to regulate the temperature so the inside of the mask is the same as the outside.
The Quantum mask is made from rubber, silicone, and plastic weighing only half a pound (.25 kilos). The dual lenses are not treated chemically so be sure to clean the lenses before use.
The buckles swivel system is easy-to-use so you can adjust the strap length quickly. You can choose one from 8 different color combinations to match the rest of your gear.
- Double feathered edge
- Creates a fantastic seal
- High comfort
- Multiple colors
- Ultra clear double lens
- Not the best fit for petite faces
This low-profile, high-comfort mask is available in multiple stylish colors, thanks to an innovative metallic paint method process on the frame that gives the mask a rich look of stylish eyewear. It is a low-volume mask as well for easy clearing and equalization.
The push bottom on the side of the mask for the quick release of the buckle and strap.
It also allows for the optimization of the angle on your face. You can even pop it off and have the mask folded flat for travel or in the pocket of your BCD.
The Spectra Mask doesn’t just look good. It is a prime mask, in terms of function. The Spectra Mask has a double feathered edge high-quality silicone rubber skirt and a wide split style silicone rubber mask strap that combine to create a perfect seal on the face.
Why Should I Buy A Scuba Diving Mask?
Buying your first scuba diving mask is a rite of passage. They are reasonably priced, easy to carry, and even easier to use, so they are often the first bit of kit that many scuba divers buy.
But why?
Well, first off is the convenience. Once you have your own, perfectly fitting, scuba diving mask (more on that later), you will struggle to see how you ever dived with anything else.
You can also adapt your mask to you, without worrying that the next diver is going to ruin your finely tuned work! Find your perfect strap length and anti-fog method or even put in prescription lenses.
If you are wearing a dive shop’s mask, it is natural to be concerned about the cleanliness of wearing something which has been on another’s face. Though they are (hopefully) cleaned between divers – the “ick” factor is real!
Aside from convenience and safety, you can really let your style shine through with a scuba mask. Whether your personal scuba look is all black or bright pink, there is a mask to suit you.
Whichever your reason, buying the best scuba diving mask for you is going to be a great investment!
What Should I Look For In A Scuba Mask?
When looking for the best scuba diving mask for you, getting a perfect fit is always the number one priority. We go into more detail about how to get this perfect fit later on.
The number two priority for a good dive mask is comfort, which has a lot to do with skirting. The skirting is usually made out of soft silicone which molds to your face.
It’s important when trying a mask to see if you feel a pinch anywhere, or as though the skirting is digging in. Remember, any problems on the surface will be accentuated and worsen below the surface!
Now, colors may seem solely like a style choice, and when buying a product like fins or snorkels it is, but it is a little more complicated when buying a scuba mask. When buying a mask, you can choose between a clear or opaque skirt.
The clear skirt allows more light into the mask which is ideal for claustrophobic divers or when diving in low light or visibility. Bright situations, such as sunlight reflecting off the sandy seabeds of Gili Trawangan can quickly become dazzling with a clear skirt.
Black or opaque skirts are great for bright conditions as it blocks some of this reflective light, this is why they are a favorite amongst photographers. The downside is that they can be more claustrophobic (if that is something that bothers you).
As for the rainbow of colors of opaque skirts on offer? Well, that’s just a style choice you’ll have to make for yourself, do remember certain color fade as they go deeper starting with red.
Other factors to consider are whether you go for a frameless scuba mask (only glass and silicon skirting) or framed (glass, silicone, and a hard plastic frame around the lenses). The other issue you may run into is that you need a prescription mask. This is a whole other category and you will not have as many choices depending on your prescription. This is a personal preference and you can find both among top-rated dive masks.
Low profile and low volume models are generally regarded as the best scuba masks as they are easy to clear (if you get water inside) and because of the proximity to the face, the visibility is excellent. The only downside is for those with extra-long eyelashes.
Scuba Mask Fitting Guide
How Do I Check The Fit Of My Scuba Mask?
Having a mask that fits perfectly to your face is not only about the comfort of a leak-free dive, but also safety. When your mask fits perfectly, you should be able to dive with no strap – though we don’t recommend trying it if you’re a beginner diver! If you are a beginner, you can check out a few of our top tips here!
Finding the perfect fit for your face may be trial and error. The skirting on each scuba mask is subtly different and some will fit the curvature of your face better than others.
Follow our super-quick guide below:
Hopefully, you’ve now found your perfect fitting scuba diving mask, and if so congratulations.
If not, don’t be disheartened there are a million other masks out there, try lots of models and you’re sure to find your perfect fit.
So What Mask Should You Choose?
Still not sure what one to go with, with all these great options? There are a few factors to consider when choosing the perfect mask for you, so let’s go through those, and then I will just give my recommendations and all-time favorites, that you can’t go wrong with.
Your Budget
Obviously, you should think about your budget, and check the prices in the links above, and that will be a big factor. But obviously, since there are a lot of options around the same prices, there will be more factors to think about.
Comfort and Sizing
There is usually a smaller size option for each of the masks above, so be sure to check that with the links for each, if you have a smaller face. As for comfort, I don’t think you will have a problem with any of the options on the list, as they are all top brands.
So What Mask Do We Recommend?
We can not say enough good things about Aqua Lung or Hollis masks. I personally use the Hollis M1, but also love the Mission from Aqua Lung. The M1 has never let me down and looks great as well. I have lost it a few times here and there, but always get another one exactly like it. I love that mask.
I even carry a spare one sometimes, as it smashes flat, with the buckles folding in flat along the frameless front, and it takes up no room in my BCD pocket. It’s always nice having a spare.
Frequently Asked Questions
New scuba masks come with a silicone coating inside the glass which leaves the lenses prone to fogging.
A popular method of ridding yourself of this layer is to “burn” the lens with a lighter. We don’t recommend taking a lighter to your brand-new mask unless you are an experienced scuba professional!
It is much safer for you, and your new purchase, to take your mask into a dive shop to ask for their advice and help.
Treating your new scuba mask with toothpaste is a good way of preventing fogging.
You can rub toothpaste on the inside lens of your mask, leave it on overnight for the best results.
Another great way of preventing your mask from fogging is to use an anti-fog mask spray before you dive.
Almost all dive shops will have masks that you can rent. This is usually included in the price for the dive or course.
Having your own mask that you know fits your face well and that you are familiar with can ensure a more comfortable dive.
Masks come with up to 4 lenses and most people discover a preference for a certain design. The benefits of a single pane offer the most uninterrupted field of vision as the panorama is not broken by the lens break over the nose.
Dual lenses reduce the range of vision but often have a lower volume, allowing the mask to sit closer to the face. They also enable prescription lenses so if this is something you need, dual lenses are the way to go.
Multi-lens masks, with extra lenses on the side, allow greater peripheral vision and are good for those with claustrophobia. However, the joining of the lenses can create blind spots and distortions.
The best scuba mask for facial hair is one that fits your face well. As long as it forms a good seal around the rest of your face, you should manage just fine – though you may need to clear your mask more than a smoother-faced buddy!
Try using a silicone-based balm on your mustache to help create a better seal.
