If you’re a pretty chill snorkeler and quite happy snorkeling at the surface, then full-face snorkel masks can be a great option. If you’re an active snorkeler and duck-dive below the surface – shallow freediving like in my bio image – you’ll definitely prefer a traditional mask. Check out my recommendations for snorkel masks here.
The Best Full Face Snorkel Masks in 2022 are the Wildhorne Outfitters Full Face Adult Snorkel Mask, and the WSTOO Full Face Kids Snorkel Mask.
Full-face masks can be good, but they’re not for every occasion and are considered to be “surface snorkel” masks. A couple was using full face masks on a whale shark trip we were on recently… and… they did not enjoy the experience. Whale sharks are fast, so you have to work hard to keep up, and thus making the masks hard to breathe in (like you can’t get enough air) and reaaaaaally hot and sweaty. Not awesome. Also, you can’t take out your snorkel to share how freaking ‘AWESOME!’ this all is without taking off the entire mask and risk filling it immediately in water. Just not for us.
So, just keep in mind full-face snorkel masks are for recreational surface floating style of snorkeling… not action-style snorkeling or where you’ll likely break the surface to explore underwater.
I’ve also created guides like this one for snorkel masks, snorkel fins, prescription snorkel masks, and kids snorkel sets, as well as my overall guide for the best gear for snorkeling.