Ameo Powerbreather

It is hard to tell whether the resilience of the snorkel as a breathing device is a testament to its good design, or to our own lack of imagination. However you feel about it – the snorkel is far from the end all be all of the breathing apparatus world. New designs and competitors are popping up all the time, and the Ameo Powerbreather may be one of the better ones we’ve seen in a while.

Built to be worn by athletes who want to focus on getting long swims in without having to constantly tilt their head for air, the Ameo uses a smart valve system that exhales c02 and water out through one spout while channeling oxygen through two tubes that extend up from the mouth along the jawline. In addition to drastically improved efficiency for swimmers, the simple strap that fits along the back of your head makes for an easy and comfortable fit that you can set and forget. This may all sound like a novel idea, but the folks at the German National Swimming team found it impressive enough to partner with Ameo, and Red Dot gave them a design award back in 2015. Prices start at $150. [Purchase]