As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from amazon.com

THE RIGHT CYCLING SUNGLASSES – In The Know Biking

[ad_1]

Choosing the right pair of cycling sunglasses can be hard.

Like most cycling gear, cycling sunglasses perform differently and come in a wide price range. And like a lot of cycling apparel, there are fit and fashion considerations with cycling sunglasses that can further complicate our decision of which one to buy.

Then we have different light conditions to worry about depending on when, where, or how long we ride. Plus, it sure would be great if the sunglasses that are best for our rides also look casual enough to wear when we’re not riding.

My solution has been to have that one pair of cycling sunglasses with multiple lenses or a photochromic one that could somewhat pass for normal sunglasses when I’m driving or at one of the kids’ games or the beach.

My reality has been that this “solution” has always been a compromise. I find myself spending too much time switching lenses before rides or not being happy with how light or dark the photochromatic ones get. And the ones that perform best for cycling look a bit out of place when I’m wearing them in most other situations.

While I’ve always used one pair of cycling sunglasses, it dawned on me that I might want to have another pair or two for different situations. After all, I have several different weights of short sleeve and long sleeve jerseys, both road and gravel shoes, switch between climbing and aero wheels, and… well let’s stop there so I don’t get in deeper water with my budget boss.

So I put this challenge to my fellow testers Nate, Miles, and Aiyana – Pick out 3 different pairs of sunglasses that, between them would cover the range of situations you ride in and wear sunglasses for, be it on relaxed rides or group rides or races, on the road or off-road trails, in early morning low sun to bright midday to late afternoon/early evening light, during the spring, summer or fall, after rides or not when on rides, or whatever situations where you think a different pair of cycling sunglasses might be best. 

I also proposed the idea to Competitive Cyclist, one of my top-rated stores to let us try out any cycling sunglasses we wanted from their rather large collection to help my fellow testers and me with this challenge. Thankfully, they agreed.

With the summer ending and the fall light coming on during our testing, and as we added more MTB and cyclocross to our road and gravel riding mix, this was a good time of year to try out a lot of sunglasses in a range of situations.

Below you’ll find what we experienced riding with those each of us selected. Hopefully, you can find situations that relate to your riding and see if what we found in our reviews helps you pick out your next pair or pairs of cycling sunglasses.

In The Know Cycling is ad-free, subscription-free, and reader-supported. If you want to help keep it rolling without any added cost to you, buy your gear and kit after clicking the product name links in this review. When you do, we may earn an affiliate commission that will help me cover the expenses to create and publish our independent, comprehensive, and comparative reviews. Thank you, Steve. Learn more.

Nate’s cycling sunglasses selections

As my longest-serving fellow tester (i.e., he’s put up with my requests for product feedback more than anyone should have to), Nate has evaluated a lot of different cycling gear and kit over the years. And as a guy who leads his club’s 23-25mph group rides, spends time riding in a lot of different road and off-road conditions, and has built a career in the world of optical device technology, it’s fair to say he’s one whose perspective on cycling sunglasses I want to know.

Here’s what he thought of the ones he chose to test.

Tifosi Optics Crit – US$70-100

Tifosi Optics Crit cycling sunglasses

The Tifosi Optics Crit Photochromic cycling sunglasses I tested (also come in a polarized version and one with interchangeable standard lenses) is my favorite for road biking on dark mornings or in limited sunlight. They don’t have the annoying lens flares you can get when headlights are facing you like the Julbo lenses I write about below.

For me, the Tifosi Crits feel light as a feather, are very secure, and are unobtrusive in my peripheral vision. Because they aren’t as big as a lot of the cycling sunglasses you see today, they have a bit less wind coverage but are still adequate on road rides as your eyes aren’t constantly working to see roots and rocks at hyperspeed the way they would riding off-road.

I experienced no issues with fogging. The lens has no color tint and I like that they are completely transparent in dark conditions. At the same time, I would prefer to have the photochromic adjustment go darker in bright conditions.

With a minimal plastic frame, the Crit lens is relatively easy to clean. It also comes with a nice hard case plus a bag that doubles as a lens-cleaning wipe.

All of this for just $80 regular price makes for a pretty easy choice for early morning training rides.

Julbo Rush Reactiv Performance Photochromic – US$230

Julbo Rush cycling sunglasses

I do most of my mountain biking in the fall when the mornings can be dark, under sometimes doomy skies with mottled sunlight at best. My vision can suffer as the cold wind causes constant eye tearing.

In these conditions, I really like what the Julbo Rush Reactive Performance Photochromic sunglasses do for me. Their lens provides very good coverage to block the wind and I appreciate the improved safety and confidence of being able to see better. Despite the frames hugging my face, the sunglasses still ventilate well and I don’t have any fogging issues.

Overall, they are quite comfortable. They stay secure on my head and face, are reasonably lightweight, and give you the feeling of high-quality construction and materials

With the orange lens on the pair I tested, there’s a slight blue color tint. The metallic lens coating also creates some flares in high-contrast situations like car headlights (more motivation to get off-road). I also would prefer the photochromic adjustment to get both darker in bright conditions and be more transparent in lighter ones.

You can get prescription lenses for these and other Julbo frames.

On the hygiene front, the amount of plastic in the frame makes cleaning the lens a bit more difficult without a Q-tip. These Julbo do come with a soft storage case that doubles as a lens cleaning wipe but it’s too small to easily insert glasses into.

Smith Deckboss Polarized – US$179

Smith Deckboss cycling sunglasses

I selected the Smith Deckboss Polarized sunglasses for bright, dry days when fogging and rain aren’t a concern. I also wanted their polarized lenses to cut down on glare and the option to get prescription lenses so I don’t have to bother wearing contacts. Finally, I wanted a pair that would look more stylish in non-athletic settings.

These do all of those things but are not ideal for me.

These were my least favorite as far as my regular morning riding goes but I think I would gravitate to them during times of the year when the sun is already up at the start of the ride and is high in the sky by the end of a ride. The two photochromics I wrote about above don’t get opaque enough in bright conditions the way polarized lenses do, and there is no substitute for polarized lenses when there is a bright glare coming off wet roads.

These Smith lenses are high-quality and have good clarity. But overall, the frames feel less secure on my head and face and could benefit from some more adjustability. The nose grips are static and a bit too wide for me while the arms depend on resting on top of my ears rather than squeezing sideways into my head to hold them in place. They also feel a bit on the heavier side.

All of this together causes them to side down slightly when I tilt my head. And while they have a more casual look than most of today’s cycling sunglasses, they still have a rather large “google-like” appearance, at least on my face.

I think they would fit and look better on someone with a wider face and a more pronounced nose bridge.

Aiyana’s cycling sunglasses choices

When I open up my Strava, one of the first things I look for is Aiyana’s rides. She never seems to do the same ride twice, includes great photos with most activity reports, and gets more kudos and comments than anyone I follow.

With her review of the best women’s bibs shorts, she proved to me and a lot of readers that she can also evaluate cycling kit. Here are her reviews of three cycling sunglasses to suit her wide range of riding.

Julbo Fury Spectron 3CF – US$130

Julbo Fury cycling sunglasses

These Julbo Fury Spectron 3CF are larger coverage cycling sunglasses than what I typically wear. I really appreciate the span above my eyebrows so the sun doesn’t sneak in above my eyes. They also give me a wide/panorama type view without the frame getting in my line of sight. Yet, they are very light sunglasses. 

I’ve ridden with sunglasses designed to block a lot of light that can become too dark in the shade. This can be problematic riding through tree-shaded narrow roads in my area especially in the late summer and early fall when the sun is low. In these conditions, however, I love how clear and defined the Fury’s lens makes the sometimes uneven road surface look. And, the Spectron is the non-photochromic version of the Fury, yet still performed very well in the shifting light. 

My eyes will water quite a bit in cool temperatures on occasion, especially on descents. Not the case with the Fury’s. My eyes feel very protected from the elements. 

The lens on these sunglasses doesn’t fog up even during stops on rides that start relatively cool and warm up. That’s quite impressive given how close they sit to the face. 

Rather than two touch points – nose & ears – I have four with the Fury – nose, ears, eyebrows & (somewhat) cheeks. This fit was a little distracting on my first ride but I soon forgot about it & enjoyed the views. On subsequent rides, I’ve gotten more used to the fit and the overall coverage and lack of fogging are excellent. To make them perfect I’d add a nose piece so you can choose how they rest on your face. 

Oakley Evzero Blades – US$184-$204

Oakley Evzero Blades cycling sunglasses

 

The Oakley Evzero Blades come in a variety of colors (more than shown above), each with a slightly different rate of transmission and protection index. I chose the Polarized Road glasses for Medium Light conditions that I thought would be perfect for a cloudy or mostly cloudy day and/or sunrise. 

My first observation was that they were slightly darker than what I might have typically worn on a very cloudy day. But, as I continued my ride I noticed the high contrast they offered more than made up for a slightly darker shade. The New England Fall leaves were also much more vibrant looking at them through the Evzero Blades lens than with my naked eye.

Wearing them after a storm I felt I could better navigate fallen debris looking through the lens on these sunglasses than with my naked eyes. As the sun came out slightly towards the end of the ride, the Blades performed even better. The high contrast seems to allow for any shade/light conditions to have a very minimal impact on my ride visibility. 

These glasses are very light and comfortable to wear and fit my face perfectly despite being advertised as “men’s” like all the others. The only change I might make would be to increase the height of the frame so that if the sun were further overhead that it wouldn’t shine into your eyes over top. 

After wearing these Oakley Evzero Blades, I find them to be an excellent pair of shades to wear on a partly sunny and/or sunrise ride. Under full clouds I may opt for the Smith Ruckus reviewed below or perhaps a pair of Oakleys with higher light transmission. 

Smith Ruckus – US$159-$209

Smith Ruckus cycling sunglasses

The Smith Ruckus comes in a range of ChromaPop versions and the Photochromic one I selected that also includes a rose flash ChromaPop lens.

Like the Jublos, I really like the coverage of these glasses. They sit very comfortably on my face and nothing blocks the view.

The nose strap is adjustable, allowing me to modify how close the glasses sit on my face. I like the bridge that the frame created above my eyebrows as well. 

During rides started in complete darkness, sometimes below freezing, followed by clouds, shade, and sun, these glasses work very well. They don’t fog while riding through these temperature and light changes, even with my face covered on the coldest mornings, and only fog a little during quick breaks. 

The additional ChromaPop Rose Flash lens easily interchanges with the photochromic clear lens. It does its job of contrasting colors very well. I rode with it on a cold day with clear and sunny skies on trails covered with freshly fallen leaves. Some trails were narrow with little wear so noticing the difference between trail and off-trail was pretty challenging. I didn’t miss the photochromic aspect even in the shifting light between the trees. It’s a nice “bonus” lens for brighter trail conditions or a cloudier road ride.

 


Find what you’re looking for at In The Know Cycling’s Know’s Shop

    • Compare prices on in-stock cycling gear at 15 of my top-ranked stores
    • Choose from over 75,000 bikes, wheels, components, clothing, electronics, and other kit
    • Save money and time while supporting this site when you buy at the store after clicking on a link*

Check out Know’s Shop

*While there’s no added cost to you, some stores pay commissions that support our product review and site expenses.


Steve’s cycling sunglasses picks

As I mentioned in the opening, I’ve always been a one pair of sunglasses kind of cyclist, switching back and forth between clear, amber, and darker lenses.

I’ve also tried a photochromic lens to save myself the lens changing (and smudging and then cleaning) hassle but found they also got darker than I’d prefer. This can make it seem like the day isn’t as nice as it looks without my sunglasses on. With photochromic lenses, I also miss some of the contrast and pop I get from color lenses both on and off-road.

So began my search for the right pair of cycling sunglasses for each riding situation. Here’s what I’ve found so far.

Oakley Sutro Lite – US$184

Oakley Sutro Lite cycling sunglasses

I wanted to check out these Oakley Sutro Lite cycling sunglasses for my everyday road riding on clear, sunny days. And I won’t lie, they also looked way cool or, as Miles says: “all the kids are wearing them.” Yeah, count me in!

This was my first go with a pair of max-coverage sunglasses and it was surprisingly successful. The Sutros feel as light and comfortable as smaller ones and have good airflow on hot rides. The Prizm Road lens on the pair I wore (they also come in a darker Prizm Black and Prizm Road Black) is wonderfully clear, easily brings out road imperfections while also blocking the direct sun without glare, and the colors seem true.

The thin frame stays put, clear of my low brow aero road helmet both across the front and along the sides. When I take them off for a café stop or during a ride, they also fit in my Kask helmets vents securely.

They do look big from the outside but they don’t feel that way looking out of them. And when I look down, light does come in but that’s the tradeoff of not having a frame that touches or comes near my face along the bottom of the sunglasses. They almost make me look like a fast cyclist, at least until I start riding. Who knew that was possible?

My only complaint is that since the frame comes up just above my eyebrows, I have to remember to wipe my forehead from the middle-out rather than bottom-up. That and the fact that they aren’t cheap, though there are more expensive ones out there that I’m not sure are much better.

Tifosi Optics Sledge – US$80

Tifosi Optics Sledge cycling sunglasses

Gravel riding in New England almost always means lower light conditions because a lot of it happens in the woods. And since I do less gravel than road riding, I look for even more value when I buy gravel gear and kit.

With this in mind, I was attracted to the Tifosi Sledge that includes 3 lenses for different light conditions all for only $80 price. I picked the orange frame version to match the medium-tint red lens (and my orange gravel bike frame) I use most of the time when riding gravel.

The matte black or matte white frame the Sledge comes in is probably a more versatile choice. They both come with the same medium tint lens you can see in the photos of me above and with clear and dark grey lenses.

The clear and medium-tint lenses are quite good. Not Oakley quality for sure but certainly good enough for low light conditions. The large frame and lens size also keep the light consistent as my eyes dart around looking down and to either side to find the right line amongst the uneven off-road surfaces and constantly changing conditions that are typical of gravel riding. Cutouts along the tops of the lenses also provide adequate ventilation but don’t allow unfiltered light in as I thought they might from the looks of them.

There’s a lot of rubber on the nose and earpieces. This tends to dampen the rough trail vibrations while keeping them in place. You can also bend the temple and earpieces to get the adjustment you want, something I had to play with quite a bit to get the best fit with not too much or too little pressure.

While I have an average size beak, the Sledge and other Tifosi sunglasses I’ve worn sit higher on it than other brands. The Sledge’s large lenses deal with that by keeping the light from coming in from below. The top of the frame settles in just below where the helmet I use for gravel riding comes down on my forehead. It interferes, however, with the front of my aero road helmet.

POC Define – US$180

Poc Define cycling sunglasses

The POC Define sunglasses fill the need for a pair that work well while cycling on bright, sunny summer days and are also casual enough to feel comfortable wearing off the bike or doing other sports. Being POC, their style is unique and may or may not suit your fashion sense. I have none of that kind of sense, so they looked good to me.

These are best in bright sun as each frame option comes with a dark lens. I find the lens gives me good clarity and contrast and is large enough to keep most of the sun out without being a max coverage or wrap-around frame. You can also fit a prescription lens into the frame.

They’re quite light and comfortable and stay in place well. The fit feels quite natural.

As I tend to do my training rides in the mornings when the sun isn’t high and often ride tree-lined roads, I’ve probably worn the POC more for driving and outdoor dining to date than I have for riding. But for those long summer sunny rides that stretch through the day and finish with a few frosty drinks, these will likely be my go-to shades.

Miles’s cycling sunglasses choices

Miles has had a helluva riding year. He’s always been a successful Pro/1/2 rider on the road race and crit circuit in New England and picked up where he left off with racing restarting in 2021. He and his wife also put on an awesome gravel race starting and ending at her family farm in Vermont this summer and Miles figured out cyclocross this fall landing on quite a few podiums.

On top of all that, he probably had as much fun coaching one of his son’s MTB team and riding the trails with them on weekends as anything else he did on a bike this year. Needless to say, he’s got a lot of different “use cases” for cycling sunglasses.

Here are his reviews of three cycling sunglasses for different situations.

Oakley Sutro Prizm – US$173

Oakley Sutro cycling sunglasses

For my sunny road rides, I chose the Polished Black/PRIZM Snow Torch version of the Oakley Sutro Prizm.

These sunglasses have big coverage and weigh very little, both huge pluses in my book especially in combination. While I am not generally a huge fan of sunglasses with frames that go all the way around the lens as I sometimes find the frame can limit visibility, the top bar frame on these Sutro Prizm’s is really out of sight most of the time.

I wore these in direct, afternoon sun and while they are not super dark, I can see really well, even when looking
straight into the sun reflecting off the road or grass.

These glasses are also super comfortable and perch up at just the right distance off my face. The arms are pretty flexible, minimal really. I also found that they fit securely into my Kask helmet.

Stylistically, they are very, very cool looking. I could see wearing these as much off the bike as on the bike. The case is a pretty standard one that zips up and comes with a simple black bag. It’s easy to pack and carry around safely.

Overall, these are very nice glasses that make me feel like Egan Bernal (a little)!

Smith Attack MAG MTB ChromaPop – US$259

Smith Attack MAG MTB cycling sunglasses

The Smith Attack Mag MTB ChromaPop comes with a photochromic lens and a light amber one. These are designed for mountain biking and other types of trail riding.

Unlike any cycling sunglasses I’ve seen before, the narrow upper frame piece is permanently installed on top of the lens. There’s also a wide nose piece that extends halfway across the lower part of the frame. I could see the lower bar on the lens when riding but then I did not notice it after a while. The frame arms also clip off with a really unique mechanism that I loved (no torquing!).

These glasses were great in the woods on long, 50-mile mountain bike rides. The photochromic lens provides the perfect level of shade on a sunny day in the mountains. Of the three I tested, these do the best job for what they are designed for – mountain biking. In other words, these were better for mountain biking than the Sutros were for
sunny road riding.

That exceptional purpose-built performance brings limitations when using them outside mountain bike riding. For example, they don’t go deep enough into the vents of my Kask Protone helmet and obstruct my view if I ride with them there. I would also say the frame and nose piece don’t give you a very stylish look off the bike.

These Smith cycling sunglasses come with a case that’s oversized by about a couple of centimeters. This makes
them a little more clunky to travel with.

And they’re more expensive than most cycling sunglasses. But if you’re looking for a pair ideally suited for mountain biking, the Smith Attack Mag MTB ChromaPop is hard to beat.

Julbo Aerospeed Reactiv – US$130-$220

Julbo Aerospeed Reactive cycling sunglasses

Julbo makes the Aerospeed cycling sunglasses in three models. The Aerospeed Reactiv (left) and Aerospeed (center) both have photochromic lenses while the Aerospeed Spectron 3 uses a grey/blue lens. All three are designed for off-road trail riding with a large lens for max coverage with no frame surrounding it to get in your line of sight.

I picked the Julbo Aerospeed Reactiv in search of a good photochromic pair of cycling sunglasses. The lens doesn’t get very dark even in direct sun. At the same time, there is something about the lens I find very easing on my eyes in the brightest light conditions. My eyes feel comfortable

That said, they work best in low light and clouds. The lens is fairly large and provides a good level of coverage, especially on the top. They sit well off my face and the frame is really minimal with only a nose piece and the arms.
Unlike the Smiths I reviewed above, I hardly felt these Julbos on my face and I really liked them for riding.

The Aerospeed fits into my Kask Protone but if I hit a large bump, I bet they would fly out. So, as with the Smiths, best to keep them on.

Off the bike, these glasses are not particularly stylish and they mostly look like woodshop glasses! Seriously. The case these glasses come with is a minimally soft case and the glasses just barely fit inside of it. In fact, I often found myself wiggling the glasses a little bit to get them to sit correctly within the case so I could zip it closed. As a result, they are quite packable but I would be careful to not pile a bunch of gear on top of them!

In the end, I loved the comfort and feel of these glasses on my face since they provide large, clear coverage and minimal frame material even though they look kind of dorky off the bike.

 *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think of anything I’ve written or ask any questions you might have in the comment section below.

If you’ve benefited from reading this review and want to keep new ones coming, buy your gear and kit after clicking the store links in this review and others across the site. When you do, we may earn an affiliate commission that will help me cover the expenses to create and publish more ad-free, subscription-free, and reader-supported reviews that are independent, comprehensive, and comparative.

If you prefer to buy at other stores, you can still support the site by contributing here or by buying anything through these links to eBay and Amazon.

You can use the popup form or the one at the bottom of the sidebar to get notified when new posts come out. To see what gear and kit we’re testing or have just reviewed, follow us by clicking on the links below or the icons at the top of the page to go to our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and RSS pages.

Thanks and enjoy your rides safely! Cheers, Steve

First published on November 23, 2021. The date of the most recent major update is shown at the top of the post.

Follow us on facebook.com/itkcycling | twitter.com/ITKCycling | instagram.com/itkcycling

Kamagra has attained great reviews since it contains powerful ingredients Here are the list of the doctors as cheap viagra this medicine is the best effective. If they fail in doing so, then the problem arises. click here for info viagra 25 mg viagra samples This condition is a form of erectile dysfunction (ED). Kamagra Fizz should not be low price levitra clubbed with any other drug.

[ad_2]

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Cycling Bike Store
Logo
Compare items
  • Total (0)
Compare
0