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Aug 10, 2023

Best cycling glasses and sunglasses

What should you be looking for when buying the best cycling glasses or

What should you be looking for when buying the best cycling glasses or sunglasses, how much should you pay, and should you go for one of the big brands?

The best cycling glasses seem to be getting bigger and bigger every season, with plenty of amusing memes floating around online where the lenses clearly threaten to engulf the entire face of the rider beneath.

But the best cycling glasses are not all about fashion - they are an essential item for riders throughout the year.

Much like the best road bike helmets or the best cycling shoes, cycling glasses need to be fit for purpose for the day or type of riding you're about to undertake.

In the warmer months, they do as you'd expect and keep too much sunlight out of your eyes, but also dust and bugs. The best lenses will also include tech to increase visual acuity, so you can pick out what's in front of you more easily as you ride.

In winter months, there's still the sun to consider, which may be low in the sky and dazzle you. The best cycling glasses also provide a barrier to snow, rain, wind, road spray and mud.

You name it, if it can possibly be airborne, your eyes need protecting from it. But what should you be looking for in a pair of the best cycling glasses that can be used all year round?

We've gone into more detail at the bottom of the page, covering lens and frame options as well as detailing features such photochromic or photochromatic lenses, which change lightness depending on the conditions, making them worthy of consideration if your riding often takes you from bright sunlight to heavy shade.

To help you choose the right pair of glasses for you we've reviewed over a dozen pairs of today's best cycling glasses. We've put them through their paces, logging up many miles to determine their pros and cons across a range of considerations, including level of protection, field of vision and comfort.

Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website ever since. Obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he's a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer.

They're oldies but goodies and the Oakley Jawbreakers are still as good as it gets for lens swappability. Oakley is still up there with the best with its Prizm lens tech as well.

Rudy Project gives you a high level of coverage with the Cutline, plus you can remove the lower bumpers for a half-frame and the top ones too for a frameless look.

Salice gives you Italian racer style at a lower price than the big name brands. You stilll get quality optics and a low weight - they're as great for riding as for the espresso stop.

Former World Champion Peter Sagan's favourite brand, 100% ushered in the return of the big lens look. The 100% S2 is still a great option with its HiPER lens.

The Tifosi Rail is a lower priced option but still offers you a Fototech photochromatic lens option so that you can wear the same pair of sunglasses whatever the weather.

Wiggle's dhb brand gives you quick reacting photochromatic lenses at a low price with the Vector glasses. They have the big lens look and feel robust as well.

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

A photochromic lens ups the versatility of the Oakley EV Zero Blades

Our expert review:

There's very little to be critical of with the Oakley EV Zero Blades. The photochromic version - there are six colourways in total - is an excellent shoulder season and winter pair of sunglasses that not only keep the dust and grit out of your eyes, but offer unobstructed viewing, and clarity that is so good it took us a while to really believe it.

It didn't matter if we were riding on a bumpy or smooth piece of road, the glasses stayed in place. Neither was it a concern that they would steam or fog up, ensuring that perfect clarity and vision was guaranteed at all times.

They’re not the cheapest on the market - this is Oakley, after all - but they are a guarantee of excellent fit, vision and a big tick in the stylishness box.

Read more: Oakley EV Zero Blades photochromic full review

The dhb Vector glasses are a budget photochromatic option

Our expert review:

The photochromatic version of dhb's Vectors are roughly half the price of the Oakley EV Zero Blades, and the outcome is just as good. Depending on your preference, you might even say the Vectors are more beautiful too - they certainly are more in-touch with today's full-face trend.

dhb have produced a series of oversized sunglasses that are not only stylish but offer excellent clarity, brilliant ventilation and a rigid, sturdy frame that never looks like it will snap and break. The way the lens adapted to the changing light conditions was truly impressive.

The added weight did cause a bit of pressure on the nose at times, but the soft nose pad and extendable arm all add up to a pair of glasses that are designed to ensure a secure, comforting fit.

Read more: dhb Vector photochromatic lens full review

Oakley Encoder glasses give you the frameless pro look

Our expert review:

If the futuristic look is for you, the Oakley Encoders offer a high quality feel and secure fit thanks to the frameless design and jaunty cut of the lens which plays nicely with helmets and high cheekbones.

Although the Prizm lens cannot be changed on this model, the wraparound coverage also delivers incredible contrast and excellent clarity, ensuring improved vision to help clearly navigate road surface changes and objects within the surrounding environment.

Read more: Oakley Encoder sunglasses full review

The Tifosi Rail boasts a frameless design for improved vision and lower weight

Our expert review:

The Tifosi Rail is a large lens rimless design with good wraparound protection. We reviewed the Clarion Fototec lens version with a light-sensitive lens with between 14% and 74% light transmission, so it will handle the full range of daytime conditions.

The fit is good, with no tendency to slip when riding and there's little misting. The Rail is a good alternative to pricier photochromatic glasses from other brands, even if the response to changes in light conditions isn't quite as fast as it don't go quite as clear as some.

Read more: Tifosi Rail Clarion Fototec cycling sunglasses full review

The Radar EVs are among our favourite sunnies

Our expert review:

The price might be in typical Oakley territory, but the quality of the Radar EV sunglasses is just what you'd expect from the American brand. We're huge fans, and with these making our Editor's Choice Awards for three years running, it's clear the Radar EV Advancer are a pair of our favourite cycling sunglasses.

Both the frames and the lenses ooze quality, and although there are no replacement lenses, the ones supplied are so adaptive that you can happily wear them all year round in a wide range of conditions.

We've also tested the Youth Collection variant of the Radar EVs. A great option if you've got a smaller face, they're not just for adolescents.

Read more: Oakley Radar EV cycling sunglasses full review

100% S2 glasses were a large lens trendsetter

Our expert review:

Case in point re the new generation of large lenses! 100% is well known for its outspoken designs, but with pro rider Peter Sagan favouring them for his Paris Roubaix victory, they're clearly winning cycling sunglasses.

On test, we also really liked them, and so much so that we had to include them on the Editor's Choice Award list, as even on our slimmer faced tester 100% S2 fitted really well.

If you're looking for great eye protection, but not the usual brands, then these are a great alternative pair of the best cycling sunglasses. The HiPER lens performed exceptionally well, though we wouldn't recommend choosing a pair without this option.

Read more: 100% S2 cycling sunglasses full review

High performance from Rapha without a huge price tag

Our expert review:

With the aim of directly interrupting the likes of Oakley's market share, the Rapha Pro Team Full Frame glasses arrived with a surprisingly more accessible price tag than expected.

The road riding wrap-around sunglasses pack some well-considered touches, such as the light reactive lenses, into a stylish package.

They're high performing, especially when riding in dappled or changing light conditions, which is on par with both Oakley's Prism and 100%'s HiPER lens.

The overall fit is snug and secure, but our tester was aware of the side venting, which did take a little getting used to.

Cheaper than a lot of the staple cycling brands make these great cycling sunglasses for anyone wanting labels for less, without sacrificing performance.

Read more: Rapha Pro Team Full Frame sunglasses full review

Salice offers Italian chic without the cost

Our expert review:

The Salice 022 sunglasses go large with the retro visor look, allowing them to rival many of the highly desirable brands for looks and, thanks to their simple yet effective design, performance.

The minimal wraparound lens coverage helps keep weight low and, with their forward-angled design, they’re better at keeping the lenses free of sweat streaks than glasses that sit closer to your face.

With the fact that they’re made in Italy and of course that they have the bold looks of the Oakley Sutro, the Salice 022 sunglasses are a great lower-cost alternative to the premium cycling sunglasses brands.

Read more: Salice 022 sunglasses full review

Koo Demos is a good option for smaller faces

Our expert review:

Designed with the Trek-Segafredo pro teams in mind, it's no wonder that the Koo Demos hit the target when it comes to performance.

Our small faced rider found that the one sized (medium) glasses fitted comfortably straight out the bag, although it's worth noting that they do come with an interchangeable nose piece to ensure a perfect fit.

Thanks to the Zeiss polycarbonate lens, the glasses provided excellent clarity, and with four effective ventilation ports to prevent fogging, even on the heaviest breathing rides on cold winter days.

They are priced well against peers, undercutting similar options on the market by a fair margin in some cases, making these a great pro level option for many riders.

You can read the full review of the Koo Demos glasses here. We've also reviewed the Koo Spectro and Koo Supernova if you fancy something Koo but don't fancy the Demos.

Read more: Koo Demos Sunglasses full review

The Oakley Jawbreaker delivers a classic design with an easy lens swaps

Our expert review:

They might be oldies, but they're goodies, and no "best of" guide would be complete without their inclusion.

Still one of the most popular cycling sunglasses across the board, the Oakley Jawbreakers provide a great fit, managing to stand the test of time in terms of looks and performance.

The large frames might not be the best for those with small faces, but there is an element of adjustability with the arms.

There's a wide choice of frame and photochromatic HDO optic lens colours to choose from. All come with their own protective lens cleaning bag and hard case for protection when not wearing.

Read more: Oakley Jawbreaker sunglasses full review

Rudy Project Cutline glasses provide great customisation options

Our expert review:

We found that the Rudy Project Cutline sunglasses are the brand's answer to Oakley Sutros with their on trend wide design.

With more or less every aspect of the Cutlines being able to be swapped out, removed or replaced, we found these the best cycling glasses for total customisation, and a great single pair for year round use.

The lenses offered superb clarity and contrast, and we found even on cooler days they didn't mist or fog up, with cut outs in the frame doing a good job at encouraging airflow.

The frames themselves are unobtrusive, with no blind spots or ingress in the field of vision. Surprisingly, however, they did clatter around a bit on rougher terrain, and getting the exact fit wasn't as easy as other glasses on the market, although once you do nail it, they are really a comfortable pair.

The price tag might put some riders off, but with the capability of swapping out and replacing each section, these could be the only pair you need for many years, making the cost per wear much more appealing.

Read more: Rudy Project Cutline full review

Smith Wildcat glasses give you very big lenses with little tendency to mist up

Our expert review:

The Smith Wildcat glasses are big - as large as some of Smith's goggles. That gives lots of peripheral coverage, although even so the full frames are noticeable as you ride. The design means that the lens sits a little further from your face than many performance glasses, so they're less prone to fogging.

They're comfortable though and the Chromapop lens works well to up contrast. You can swap it out for the included clear lens. They cope well with abuse too.

Read more: Smith Wildcat glasses full review

The Bolle Chronoshield provides big photochromatic lenses and good adjustability

Our expert review:

A retro style from Bolle's back catalogue, the Chronoshield has the on-trend big eye look and uses the brand's Phantom photochromatic lens tech that's among the best out there. The lens is very resistant to misting as well.

It's a really comfortable design with bendable sidepieces for a secure fit. It's one of the largest styles we've tested though, so might be a bit too large for some.

Read more: Bolle Chronoshield full review

Anna's been hooked on bikes ever since her first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit at age 12. For a time, her cycling life centred around racing road and track but has since broadened to include multi-day two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain she happens to meet. However, she still enjoys racing and recently competed in the British Gravel Championships and Gritfest 2022, where she made the podium.

Charlotte is a British rider, racing for the AWOL O’Shea UCI women's cycling team. An accomplished writer, she is a regular on the pages of Cycling Weekly magazine and also contributes to The British Continental.

Interchangeable lenses can help fine-tune for different light conditions

The most important part of any pair of the best cycling glasses is their lenses, as the tint of the lenses will dictate what conditions you can wear them in.

Many more expensive glasses have lenses that are suited to a range of light conditions. The Oakley Prizm lens, for example, excels across a range of weathers.

However, you don't have to spend a huge amount of money to get a pair of the best cycling glasses with interchangeable lenses which can be swapped out according to the weather.

Most of the best cycling glasses that come with interchangeable lenses will come with three different options. First up you should have a standard shaded lens that will provide 100% UV protection and help to dim bright sunshine when riding in the height of summer. However, they shouldn't be so dark that you're struggling to pick out the road surface if you find yourself descending down a heavily wooded lane.

The second lens should have a yellow tinge, which will be great for brightening things up when riding in overcast conditions, making it easier to spot rough road surfaces in flat light. And finally they should come with a clear lens that is there for when you're riding after dark.

Depending on the design, changing lenses can be fiddly though and, unless you're careful, often results in thumbprints on the lenses that need to be cleaned off.

The other option for riding in changeable conditions is photochromic or photochromatic lenses which will change their lightness and darkness depending on the conditions. Back in the day, these might not have been great for cycling as they would not change fast enough if you were riding in and out of shade.

However, those on the latest and best cycling glasses are much better, offering quick changes in tint from almost clear through to dark enough for bright summer riding. Pick these if you want to ride in different conditions, but don't want the faff of having to change lenses.

They're especially useful if your ride takes you from bright sunlight to heavy shade.

Cycling sunglass lenses are getting larger and larger

Aside from the colour of the lens, there are a number of other things to look for when picking your pair of the best cycling glasses.

First of all you want decent coverage. As well as sunshine, you want your lenses to keep bugs, water, and wind out of your eyes (with the latter being particularly important for those wearing contact lenses). One piece lenses are usually the best for this.

Peripheral coverage to the sides and bottom of the lenses is important, as glare that creeps in here can be distracting. You also want to make sure that the frames are, as much as possible, out of your field of vision as they can obscure obstacles - hence the current trend to larger and larger lenses. Frameless designs are useful in this respect.

The best cycling glasses might come with lenses that have a hydrophobic coating. When combined with a cycling cap, the best cycling glasses are very useful when riding in the rain, and a hydrophobic coating will make sure that water doesn't stay on the lenses impeding your vision.

Misting can be a problem when riding in damp conditions, when it's cold or just when you get a sweat up tackling a hill. Some of the best cycling glasses come with venting slots or other features to help guard against this. For example, the Oakley Flight Jacket glasses have an adjustable nose piece to help airflow and aid moisture dissipation. However, we didn't rate this solution so well, finding it created a bottom heavy pair of shades with a tendency to slip down the face.

Finally, at some point your sunglasses are going to be knocked off a cafe table, so an anti-scratch coating is an important consideration especially if you've invested heavily.

When you pay for your new cycling glasses, most of the money will probably be going towards buying the frame rather than the lenses, so you want to make sure that you're getting good value in this area too.

The most important thing is that the frame fits well. The tips of the arms on the best cycling glasses will fit snugly around your temple just above your ears, holding them securely in place even when you're looking down or swinging your head from side to side when sprinting out of the saddle. However you don't want them to be too tight otherwise they will quickly become uncomfortable.

Again, the best cycling glasses have rubber pads that grip the side of your head to hold them securely in place without needing tight arms and so that they're not relying on hooking over your ears. There are also a few with adjustable or bendable arms to ensure a good fit.

Another important area to look at to ensure the frame fits properly is the nosepiece. Most cycling glasses have adjustable rubber nosepieces that can be shaped depending on the dimensions of your nose. That's crucial, as you don't want the glasses slipping down your face if the nosepiece is too wide, or sitting too high and falling off completely if it's too narrow.

It's also crucial to ensure that the frame and fit work well with your helmet. Our guide to the best bike helmets talks a little about some nice touches some brands have deployed to ensure helmet and glasses harmony, when on and off your face. Brands that sell both helmets and sunglasses like Oakley, Kask/Koo and Rudy Project have often specifically designed their glasses and helmets to work together.

Frame wise, broadly there are three different styles of design: full frame, half frame and frameless.

All offer similar function (although some full frame cycling glasses might have a problem if the upper or lower part of the frame is in your eyeline), so which variety you decide to go for depends on the look that suits you, and the priority you give to weight and of course what fits.

Many road riders choose frameless or half frame glasses, but bear in mind that in a crash they provide less protection for your face from the sharp edges of the lens.

Adjustable nosepieces can help fine-tune the fit

If you wear prescription glasses, you may want to look into getting prescription lenses for your cycling glasses too.

Some of the best cycling glasses brands - for example Oakley and Bollé - can supply prescription versions of most lens styles. Other brands provide clip-in inserts which can sit behind your sunglass lenses, although this tends to reduce your in-focus field of vision. Both options do come at extra expense and can be ordered via opticians.

The alternative is wearing contact lenses underneath your normal cycling glasses.

Aside from the glasses themselves, there are a number of other little things you should be looking for when buying your cycling glasses.

First off, it's nice to have a hardshell case that will be useful if you're throwing the sunglasses in a bag and travelling with them. Second, you should hope for a soft microfibre cloth to help keep the lenses clean. You might also find a lens cleaning cloth or even a kit with a spray. Other brands have a soft case that can double as a lens cloth.

Finally, always check out the colour options: some of the brands offer a huge choice in frames, arms, and lenses. This allows you to ensure the all important matching with it come to outfit planning.

Another trend is complete frame customisation. It's an option that Ekoi and Oakley offer, among others.

Where we've been able to link to a review, it means that we've put the eyewear through its paces. All of the members of the Cycling Weekly Tech Team have years of experience across all disciplines and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cycling sunglasses.

Our reviews mean we've tested the glasses in a range of conditions and over rides of varying lengths. We'll assess the performance and protection of the lens, the field of vision the glasses offer as well as other concerns such as comfort, adjustability and of course value for money.

Where we haven't yet had the chance to review an item, we're still confident in recommending it as one of the best, because we either know the brand really well, and have probably tested another product or the previous version and can still happily recommend it as one of the best.

After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back.

Since then, he's earnt his 2ⁿᵈ cat racing licence in his first season racing as a third, completed the South Downs Double in under 20 hours and Everested in under 12.

But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he's spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia.

Height: 177cm

Weight: 67–69kg

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