Gear Up to Ride: The Top Cycling Sunglasses for Every Biker
By SmartBuyGlasses Editorial Team
Nothing compares to being out on the road with your peloton, riding in harmony with the elements and each other. And a big part of making that happen is your equipment, including your bike and your cycling sunglasses.
The best cycling sunglasses are both functional and stylish—because let’s face it, that counts too. They help you see clearly, protect your eyes, and keep you riding at your best.
But what is it about an excellent pair of cycling glasses that makes such a difference to your cycling performance?
Let’s check out the elements involved.
Excellent coverage and protection
One of the primary jobs of a great pair of cycling sunglasses is to protect your eyes while you’re riding at speed.
First, there’s the wind to worry about. The last thing you need is for your eyes to tear up, so you can’t see the road ahead.
Then consider everything that might potentially be in the air as you pass through, like dust, insects, grit, and stones, especially if you’re mountain biking. And there are even the inconvenient bits of branches that can harm your eyes if they get hit.
To address these challenges, some cycling glasses have a massive lens size – or even one single lens – while others have smaller lenses that wrap around the edges.
When you’re looking for new cycling sunglasses, check for excellent optical clarity, including in your peripheral vision, plus full coverage either from a large lens or a wraparound design to protect your eyes.
A very secure fit
When you’re riding a mountain bike over rough terrain, you want your riding glasses to stay firmly in place.
Rimless cycling glasses may give you the best field of vision, but because they’re not as rigid as full-frame glasses, they’re not always as secure.
Half-rimmed frames are often a good compromise, especially if they have an adjustable nose piece that you can fit to your face.
Then look for temple arms that grip without squeezing, even when you’re sweating. Cycling glasses sometimes have tacky rubber inserts to give them more traction.
Also, make sure the arms can fit comfortably under your cycling helmet straps.
Versatile lens options
One of the biggest challenges when you’re cycling through the seasons and for many hours at a time is that the light conditions change. For example, although mirrored lenses work well in bright sunshine, they’re not very effective in low light.
The best cycling glasses can cope with varying light conditions, from bright sun to deep shade or even darkness, where only clear lenses will work. Some have built-in technology that automatically deals with any light level.
Some cycling sunglasses have interchangeable lenses with different lens tints.
For example, they might come with three lenses: a dark lens or mirror lens for bright sunlight, a yellow or orange lens for medium light conditions and low light conditions, and a clear lens for night riding.
Then you can carry your spare lenses with you and simply swap them out as you need them.
Another option is photochromic lenses, which darken when exposed to bright light and return to clear as the light dims. Photochromic lenses are very useful if you’re riding through a variety of terrains.
You don’t have to carry a spare lens with you or worry about lens swapping on the move.
Note that photochromatic lenses are not the same as lenses enhanced with ChromaPop™ technology. Photochromic sunglasses darken when exposed to UV light, while ChromaPop™ boosts color contrast.
One thing you don’t want when cycling is polarized lenses. While they do cut the glare, they can also interfere with depth perception and prevent you from seeing water on the road, which could be dangerous.
UV protection
Because you’re exposed to harmful UV rays when you’re out riding, your cycling sunglasses lenses need to have UV protection. The sun can cause severe damage to your eyes, both immediately and in the long term.
Note that just because they have a darker lens tint, doesn’t mean your cycling sunglasses have a high level of protection. Check for the UVA and UVB protection labels to be sure.
Rx friendly
If you need vision correction and wear prescription glasses on a daily basis, you’ll want to make sure your cycling sunglasses are compatible with prescription lenses.
Of course, if you prefer wearing contact lenses, you can simply wear glasses for cycling with normal lenses over those.
Some of the best cycling sunglasses for you
With all that in mind, let’s explore some of the best cycling sunglasses picks from our range. Each of these has specific features, so consider which one will work best for your particular needs.
This unisex pair of cycling glasses features one large lens in the frame. It comes with two separate lenses, one red mirrored lens, and another spare clear lens.
It’s also possible to get replacement lenses in a range of colors, all embedded with color-enhancing ChromaPop™ technology. Then you can simply swap lenses as you choose.
With visible light transmission of only 15%, these provide excellent protection in bright sunlight.
The Spy Flynn 5050 sunglasses feature a bold, oversized wraparound design, offering a modern and edgy look. These unisex shades come with polarized, mirrored lenses that provide excellent UV protection while reducing glare.
The impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses enhance color and contrast, making them perfect for outdoor adventures
Sinner Cayo cycling glasses also have a full-rim, wraparound frame for good protection from the wind and sun. The red mirrored lenses are lightweight polycarbonate and dramatically reduce glare in bright sunlight.
They come at a very reasonable price and as a bonus, while many cycling glasses are not prescription lens compatible, these are suitable for most prescriptions.
These cycling sunglasses are made from lightweight, heat-resistant TR 90 nylon in grey frost. Brown Pink, almond-shaped polarized lenses complete the unusual colorway, while reducing glare and providing excellent UV protection.
They also offer a wide field of view and are kept in place with grippy rubber nose pads and temple tips.
These Revo cycling glasses are unisex with narrow, rectangular mirror lenses. The brown mirrored tint and LMS™ technology filter blue light, offering clear vision in all conditions.
This is in contrast to darker lenses, which tend to restrict vision in low-light conditions.
While these don’t offer the same level of coverage as some of the other cycling sunglasses, they can also be worn for everyday use.
Where to shop for the best cycling sunglasses
SmartBuyGlasses sells all of these popular styles and so much more.
To hone in on your perfect pair of cycling sunglasses, consider the features you need. Then use the search filters to see the selection of cycling sunglasses that might work for you.
Remember also to consider how the frame shape suits your face. You can use our Virtual Try-On tool to find the style of cycling sunglasses that suits you best.
All our glasses are covered by a 100-day return guarantee and a 24-month warranty to give you complete peace of mind.
Order your pair of the best cycling glasses today to stay ahead of the pack and look as stylish as you please, as you whizz by admiring spectators.
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