I love sunglasses, both on and off the bike, so testing over 35 pairs over the last year or more hasn’t been a chore. While they’re undoubtedly a style choice first and foremost for a lot of us, or a cheap way to emulate our favourite pros, the differences between an average pair and something truly great can be stark. I’ve been hunting through the best pairs on the market across a range of price points to find pairs that are comfortable, have fantastic optics, don’t fall off, don’t fog up, and keep the wind out of my eyes. Most pairs tick a couple of these boxes without breaking a sweat, but only a very select few get close to the full set.
For the full rundown of my favourite pairs on the market you can of course head to my guide to the best cycling glasses and pick something that fits your particular bill, but in this segment, there was a clear winner: The Oakley Encoder. While many pairs came close, none offered up the optical clarity, retention, comfort, and wind protection. It helps that they look good too, but that’s honestly a secondary consideration.
The winners
Best overall
For a lot of buyer's guides and these awards, it's a little tricky to pick a winner, but that's not the case here. In my opinion, if you can afford a set of Oakley Encoder glasses and choose to get something else it's a style-led decision, which is absolutely ok because that's important too. Still, in terms of performance, the Encoder is noticeably better than any other pair I've been fortunate enough to try.
Like many of the best lightweight options, it's a frameless design, but crucially it has a ridge on the upper of the lens which stiffens the whole thing up considerably and so you never get that floppy, insecure feeling that comes with more or less every other frameless pair of cycling glasses out there. This stiff lens, combined with an extremely tacky nose and arm grippers means that they absolutely will not budge, even on small heads (mine is tiny).
While the retention and comfort are superb, the thing that won me over was the optics. The field of view is unobstructed by any frame, is large, and only really perturbed by a slightly too large nosepiece, but while riding this rarely features in the conscious mind. The Prizm Road lens, absolutely the one you should get for cycling on the road or gravel, is utterly free from distortion and is by some photic witchcraft useable on the brightest days down to near twilight conditions. Basically, it's all good until it actually gets dark, and while you can't easily swap the lenses, and it doesn't come with a clear spare, I've never felt like I needed one.
Best value
For a pair of cycling glasses that you can pick up for under £50 pretty regularly when discounted, the Endura Shumba II do a fantastic job of aping all the things that make more premium options such top performers. They don't look cheap, which is always a plus, but more than that they have the great field of view and a strong grip that I always look for.
Sure, the gold lenses aren't as good over nearly so wide a range of conditions as the Prizm Road lenses, but for this price, you still get a yellow and a clear option to swap in as and when you need. The gold lens is, however, excellent in the brightest sunshine. It kept me from squinting even during a heatwave on the French Riviera, while the rest of my body had significantly more trouble. It only really struggles in low light, as all main lenses do at this price point, and with a following low sun, where it is struck by heavy internal reflections.
The build quality and general sturdiness is also impressive, better than some significantly more expensive options. I remember my first pair of cycling glasses years ago and things really have come a long way; if you're after something to get started without spending huge amounts you'll absolutely be golden with these.
Honourable mention
While not as good overall as the Encoder in my opinion, POC has done something remarkable with the Elicit in that it's created a pair of cycling glasses that are so light and free from distractions their presence effectively dissolves from your cerebral cortex, leaving you wondering if you're even wearing glasses at all.
The frameless clarity lenses have a truly panoramic field of view, and they rival the Prizm Road for contrast, but just aren't so good in low light. They do almost blend into the background though, and while the flexible nature of the lens is such that they don't grip quite as well as the Encoder, the rubber grippers are sufficient to keep them in place. In fact, the lighter grip the arms exert adds to the gossamer feel of the whole package.
Where they really shine is in the heat. I find most cycling glasses stuffy and claustrophobic on slow, suffocating climbs, but the Elicit, with its skeletal arms and lens that sits a good distance from the face, is airy enough for me to leave on. They are the best lightweight cycling glasses on the market, and definitely worth an honourable mention.
