Fototec sunglasses

[KLizotte]

I have Tifosi glasses (either the Fototec or one of their very similar models). They have lenses that change from clear to dark gray depending on how much ambient light there is.

I love them. Super light weight and I’ve never had a problem with them not changing quickly enough. The lenses can be purchased separately which is nice because I always manage to inflict a bad scratch once a year.

[TTPaws]

@KLizotte 141429 wrote:

I have Tifosi glasses (either the Fototec or one of their very similar models). They have lenses that change from clear to dark gray depending on how much ambient light there is.

I love them. Super light weight and I’ve never had a problem with them not changing quickly enough. The lenses can be purchased separately which is nice because I always manage to inflict a bad scratch once a year.

Is the light or UV that turns them dark?

I have a pair of Oakleys transitions that darkened by UV so they are great while riding but in the car they won’t darken cause of the UV blockers in the glass.

[KLizotte]

@TTPaws 141456 wrote:

Is the light or UV that turns them dark?

I have a pair of Oakleys transitions that darkened by UV so they are great while riding but in the car they won’t darken cause of the UV blockers in the glass.

I use the Tyrant 09 Lens, Light Night Fototec lenses. Best I can tell UV light is what triggers them (I just held them up to a really bright light and they didn’t do anything). I only wear them while biking so can’t comment on how well they would do in the car. They get dark enough for me while biking.

I highly recommend getting the frames with replaceable lenses (not all of Tifosi’s frames do). That way you can replace lenses as they get scratched or if you want to change colors. I also figure it is safer to have lenses that will pop out easily if you ever have a bad crash (haven’t tested this theory though).

They are durable and I’m on my third pair (one pair lost and another pair destroyed through no fault of its own). For the price, they seem to offer good value.

[hozn]

I have used Tifosi too — and they changed about as quickly as any photochromatic cycling glasses I have used. No complaints otherwise except the model I had (don’t remember which) was for smaller heads, so they were always a bit tight. I don’t use those anymore since I switched to wearing prescription glasses. But i love this concept for cycling; my everyday prescription lenses (Rudy Project from Sport Rx) are mid-grey to basically-clear, so I can wear them year round (i.e. in the dark).

[GovernorSilver]

I have Rudy Project ImpactX 2 Clear-Laser Brown photochromic lenses. Their info page claims that ImpactX 2 will darken in natural light (eg. you’re inside a car) as well as UV presence. I haven’t tested this extensively as my tendency is to switch to polarized lenses when I drive or ride on bright, sunny days. I switch to the ImpactX 2s on cloudy days. There have been cloudy days when I had the ImpactX 2s on when the sun suddenly came out brightly and they worked as expected. I originally got the Rudy Project frame with polarized lenses before adding the ImpactX 2s.

http://www.rudyprojectusa.com/technology_impactx2.php

My ImpactX 2s never turn totally clear – this is shown on the website, but this has been fine for night riding and general usage. I originally wanted the Clear to Black but the folks at my optometric center (Belle View) convinced me to go with the browns for bike commuting, based on their personal experiences (one of them is into cycling and skiing). When my bike slipped on the wet road a couple of weeks ago and I fell, the frame and lenses were knocked off my face, one of the lens snapping out of the frame, but they were undamaged.

[huskerdont]

I ended up going with the Tifosi Fototec Wasp Light Nights. For $60, seems worth a shot. If they don’t work in the car, I have a pair I leave there that I can still use. Thanks for the info.

[Tania]

I have a pair of julbo photochromic sunglasses and honestly I don’t notice a difference. And ok, full honesty, I bought them because they match my one mountain bike.

I would like to get another pair that transitions a little better. Plus, I have three other bikes to match. :cool::eek:

[huskerdont]

That’s a good color match. I went with white. A couple of my saddles are white. I couldn’t stand white gear until recently so I’m not sure what’s going on here. Is this a thing that happens to people in their fifties? Where’s my mint julep?

https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/tifosi-wasp-fototec-sunglasses

[huskerdont]

I would say these are good for mountain biking or cloudy days. They don’t do enough for me for continued use in full sun, but then I have eyes that are sensitive to light. But they are perfect for going in and out of trees while mountain biking somewhere like Wakefield this weekend, and have been doing quite well on recent commutes when the sun isn’t fully out.

[Tania]

@huskerdont 142610 wrote:

I would say these are good for mountain biking or cloudy days. They don’t do enough for me for continued use in full sun, but then I have eyes that are sensitive to light. But they are perfect for going in and out of trees while mountain biking somewhere like Wakefield this weekend, and have been doing quite well on recent commutes when the sun isn’t fully out.

My julbos are WAY too dark for most trails so thanks for posting the review. I’m going to try these!

[huskerdont]

@Tania 142613 wrote:

My julbos are WAY too dark for most trails so thanks for posting the review. I’m going to try these!

YMMV!

We head in about the same time with an overlapping route, so if you want to try them one morning, let me know. I could meet you by the Rosslyn Bikemeter, or at the S-Turn of Death and you could use them until, say, the Intersection of Doom or so.

[Author]

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