The best cycling glasses are the ones you barely notice: they sit firmly under your helmet, stay clear and suit the light. This short guide shows what to look for in the best sunglasses for cycling, whether you ride road, gravel or mountain bike. For all the detail, read our guide to cycling glasses.
Key points at a glance
- Look for UV400 and the CE mark. Tint does not tell you about UV protection: clear lenses can be UV400 too.
- Category 2 or 3 suits sun, clear lenses suit dusk and rain. Category 4 is not for road traffic.
- A wrap-around shape keeps out wind, insects and dust and widens your field of view. Some space to the face and open edges stop fogging.
- Try cycling glasses on with your helmet.
Best cycling sunglasses: what they need to do
There is no single best pair for everyone, but these points separate good cycling sunglasses from ordinary ones:
- UV protection: UV400 and the CE mark belong on every pair of cycling glasses.
- Lens category: it shows how much visible light passes through. Category 2 to 3 for sun, 1 for overcast skies, 0 (clear) for darkness.
- Coverage and ventilation: the more curved and larger the lens, the less wind reaches your eyes. If glasses sit too close, air cannot circulate and they steam up.
- Helmet fit: the temples must not press under the helmet straps, and the frame should not be in your view when you ride with your head down.
Road cycling glasses, gravel or MTB: which pair for which ride?
The right pair depends on how you ride:
- Road cycling: a tall lens, so you do not look into the frame in a low position. The Oakley Radar EV Path is a well-known pair of road bike sunglasses.
- Gravel: plenty of coverage against dust and wind, for example a large shield lens like the Oakley Sutro models.
- Mountain bike: light, high-contrast lenses, good ventilation and a strap for rough descents. For downhill with a full-face helmet a goggle is usually better.
- City and commuting: lifestyle models with UV400 such as Holbrook, HSTN or Frogskins. They are flatter and shield less from the sides.
Cycling sunglasses for foggy weather and rain
In fog and overcast weather, light yellow or orange lenses brighten the view and add contrast. At dusk, in rain and at night only clear lenses are right, because any tint takes away light. Many riders carry a clear spare lens or choose photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight. A fully windproof pair of cycling goggles is not automatically the best: without open edges or vents the lens fogs up. Our guide to polarised lenses explains one more option for glare.
Cycling glasses in our range
Besides the models mentioned, the light Flak 2.0 XL works for cycling and running. You can see which colours and lenses are available on each model page.
Oakley EYEJACKET REDUX (OO9438 943805)£118.15 P
Oakley RADAR EV PATH (OO9208 920847)£115.67
Oakley HOLBROOK (OO9102 9102D6)£125.37 P
Oakley EYEJACKET REDUX (OO9438 943801)£92.23
Oakley HSTN (OO9242 924207)£105.61
Oakley TERRAFORMA (OO9530 953001)£75.94
Oakley TERRAFORMA (OO9530 953006)£120.25 P
Oakley RADAR EV PATH (OO9208 920846)£113.98Cycling glasses with prescription lenses
If you wear glasses, you can choose sports glasses with prescription lenses, a clip-in insert or contact lenses. The full guide to cycling glasses covers these options in detail, and our guide to prescription lenses for sunglasses explains how custom lenses work.
