If you are buying sports glasses for running or cycling you want to choose a model of eyewear that will be light, well balanced and comfortable, and at the same time feel secure so that it does not fall off or slide down your nose when you get hot.

Sunwise have built in a number of design features in their Dublin prescription sports glasses that help to meet these criteria.

Sunwise Rx sports glasses

Like all Sunwise frames, the frame itself is light and feels well balanced and it has vented temple bars (sunglass arms) to help maintain an airflow when you are active.

The temple bars curve gently inwards, gripping your head securely but comfortably. The ends of the bars curve slightly downwards and this, combined with the inward curve means that the glasses stay in one place without making your head feel compressed or rubbing the top of your ears. The ends of the temple bars have cushioned rubber pads that also contribute to comfort.

Vented and cushioned temple bars gently grip your head

The nose pads are well designed. Rather than being fixed, they are flexible, vented and rubberized, cushioning the frame and gently expanding to fit the profile of your nose. This design helps to provide a better fit to different nose profiles and makes it less likely that your nose will get rubbed.

Flexible nose pads improve comfort

Our verdict! Cyclists and runner will like the Dublin – it’s a well conceived and built piece of sports eyewear and represents good value for under £70 with insert lenses glazed to your prescription.

sports-sunglasses-eyewear.co.uk/sunwise_dublin_rx.html

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Sunwise Chromafusion is an innovative British designed and made product that takes sports eyewear to a new level of performance and versatility.

Chromafusion lenses combine the glare-reducing benefits of polarization with an efficient photochromic system that adjusts efficiently to changing light conditions. In bright sunshine the lenses darken to filter category 3, while in lower light they change progressively to filter category 2.

Sunwise Chromafusion offers the combined benefits of polarized and photochromic eyewear

These advanced lenses make the sunglasses a flexible choice for outdoor sports such as cycling, running, golf and tennis, where the lenses will darken automatically to suit the prevailing light conditions. They are also well worth considering as driving glasses because unlike simply photochromic models, they retain filter category 2 tint when you are inside the car and the polarized lenses are good for blocking glare.

The verdict of Cycling Active magazine on Sunwise Chromafusion

“These sunglasses come with everything, and they don’t look too bad either. 100 per cent UVA & UVB protection, anti-glare, impact resistant, interchangeable lenses and an anti-scratch coating, to name just a few features.

I really like these. They’re so light you’re barely aware of wearing them and it’s a doddle to change the lenses. The lenses themselves are polycarbonate — think bullet-proof glass — and can absorb intense impacts without shattering.

Airflow is good and they’re also great at keeping the sweat out of your eyes. A highly recommended pair of sunglasses then. A light, cool design that you can rely on to safeguard your eyes in all conditions.”

Find out more about Chromafusion

• Sunwise Chromafusion – available from Eyewear Accessories for £59.95 plus P&P
• More Sunwise cycling sunglasses
• Driving glasses
• Sunwise

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Following our policy of promoting the best of British design, Eyewear Accessories is pleased to announce that we have introduced the award-winning Sunwise brand of sport sunglasses to our range.

Marcin Bialoblocki wearing Sunwise cycling sunglasses

Following an evaluation of the Sunwise range of interchangeable lens sunglasses and prescription models, we recognised that they offered market leading style and performance. Sunwise is particularly noted for its cycling eyewear, which is used by leading racing cyclists including Marcin Bialoblocki who currently holds the top spot in the 2010 road racing rankings. Marcin is pictured here in Sunwise sunglasses in which he has won 19 races so far this year.

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Prescription cycling glasses have evolved in sophistication in recent years but deciding which is the best type for your needs can be a daunting task. Here we give our advice on what factors to consider before you buy.

1. Do you cycle in all conditions or just when it’s sunny (where possible!)

For summer cycling we advise going for sunglasses with category 3 lenses, either polarized grey or mirror coated, as these will be best for reducing glare.

For all year cycling in a range of light and werather conditions, we advise buying interchangeable sports glasses with grey cat 3 lenses for bright days and either yellow or clear lenses for low light conditions such as early morning or when it’s foggy. Some models, such as the Pro Performance also have an intermediate polarized cat 2 lens that is useful for moderately sunny conditions.

Pro Performance glasses come with darker and lighter shades of Polarized lenses

If you’re not into lens swapping, go for cycling glasses with light-reacting lenses (photochromic), such as the Dixon RX-2 or RX TAC-3, which react automatically to changing light levels, from filter cat 3 in bright weather to clear indoors or in low light.

2. Do you cycle on well surfaced roads or dirt tracks or a combination of both environments?

If you’re cycling on rough tracks it is important to buy glasses with shatterproof polycarbonate lenses that will protect your eyes from impact, whether from a stone kicked up from the bike in front, or a projecting branch.

You’ll also want your eyewear to wrap around your eye sockets sufficiently so that mud, dust and debris, depending on the conditions, are kept out of your eyes. You may prefer a model such as the RX TAC-3 that has the option of wearing it with a headband as well as sunglass arms so that it keeps securely on your head at all times when riding across rough terrain.

RX TAC-3 has a removable foam gasket that seals the eyes from wind and dust

If you are a road cyclist, it’s still good to have a wraparound style for protecting your eyes from the sun’s glare but you may prefer to have less of an enclosed design (though see the point about keeping out wind and dust below)

3. Do you need protection from the wind, dust, and/or pollen?

If you cycle frequently when it is windy or in a dusty or exposed area, then you should consider eyewear that has the option of fitting a soft inner gasket to seal your eye sockets. Models such as the RX TAC-3, RX-2, or Moritz have this feature, and it is invaluable for people who suffer from over-sensitive eyes, whether due to wind, dust, pollen, or the symptoms of dry eye syndrome.

4. Do you find your glasses get steamed up when you’re cycling?

Fogging up is an issue to a greater or lesser extent with all eyewear, but can be minimised by choosing a model that offers anti-fog features. These can include anti-mist coatings on the lenses and venting around the lenses and frame to maintain an air flow.

5. What type of lens prescription do you need?

If your prescription is below Sphere + or – 4.0 and Cylinder + or – 3.0 you have a wider choice because you can either opt for full aperture lenses that are glazed into the frame, or Rx insert lenses, which clip behind the outer sports tints.

There are other factors to consider, however, in weighing up the pros and cons of direct glazed versus Rx insert eyewear. One is cost. Direct glazed lenses for sports eyewear are normally manufactured uniquely to your prescription. If you are thinking of having multiple lens sets for different light conditions, the costs are likely to rise significantly, particularly if you go for shatterproof polycarbonate (which we recommend for cycling). In comparison, with the Rx insert system, the outer tinted lenses are mass produced without prescription, so they are normally about a tenth of the price.

Another advantage of Rx insert glasses is that if your prescription changes, you can replace the insert lenses without having to buy a whole new set of frames, again saving cost. The downsides of Rx insert glasses are that unless you wear them with dark or mirrored lenses, then other people will see the insert lenses, and also that swapping between tinted sports lenses is more fiddly, because you have to remove the optical clip first.

An advantage of the Revo mirror lenses on the RX-2 is that you can't see the optical lenses behind it

Another factor to consider is whether you need to see a cycle computer or sat nav system when you’re in the saddle. If so, you might want to consider a model that can be glazed to a bifocal or varifocal prescription. For example, we can produce the Pro Performance with lenses that are mainly for distance but with a narrow strip at the bottom for your near prescription that allows you to check your instruments.

For more information and advice

Our website contains a range of advice on buying sports eyewear, and prescription cycling glasses in particular. If you need to discuss your requirements, we are pleased to help. Call us Monday to Friday on 01392 431 292 or email us at eyewearaccessories@yahoo.co.uk.

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TAC-3 interchangeable biking goggles / glasses with shatterproof anti-fog mirror lenses - also available with RX lenses

If you’re looking to buy the best pair of motorcycle goggles or glasses, here are 5 things you should look for:

1. Make sure they fit comfortably but are secure

The goggles should fit tightly enough to be secure when riding and provide a good seal around your eye sockets, but be comfortable enough when riding for long periods. Make sure they fit comfortably undeneath your helmet!

We would recommend buying a model that has interchangeable sunglass arms and adjustable headband – wear them as goggles on the bike and sunglasses when you’ve arrived.

2. Effective protection from the sun’s glare.

We would recommend getting biking eyewear with interchangeable lenses so that you can wear darker tints in bright sunshine and go for yellow or clear lenses in low light. In particular, mirror coated and polarised lenses are good for reducing the sun’s glare and reflected light from the road. Check that all the lenses provide 100% UV protection.

3. Shatterproof lenses.

Look for shatterproof polycarbonate lenses that will protect your eyes from any stones or other debris kicked up by the wheels of the car in front. Polycarbonate lenses are also thinner and lighter and provide 100% UV protection.

4. Good anti-fog properties.

The last thing you want is them misting up when you’re riding or if you go into a warm room from the cold outside.

5. Padded inner gasket to keep wind and dust out of your eyes.

We recommend goggles that have a padded foam inner gasket that cushions your face and helps to make them windproof. This is especially beneficial when riding with an open-face helmet and essential if you suffer from dry or watery eyes from excessive windage.

Finding out more

If you need advice on which of our models of eyewear are most suitable for your needs, whether you require prescription or non-prescription goggles, either call Eyewear Accessories on 01392 431 292 or email us at eyewearaccessories@yahoo.co.uk.

For more information on our range of eyewear suitable for biking, click these links:

• Motorcycle goggles
• Prescription motorcycle goggles

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We are introducing a new category 4 photochromic lens as an option on Dixon Eyewear’s extreme sports prescription glasses and goggles, including RX TAC-3, Aero-RX, and Glacier Trek.

Light-reacting category 4 lenses are now available with the Rx TAC-3

The specification of the new lenses is that in very bright conditions, such as experienced in Arctic, Antarctic, or glacial mountain environments, they will darken to allow 6% light transmission at +10 degrees Centigrade. The lenses are made from shatteproof polycarbonate. They have the high anti-fog properties of other RX TAC-3 lenses and provide wearers with 100% UV protection (A, B, and C).

The new light-reacting lenses  will be available to customers from next week at a cost of £180, including making them to your prescription.

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We are pleased to announce that the popular Pro Performance Prescription sports glasses from Rapid Eyewear are now back in stock. This model, with its 3 interchangeable lenses (including filter category 2 and 3 polarized) was so popular in the spring that Rapid Eyewear sold out completely.

See our video explaining the features of these glasses:

The Pro Performance is available now from Eyewear Accessories still at £79.99 and can be supplied made to your standard or bi-focal prescription in only 7 working days. With prices on all Rapid Eyewear glasses going up by 10% on 16 July, now is the time to buy!

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The launch of the great looking new Revo lenses for the popular Dixon RX-2 sports sunglasses extends an already strong line of prescription and non-prescription mirror sunglasses available through Eyewear Accessories.

Cool wraparound mirror sunglasses - available with or without prescription lenses

The Vermillion Revo mirror distortion free lens coating on these new lenses eliminates up to 97% of infrared rays which are the main component of glare. It makes them an excellent choice for wearing on bright sunny days, whether for cycling, driving, biking or leisure use.

The RX2 with Revo mirror lenses costs under £50 in non-prescription and under £100 with prescription lenses. The RX2 also converts into a sports goggle, ideal for off-road cycling, biking or kit car driving with the addition of the soft foam gasket (included in the price) which helps to seal your eye sockets from wind and dust.

With the gasket attached, the RX-2 is an effective sports goggle that protects your eyes from wind and dust.

Other prescription mirror sunglasses

Other prescription mirror sunglasses available from Eyewear Accessories include:

RX TAC-3, which has direct glazed anti-fog shatterproof lenses with the option of gold, silver, gunmetal, red, or blue mirror coatings, competitively priced at £135.00 prescription ready.

RX Adventure, which has Iridium Revo mirror lenses. For only £79.95 inclusive of prescription lenses, this model is supplied as standard with three interchangeable lens sets – mirror, smoke grey, and yellow light enhancing.

RX Adventure comes with 3 interchangeable lens sets including blue mirror

Non-prescription mirror sunglasses

Popular models in our non-prescription mirror sunglasses range include:

• Dixon Pro-Lite, which has a wide range of interchangeable lens options
• Moritz sunglasses, illustrated here, which converts between sunglasses and low profile goggles – all for just £29.99

Moritz Alpine sunglasses with mirror lenses - great for cycling, biking or driving

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Eyewear Accessories would like to inform all customers that from 16th July, the cost of all Rapid Eyewear sports glasses in our store will increase by 10% reflecting directly an increase in costs from the supplier. Rapid Eyewear have held their prices for the last 4 years and have been forced to make this increase now due to the decline in exchange rate against the dollar, the currency in which they pay the manufacturer.

The price increase will affect the following ranges:

• Pro Performance polarized prescription sports glasses
• Rapid Pro polarized multi-lens glasses
• Catch Pro fishing glasses
• Scratch Pro golf glasses
• Mile High aviation glasses
• Moritz, Falera and Aspen ski sunglasses
• Flitemaster category 4 multi lens sunglasses
• Ace category 4 multi lens sunglasses

Rapid Eyewear sports glasses remains excellent value for money and we will continue to be offering the full range.

However, if you are thinking of buying sports eyewear in the near future our advice is to BUY NOW to beat the price increase!

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In a new video we put the Dixon RX TAC-3 and another make of sports eyewear to the test to see how their anti-fog performance compared. We applied the “freezer test” to see which misted up more when being taken rapidly from a cold environment to room temperature.

The results will be of interest to any prospective purchaser of sports eyewear:

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