Optilabs is a specialist sports optician thatâs been making prescription glasses for 50 years. Now itâs started selecting and importing its own range of glasses that you can get as a standard set of shades as here or fitted with a subsidiary prescription lens (£170+).
The Max is its maximum coverage wraparound lens. Itâs not as deep as some lenses so the occasional fleck of mud gets under the lower edge but peripheral protection is good. The small vent slots in each lens are far enough outboard that they donât leak wind in on fast descents and the nose bridge is adjustable so you can set âride heightâ easily. While theyâre not âposeableâ, the soft rubber ends to the arms give very good grip so youâre not going to be peering over the top or trying to stop them falling off halfway down a rocky descent. The hinges can be tightened via metal screws if they get loose.
The lenses are photochromic and react fast enough to cope well with changing woodland conditions. Their lightest level is only vaguely tinted so they work well for typical UK riding and even at night at a push. Our lenses have scratched faster than weâd expect (and faster than competitors) so use the free case and bag rather than letting them rattle round in pockets/ride bags/Camelbaks.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
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