A pair of good sport sunglasses can make all the difference to performance. Not only do they help you feel like a superhero, but eye protection against harmful UV rays and harsh glare will also help you squint less, which is proven to conserve precious energy.
Shopping for sunglasses can be tough, as it's easy to be caught up in how they look. That's fair enough, of course. We all look odd enough when racing around the countryside dressed head-to-toe in skin-tight Lycra, so if we can avoid feeling stupid because of the large shiny item resting on our nose, that's an extra win.
The truth is, though, there are more important aspects that need prioritising. For a start, it's protection from the sun, which we'll go into in more detail overleaf. But essentially your sunglasses need a high UVA rating to protect your corneas from sun damage, even if you just race in the UK. The strength of tint on the lenses will then help reduce how bright things seem, reducing the need to screw your eyes up as you ride or run.
The other thing you need protection from is wind and airborne debris. That could be everything from midges to dust and dirt. Fit is just as important, especially for triathletes, given the multisport nature of our racing. Then you have additional things to consider, such as whether the glasses will fog up, how good the field of view is and if they're likely to survive if you drop them in transition.
Lots to consider... So to help you make your next purchase a successful one, we've put together a buying guide for sports sunglasses, followed by reviews of nine different pairs from leading brands. Turn the page to find out how they fared.
KEY BUYING INFORMATION
Blinded by the many, many options out there? Here's our complete guide to sport sunglasses...
THE IMPORTANCE OF FIT
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing
ZWIFT RIDE
£1,199.99 Zwift's new Ride is an indoor bike that might help you break your PB... but won't break the bank
PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
With the spotlight on triathlon like never before at these Games, debutant athletes talked about being overwhelmed by the unique environment
THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION
On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
GAMES AT THE GAMES
After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...
WHERE EAGLES DARE
With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...
HOW TO CARB LOAD
PACKING YOUR WORKING CELLS WITH CARBOHYDRATES IN THE BUILD-UP TO YOUR BIG RACE IS A PROVEN STRATEGY TO RACE STRONGER AND FASTER...
BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS
Log your rides, find your way and monitor your multisport training with a quartet of impressive bike computers...
POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"
