Tifosi Talos Sunglasses

The Tifosi Talos glasses are designed with a full wrap around shape so they offer a full field of vision with no frames in the way on either side. They also provide full protection from the elements, which I found particularly useful during the last week of testing, which had 30mph winds and even storms while I was wearing them.

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I have used a variety of wraparounds, from the very cheap and cheerful when I first started riding to the very expensive and good quality. Despite only being £60 compared to the £120 I have paid for the most expensive pair, the Talos glasses compare well because of their high quality construction paired with decent ventilation and comfort.

As these are wraparound glasses, the logical place to start is with the lenses.

They come with three sets: dark, orange and clear. Each have their use in different conditions: dark for sunlight; clear for low light; and orange for all round. I found that the lenses were of a very good quality. Tough too; they survived no marks at all despite being accidentally put in a jersey pocket with my keys.

Each colour works well for its purpose, providing clear and fairly well ventilated performance. There is a slight warping that you can see in the lenses, but nothing that would hinder your enjoyment of them. In fact with full wraparounds like these, I am yet to find a pair at this price range that don't have some small amount of distortion, simply because of the length of lens.

Changing the lenses is also very simple, all you do is pull the lens down while holding the frame. Adding in new lenses is equally simple, just slotting the tabs in on either side and pushing up until you hear a click. For an extra 10 pounds you can get The Talos with a set of mirror finish Clarion hydrophobic lenses which are supposed to repel water and sweat. 

Fogging wasn't a problem, though they got a bit misty at the top of the the lenses when waiting at traffic lights in the cold and wet after a long climb. Throughout the test this never really impaired my vision and thanks to decent ventilation would disappear almost instantaneously when setting off again.

The glasses are well made, with strong frames and nice hidden hinges. They offer a good degree of stiffness without hindering movement. I think that they also look fairly good. I personally prefer the look of full framed glasses or the slightly more angular options from companies like Oakley, but compared to many other wraparounds that you may see in the peloton, these look nice.

They sit well on your face, with decent grip on the sides of your head and good anti-slip on your ears and nose. When wearing glasses during a ride these are some of the most important aspects simply because it is where the bulk of the weight of the glasses go.

Coming in at only 30g, they aren't heavy at all. Weight isn't everything with glasses though. I have had glasses of similar weight that could become uncomfortable, with these it was not the case and they managed to maintain relative comfort throughout.

The ventilation was good and allowed for a flow of air around the ears and nose, which keeps them comfortable on your head for hours.

Overall, I was impressed with these glasses. They have a good field of vision, decent ventilation and are comfortable on your head even after several hours in the saddle. At £60 they are very good value and are comparable with more expensive brands.

Verdict

Good glasses that compare favourably to more expensive brands