NRC X Series RX1 Storm PR glasses

NRC's X Series RX1 glasses are a simply designed and lightweight pair of summer sunnies with quality lenses and a lifetime guarantee to back them up.

• Pros: Looks mean they can be worn off the bike; light; quality lenses
• Cons: No swapping of lenses

The NRC RX1 are a very traditional sunglasses style design, shying away from the colourful full-wrap style that are the norm now and personally I like them for that. As such I have used these away from the bike as normal sunnies without attracting undue attention, although if the understated looks here aren't your thing there is also a range of colourways to choose from.

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The polycarbonate frame is substantial without being too big and all plastic – the arms clip into the frame with no screws, so are pool safe too, further enhancing the off-the-bike qualities. There is rubber on the arms to assist with grip on the ears, which works well keeping them in place without issue.

The fixed lenses are mirrored items from renowned manufacturer Zeiss, and are optically perfect with a hydrophobic coating and polarized, the frame designed to take prescription lenses if required too.

In the box is a cleaning cloth and an alternate size of rubber nosepiece, adjusting the fit for smaller or narrower face shapes.

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At 29g all in they are really quite light, and when putting them on the fit is wide enough to be comfortable for my face, the standard fitted nosepiece just fine.

As I said, the lenses are optically perfect so no blemishes or odd artefacts on the periphery of the lenses as you look around. With the frame design as it is, it does sit in your field of view to a point, but a small benefit is that it allows a gap above and below to see over/under should you need to read or see something that the polarized lens makes difficult to read, or for example when riding in dappled shade where the lens might obscure debris or potholes.

On the move, as you would expect, they mimic a normal pair of sunglasses, the only real concession being a small vent in the top outer edge of each lens, and they also do a good job of keeping the wind out of your eyes – just big enough with no big gaps to let the air through. The hydrophobic coating worked well with the rare showers I encountered, and in cooler temperatures should help with misting.

The straight arms are comfortable on the head: not too tight to cause issues and the rubber on the underside keeps them in place. They are nice and easy to slot into your helmet too.

Although the supplied lenses are great, the level of tint (and the polarization) does mean they are for bright days only. When it really clouds over or the light drops they are a bit too dark to carry on riding with, so plan accordingly.

After weeks' of use in what will no doubt be remembered as the infamous summer of '18 there isn't a blemish on them, despite sitting in jersey pockets, rattling round in the car and hitting the ground (accidentally). The frame is tough and the lenses are coated enough to resist minor scratches. However, should the worst happen both the frame and lenses are covered by a lifetime guarantee which is a major plus.

Price-wise, at £119.99 they are very much in the mid-range for sports glasses, but high end for this style of casual eyewear – Shimano's Meteors are substantially cheaper, for example, but this is reflected in the build.

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Overall, if you want a very good pair of glasses with top quality lenses and a robust build – and a guarantee should things go wrong – these are well worth considering. Other lens colours and frame colours are available.

Verdict

Simple design and quality lenses make these a good bet for on and off the bike activities for a long time to come