Magicshine Windbreaker Photochromic Sunglasses

The Magicshine Windbreaker Photochromic Sunglasses are the company's first specs - it's best known for its lights – and prove very good value. They're durable, effective and deal with lighting changes well, and if they feel a little cheap against some of the competition, that's because they are remarkably cheap.

If you're interested in the best cycling sunglasses then take a look at our guide - but don't be surprised if most of them are considerably more expensive than these!

> Buy now: Magicshine Windbreaker Photochromic Sunglasses

I am a huge fan of photochromatic cycling glasses especially for winter riding, as the conditions are often changing and my eyes are rather sensitive to the sun when it does, just occasionally, beam down. These Magicshines work well, adjusting quite quickly to conditions ranging from grey to clear to sunny skies. They're intended for 'all weather' use, and are Cat 1-3 for tint, meaning they transmit a maximum of 80-18% of visible light.

If found the darkest tint just about enough to keep me from squinting in the sun. The lenses are not changeable, but Magicshine does Classic and Polarised versions for 'normal' and 'strong sunlight' days respectively.

Having ridden these glasses both off-road and on the roads during the winter, they got dirty on pretty much every ride. Despite the 'REVO+OAR+smudge-resistant coating' I found dirt does stick to the lenses to some degree, but they do at least wipe clean easily and – even after multiple glove swipes – have no scratches.

They come in a decent case to protect them from scratches the rest of the time, too.

At 29g this frameless design is comfortable to wear, with no sense of bulk and nothing to dig into my cheekbones. They are also rather sleek-looking in any colour – Magicshine lists Blue, Black and Lake Placid, and yes that's a colour now.

Magicshine doesn't list any anti-fog treatments, but there are two ventilation holes at the bottom corners, and they seem effective, at least in motion. They could steam up when I stopped, and don't seem to clear up quite as fast as others, but taking them off briefly always helped.

I really had to take them off when it was very wet, however, as the lenses don't clear water well and my vision was compromised. A hydrophobic treatment spray would be a good investment alongside these.

The anti-slip temple tips and adjustable nosepiece mean these stay in place effectively, despite the loose fit on me (again, because I have a small head). They would move slightly if I looked straight down (adjusting shoes and such), but won't drop off.

Value

It's hard to find photochromic cycling glasses at this price. The closes I've found is the Van Rysel Photochromic RoadR 900 shades, which cost £39.99 and weigh only marginally more at 33g, but most we've tested are considerably more.

The Rudy Project Defender ImpactX Photochromic 2 Black cost £209.99 for instance, while the BZ Optics PHO Bi-focal Photochromic HD Lens will set you back £119.99.

Overall

These are great value photochromic cycling sunglasses that offer good protection and work well in variable lighting situations. They're not great in the rain and can fog when you stop, but given the price that's easy to forgive.

Verdict

Good performance, comfort and looks for not much money, though not the best on humid or wet days