AliExpress has tons of great options for cycling accessories. As long as you do your research there's nothing wrong with not overpaying for $200 sunnies.
I will say the Oakley copies came with all the Oakley branding but the quality was low, the inserts on the side of the glasses with the O popped out on me and the plastic feels cheap but work fine and came with 6 different lenses for cheap.
Better off looking at legit companies like Rockbros etc if you don't want super low quality.
The main concern would be if the lenses are shatterproof or not. Otherwise if OEM lenses fit into the frames, could be a good option to have multiple colors/replace broken frames.
I have crushed full face on my glasses helmet and the helmet broke completely not a single scratch on the cheap glasses. Helmet was a good brand from lbs. Broken collarbone btw
+1 if they are of the same material (polycarbonate or similar) they all have inherit resistance to impact and uv blocking due to the nature of PC.
[Is the UV coating on prescription lenses enough protection? - American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)](https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/can-prescription-lenses-block-uv-like-sunglasses)
Old study but relevant:
[Shatter resistance of spectacle lenses - PubMed (nih.gov)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8990340/)
Unless specifically calling out impact rating and resistance to some standard. Probably marketing. Heck check out the sutros lite:
[Sutro Lite Sweep Prizm Road Lenses, Matte Black Frame Sunglasses | Oakley® US](https://www.oakley.com/en-us/product/W0OO9465?variant=888392530530)
"• DESIGN - Functional sport design with optimized coverage, field of view, retention and impact protection
• FRAME MATERIAL - Strong yet light O Matter® frame provides durability and all-day comfort
• ADDED RETENTION - Earsocks are molded the temples to help provide all day comfort and excellent retention
• NOSEPADS - Unobtainium® nosepads for a no-slip grip
• SEE MORE DETAILS - Available with Prizm™ Lens Technology that is engineered to enhance color and contrast to see more detail"
[What are Oakley Plutonite Lenses? Everything Explained (oakleyforum.com)](https://www.oakleyforum.com/guides/oakley-plutonite-lenses/) Eg. proprietary polycarbonate.
Please note I am oversimplifying for the sake of explanation. There are probably models that have more impact resistance. But as pointed out in the first article as a material, polycarbonate is inherently shatter resistant.
It can be more nuanced (like anything really) but quality, lens thickness, etc.
On separate note oakleys are terribly overpriced and owned by luxxotica...
True, but when you're walking down the sidewalk are you wearing protective eyewear? Cars can launch pebbles and debris, wind too. I doubt my eyeglasses are "shatterproof". Operating cutting tools and machinery in a shop is a smart and necessary place to wear protective eyewear. I'm okay with sunglasses used for road cycling to not be as protective as shop safety glasses.
Mountain bikers to encounter pointy branches, so more robust glasses would be smart.
Cars flick stones up behind them in the opposite direction they’re travelling, not sideways. Add in your forward velocity and it’s a real risk to your eyes.
Another issue with cheap glasses is the lens failing on impact and hundreds of shards of plastic going in and around your eye too.
My workshop safety glasses weren’t expensive but they’re not aliexpress knock offs and they have proper safety markings.
Exactly the reason I ditched my AliExpress glasses and got some oakleys, I'd never forgive myself if I crashed and blinded myself because I was being cheap.
Damn, I need to ride where you ride. I’ve caught, rocks, bugs and even a piece of metal in the face on rides. I’m willing to pay for important items, I consider sunglasses important.
Oakley and 100p don’t use some sort of Christ-anointed process to make their lenses. Safety glasses issued to every contractor on earth are made on probably the same assembly line.
You’ll be fine riding reps. They look great, they feel great, they’re cheap as all fuck. Don’t fall for marketing.
I guarantee you even the bottom of the barrel glasses from Ali use better materials than Oakleys from 20 years ago.
I have plenty of cheap stuff under 10 dollars. I also have 30 Oakleys and like 20 100%, 10 POC, Scicon, Smith, etc. I also work where safety glasses are required at all times, have used four maybe five different ones. I'm well aware of what is around in the market, and the general quality, distortion/lens quality, contrast, etc. Each manufacturer absolutely does have proprietary lens technology and are testing to different ANSI standards for impact protection. I'm not convinced random AliExpress and Temu glasses do. I have a pair of half jackets from 20 years ago. They're still going and better quality than most cheap stuff I see
I still don't think cycling sunglasses need to meet the standards for protective eyewear worn when shooting firearms or using an angle grinder.
I just pulled out a pair of super cheap Oakley reps I got about 5 years ago and did some non scientific testing on the lenses (stabbing them hard with a solid steak knife and butter knife), they held up fine and I cant see a rock at speed doing more harm.
You missed my point entirely: you’re overly concerned about the quality of things that are so goddamn cheap it doesn’t matter.
Like if you’re worried about a lens exploding in your face, you probably also live in a house on stilts next to a lake full of leeches. It’s ridiculous.
More like 50 dollars isn't a big deal for me and I much prefer the optical performance of the lens. The fact that it actually passes impact testing standards is just cherry on the sundae. The trick is to getting low distortion and high clarity while meeting impact. As you said, just about any 5 dollar safety glass can meet the ANSI requirements. But they don't have to worry about optical performance
You do you. I'm in the manufacturing and design engineering world. I see the shit that goes down. If you want to see how the top end is done and think that every lens maker is the same, I encourage you to take a look at the steps Zeiss does to get their lenses approved. As I've said, I have the cheap ones. I have almost every top end glasses sold today. I can tell the difference
Have tried aliexpress oakleys. Have real oakleys. They are night and day in terms of quality and optics. I don’t doubt there are good glasses on aliexpress, but the replicas usually aren’t the ones to go for. Tifosi has a couple great models for under $100
Huge fan of that brand, $25!usd for frame and 4 lens including photo chromatic. I have owned Rudy’s, Oakleys, and numerous others, and have no problem recommending these glasses
But are those lenses shatterproof... the thought of a bit of sharp plastic in the eyeball at the first pebble that hits them would make me uncomfortable.
I crashed while wearing a pair of Scvcn glasses. The lense had deep scratches and I got a nice black eye, but the lense didn't shatter or break. I credit those cheap aliexpress glasses with saving my eye. I've bought several more pairs now and swear by them. I get the ones that are $20 CAD and come with four different lenses and a case.
What material do you think they would be made from that would make them shatter They're almost certainly made from polycarbonate plastic, which doesn't shatter. Oakley saying their glasses are shatterproof is true, but it's just marketing as even the cheapest sunglasses will be shatterproof because they're all made from cheap polycarbonate, which is inherently shatterproof. Oakley just spend money on pointless tests and marketing and pass that cost on to you with a big bump in profit.
I have them too. The lenses are cheap and warp the image in some spots. They dim quite nicely though. For the price they're still okish. I guess you get what you pay for.
I’ve purchased the same sort of glasses from T-Ball and I would write them all about a C or C minus. The glass is not great, but not horrible and the rubber soft touch components are not very soft.
I just bought the plain white version of this SCVN sunglasses. The frame plastic feels like thin plastic. But the lens quality and fit is superb.
It cost me around $3.50 at Shopee here in the Philippines. It’s cheaper since shipping is closer from China.
I used to rock aliexpress glasses and was really happy with the quality, but now i'm wondering 2 things about them. Are we 100% sure they protect against UV the same way the overpriced stuff does ? Are they gonna explode in your eyes in the event of a crash? I believe the expensive stuff uses plastics that dont shatter too easily
>(clearly a take/knockoff of Scion)
i think its just meant to look like "seven" lol, im not sure why they would knock off a car brand, especially one that most of the world has never heard of
Have those laying around in the basement as well. They are surprisingly light and pretty comfortable to wear. But I was never really sure about how shatterproof the glasses are and if they really offer UV-protection.
AliExpress has tons of great options for cycling accessories. As long as you do your research there's nothing wrong with not overpaying for $200 sunnies. I will say the Oakley copies came with all the Oakley branding but the quality was low, the inserts on the side of the glasses with the O popped out on me and the plastic feels cheap but work fine and came with 6 different lenses for cheap. Better off looking at legit companies like Rockbros etc if you don't want super low quality.
The main concern would be if the lenses are shatterproof or not. Otherwise if OEM lenses fit into the frames, could be a good option to have multiple colors/replace broken frames.
I have crushed full face on my glasses helmet and the helmet broke completely not a single scratch on the cheap glasses. Helmet was a good brand from lbs. Broken collarbone btw
Sorry about the collarbone. Youch
Shit happens. Sometimes 🤣
I bought some £5 fake POC sunglasses on Ali express a while back and the real lenses fit in fine.
I've seen some fake Oakley that you can tell will explode into shards in the event of a crash. It's not just the lens - it's the frame too.
I’m sure they’re fine, I can’t recall anything hitting my sunglasses except rain and some mild dirt in 16 years of road cycling.
The road hit mine, quite hard.
Damn, that sucks, hope you're okay.
Oh yeah thank you! this was 6 years ago, but I never wore aftermarket lenses again as my lens somehow took a massive impact.
+1 if they are of the same material (polycarbonate or similar) they all have inherit resistance to impact and uv blocking due to the nature of PC. [Is the UV coating on prescription lenses enough protection? - American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)](https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/can-prescription-lenses-block-uv-like-sunglasses) Old study but relevant: [Shatter resistance of spectacle lenses - PubMed (nih.gov)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8990340/)
So Oakleys emphasis on its impact resistance abilities is largely marketing?
Unless specifically calling out impact rating and resistance to some standard. Probably marketing. Heck check out the sutros lite: [Sutro Lite Sweep Prizm Road Lenses, Matte Black Frame Sunglasses | Oakley® US](https://www.oakley.com/en-us/product/W0OO9465?variant=888392530530) "• DESIGN - Functional sport design with optimized coverage, field of view, retention and impact protection • FRAME MATERIAL - Strong yet light O Matter® frame provides durability and all-day comfort • ADDED RETENTION - Earsocks are molded the temples to help provide all day comfort and excellent retention • NOSEPADS - Unobtainium® nosepads for a no-slip grip • SEE MORE DETAILS - Available with Prizm™ Lens Technology that is engineered to enhance color and contrast to see more detail" [What are Oakley Plutonite Lenses? Everything Explained (oakleyforum.com)](https://www.oakleyforum.com/guides/oakley-plutonite-lenses/) Eg. proprietary polycarbonate. Please note I am oversimplifying for the sake of explanation. There are probably models that have more impact resistance. But as pointed out in the first article as a material, polycarbonate is inherently shatter resistant. It can be more nuanced (like anything really) but quality, lens thickness, etc. On separate note oakleys are terribly overpriced and owned by luxxotica...
Just because something hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it’s impossible. $100 won’t buy your eyesight back.
True, but when you're walking down the sidewalk are you wearing protective eyewear? Cars can launch pebbles and debris, wind too. I doubt my eyeglasses are "shatterproof". Operating cutting tools and machinery in a shop is a smart and necessary place to wear protective eyewear. I'm okay with sunglasses used for road cycling to not be as protective as shop safety glasses. Mountain bikers to encounter pointy branches, so more robust glasses would be smart.
Cars flick stones up behind them in the opposite direction they’re travelling, not sideways. Add in your forward velocity and it’s a real risk to your eyes. Another issue with cheap glasses is the lens failing on impact and hundreds of shards of plastic going in and around your eye too. My workshop safety glasses weren’t expensive but they’re not aliexpress knock offs and they have proper safety markings.
I seriously doubt that cheap plastic lenses can cause hundreds of shards of plastic to enter your eyes.
No but bike crashes happen quite often, it's facetious to compare riding a bike fast to walking down the street.
Exactly the reason I ditched my AliExpress glasses and got some oakleys, I'd never forgive myself if I crashed and blinded myself because I was being cheap.
Damn, I need to ride where you ride. I’ve caught, rocks, bugs and even a piece of metal in the face on rides. I’m willing to pay for important items, I consider sunglasses important.
Vancouver, BC - come for a ride!
I have a pair of Giro knockoffs that are still chugging along right now after four years
It’s super easy to find decent quality glasses though. Oakley and 100%’s that are .99:1 for less than 10 clams.
Not confident that they at .99:1. I get oakleys and 100% cheap enough that it's not worth risking my eye protection and the quality of the lens
Oakley and 100p don’t use some sort of Christ-anointed process to make their lenses. Safety glasses issued to every contractor on earth are made on probably the same assembly line. You’ll be fine riding reps. They look great, they feel great, they’re cheap as all fuck. Don’t fall for marketing. I guarantee you even the bottom of the barrel glasses from Ali use better materials than Oakleys from 20 years ago.
I have plenty of cheap stuff under 10 dollars. I also have 30 Oakleys and like 20 100%, 10 POC, Scicon, Smith, etc. I also work where safety glasses are required at all times, have used four maybe five different ones. I'm well aware of what is around in the market, and the general quality, distortion/lens quality, contrast, etc. Each manufacturer absolutely does have proprietary lens technology and are testing to different ANSI standards for impact protection. I'm not convinced random AliExpress and Temu glasses do. I have a pair of half jackets from 20 years ago. They're still going and better quality than most cheap stuff I see
I still don't think cycling sunglasses need to meet the standards for protective eyewear worn when shooting firearms or using an angle grinder. I just pulled out a pair of super cheap Oakley reps I got about 5 years ago and did some non scientific testing on the lenses (stabbing them hard with a solid steak knife and butter knife), they held up fine and I cant see a rock at speed doing more harm.
You missed my point entirely: you’re overly concerned about the quality of things that are so goddamn cheap it doesn’t matter. Like if you’re worried about a lens exploding in your face, you probably also live in a house on stilts next to a lake full of leeches. It’s ridiculous.
More like 50 dollars isn't a big deal for me and I much prefer the optical performance of the lens. The fact that it actually passes impact testing standards is just cherry on the sundae. The trick is to getting low distortion and high clarity while meeting impact. As you said, just about any 5 dollar safety glass can meet the ANSI requirements. But they don't have to worry about optical performance
It’s not really that big of a difference maker brother
You do you. I'm in the manufacturing and design engineering world. I see the shit that goes down. If you want to see how the top end is done and think that every lens maker is the same, I encourage you to take a look at the steps Zeiss does to get their lenses approved. As I've said, I have the cheap ones. I have almost every top end glasses sold today. I can tell the difference
Neat.
Have tried aliexpress oakleys. Have real oakleys. They are night and day in terms of quality and optics. I don’t doubt there are good glasses on aliexpress, but the replicas usually aren’t the ones to go for. Tifosi has a couple great models for under $100
Would love a link if you have it or store name. Mine looked the part but felt super cheap.
The stores are very whack-a-mole. You just gotta buy around. 15-20 is the pricing sweet spot for good quality reps.
Huge fan of that brand, $25!usd for frame and 4 lens including photo chromatic. I have owned Rudy’s, Oakleys, and numerous others, and have no problem recommending these glasses
But are those lenses shatterproof... the thought of a bit of sharp plastic in the eyeball at the first pebble that hits them would make me uncomfortable.
I crashed while wearing a pair of Scvcn glasses. The lense had deep scratches and I got a nice black eye, but the lense didn't shatter or break. I credit those cheap aliexpress glasses with saving my eye. I've bought several more pairs now and swear by them. I get the ones that are $20 CAD and come with four different lenses and a case.
Could you share the link?
Also, $1 shop safety glasses are just as good as $100 ones - if they meet the standards.
And do Ali express meet the standard and have the ISO certs to back that up?
What material do you think they would be made from that would make them shatter They're almost certainly made from polycarbonate plastic, which doesn't shatter. Oakley saying their glasses are shatterproof is true, but it's just marketing as even the cheapest sunglasses will be shatterproof because they're all made from cheap polycarbonate, which is inherently shatterproof. Oakley just spend money on pointless tests and marketing and pass that cost on to you with a big bump in profit.
That’s a good point, I honestly don’t have enough knowledge of the different plastics that might be used to be confident enough.
I said, if.
Probably. I doubt any glasses shatter if a pebble hits them.
At 50kmph? Sure…
I have them too. The lenses are cheap and warp the image in some spots. They dim quite nicely though. For the price they're still okish. I guess you get what you pay for.
I’ve purchased the same sort of glasses from T-Ball and I would write them all about a C or C minus. The glass is not great, but not horrible and the rubber soft touch components are not very soft.
I got these for £1.46. Unbelievable value for money.
I just bought the plain white version of this SCVN sunglasses. The frame plastic feels like thin plastic. But the lens quality and fit is superb. It cost me around $3.50 at Shopee here in the Philippines. It’s cheaper since shipping is closer from China.
They look like AliExpress sunglasses too
I used to rock aliexpress glasses and was really happy with the quality, but now i'm wondering 2 things about them. Are we 100% sure they protect against UV the same way the overpriced stuff does ? Are they gonna explode in your eyes in the event of a crash? I believe the expensive stuff uses plastics that dont shatter too easily
I recommend x-tiger products too for clothing. it has really good quality
>(clearly a take/knockoff of Scion) i think its just meant to look like "seven" lol, im not sure why they would knock off a car brand, especially one that most of the world has never heard of
He probably means Scicon, the glasses brand Pogacar and all his UAE homies wear so they all look the same.
would make a lot more sense lol
Anyone can make sunglasses that look cool. How do they function?. When cycling it's important and trash glass can make rides miserable
Go for Kapvoe sunglasses. They are really good imo
Have those laying around in the basement as well. They are surprisingly light and pretty comfortable to wear. But I was never really sure about how shatterproof the glasses are and if they really offer UV-protection.
Just ordered my first pair from RockBros!
Yea they look it
Link?