Retro-inspired oversized designs are currently dominating the cycling and high-performance sunglasses market. Most premium brands have either brought their classic designs back with a few modern touches or have adapted their most popular models to satisfy the demand, and personally, we’re loving it.
Bolle has done a bit of both with their new Lightshifter specs, which draw inspiration from the Shifter but with a sharp and modern semi-rimless design. In this article, we’re going to review Bolle’s lightshifter sunglasses, which offer a large oversized frame for a wide field of view. Read on for the full review.
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Bolle Lighshifter Sunglasses
Semi-rimless frame designs are popular amongst cyclists and other athletes, especially those who have been wearing sunglasses for years and years. They’re great for a number of reasons, with uninhibited vision being one of the main ones. You don’t want anything obstructing your view of potholes, road debris, or other obstacles, after all.
As a kind of bonus benefit, the lenses are easier to clean, and water passes right off of them without pooling on the lower frame. Bolle labels these glasses as having a small fit, so if you’re someone with a bigger head, you might want to consider purchasing a different pair of glasses.
However, the frame is flexible and will be able to accommodate any average-sized head just fine, and the glasses also aren’t going to squeeze your brain. You can wear them for as long as you want without feeling the slightest bit of discomfort, which is a great bonus for long-distance cyclists and runners.
Part of this is thanks to the kinked temple arms, which sit at just the right part of your skull. It also prevents the arms from interfering with full-coverage helmets, which can’t be said for many other cycling sunglasses. However, when traversing some challenging and rough terrain, the tops of the Lightshifters will impact the underside of your helmet, but not often.
As you can imagine, the field of vision that the Lightshifters provide is outstanding. Wherever your eyes need to gaze, the lenses will have you covered with vision that’s clear as daylight. Bolle offers various different lenses, many of which are suitable for use both on the tennis court and for other activities like cycling.
While the lenses have a big role to play when it comes to the comfort of your eyes, you’ll also find a large vent right at the top-middle of the lens that allows a calculated amount of airflow, which further contributes to your eyes’ overall comfort. You’re going to have to try really hard to get the Lightshifters to fog up. However, if you’re a cyclist who enjoys biking at speed, you might find that the airflow is a little too much and that your eyes begin to water. This is only a problem if you are a speed rider, though.
Who is This Product For?
The Bolle Lightshifters are some of the most versatile sunglasses in the market, suitable for athletes of all kinds. From tennis players to runners to cyclists, there’s really nobody who won’t benefit from a pair of these shades. They are fantastic sporting sunglasses with the added benefit of being semi-rimless, which not only makes them more comfortable on the face overall but also means that water won’t pool up on the bottom and obscure your vision.
If you’re someone that frequently has a problem with your glasses fogging up while you’re wearing them, then you’ll love the Lightshifters as well. They have special ventilation in the lenses that prevent them from fogging up and provide a nice flow of air to the face, helping you keep cool when the heat starts to rise.
The added lens protection around the lower lens edge is another nice feature since it is on the area of the glasses that typically scratches first. The glasses as a whole stay put very well on the face – no movement no matter how rough the terrain is. Put them on, and there they’ll stay.
- Package dimension : 6.8 cm x 9.6 cm x 18.8 cm
Specifications
- Interchangeable lens
- Adjustable nose piece with three settings
- Oleophobic treatment
- Anti-fog treatment P80+
- Available in prescription models
- Thermogrip rubber temples and nose pads
- Available with Phantom NXT Photochromic lens
Speaking of lenses, whether you believe it or not, choosing a pair of sunglass lenses isn’t’ just about picking what you think looks cool. It is essential to match the filtering category (how much light passes through the lens) and the lens tint to match the conditions you will use your sunglasses in.
Traditional lenses are limited to a single filtering category – 0 to 4, where 0 is clear, and 4 is very dark. The Phantom lenses from Bolle use photochromic technology to adapt the tint to the light conditions and can cover filtering categories depending on the tint, from 1 to 4.
We’ve found that the adaptive Phantom lens technology makes the Lightshifter shades versatile enough to wear when the sun is fully out as well as in light overcast conditions. Being able to wear these sunglasses throughout a range of light conditions means you won’t have to take them off halfway through your activity, which is a nice bonus.
The transitions between different light levels, when wearing these lenses, while fast, are still gradual enough so as not to be distracting when you are out on the court or the trail. The Phantom Brown Red lenses, also from Bolle, are a great match for cycling specifically.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Phantom lens is adaptable
- Case is included
- Replaceable lens
- Airflow prevents fogging
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
- Package dimension : 6.8 cm x 9.6 cm x 18.8 cm
- Product type : SUNGLASSES
- Package weight : 0.166 kg
- MADE IN Taiwan
Final Thoughts
The Bolle Lightshifter sunglasses are a fantastic pair of shades that are suitable for pretty much any outdoor activity, from tennis to cycling, running, and more. They’re a great option if you value comfort and if you enjoy having the freedom of being to choose a customized pair of lenses.