Shimano Meteor glasses

The Shimano Meteors are a well-made and good looking pair of sunglasses that do a good job pre- or post-ride and during low intensity riding.

Pros: Good looking, good light protection
Cons: No grippers on the nose or arms

The Meteors are essentially regular sunglasses with a few nods to cycling, making them a good option for relaxed rides and wearing off the bike. Their aviator style is pretty timeless, but rather than the thin wire that's become one of the main elements of traditional aviators, these use a thick and rigid Grilamid TR-90 material, which makes them more balanced and thus easier for riding.

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The lenses are polycarbonate with anti-scratch and hydrophobic treatments, so they shouldn't mark easily and don't tend to steam up too much. They also offer strong UV400 protection. The dark lens colour means these are definitely glasses suited to bright sunlight rather than lower light conditions.

They're very much designed for casual use, so unlike most cycling-specific glasses they have no gripper on the nose or arms, so these are not going to be the best for long, sweaty rides, and I found that they had a tendency to slide down my nose when I was sweaty. However, when using them off the bike or for casual cruising this isn't an issue.

The glasses feel high quality, with reassuringly stiff hinges and a screw to make adjustments to them when needed. There are also some interesting design elements such as the black frames fading to a tortoiseshell design at the lenses and a metal Shimano logo outside the hinges.

There are some subtle nods to cycling, with the vent between the two lenses allowing air to flow behind the lenses so that when there is a little fogging when you stop riding, it quickly clears once you get going again. The arms slightly curving back in behind the ears helps keep them on your head well too.

An rrp of £39.99 is about where I would expect these glasses to sit; they're well made, with some cycling-specific elements, and can be found online for around £20. Our 'cheap sunglasses' guide (see below) goes up to £40, so you can certainly buy cheaper, but if you want the look and the quality, these are well worth a look.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best cheap sunglasses from £4-£40

Overall I was impressed with these glasses for casual use; they offer enough features to make them useful for riding, but still maintain the kind of looks that mean they won't look out of place in a beer garden.

Verdict

Modern take on a classic style with some subtle features for casual cycling use

road.cc test report

Make and model: Shimano Meteor glasses

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for

Protection from the sun/insects on casual rides or wearing off the bike.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Shimano:

Timeless aviator-style glasses for cruising around town of relaxing after a spin

Lightweight, strong and durable Grilamid TR-90 material

CNC molding for ultimate precision, symmetry, and quality

Dual injection molded, non-toxic TPE, temple tips

Strong, rigid, and lightweight Polycarbonate lens

Full UV400 protection

Hydrophobic coating increases water-repellency, keeps lenses cleaner

Special anti-scratch treatment

Includes an eyewear pouch; great for protection and lens cleaning

Rate the product for quality of construction:

7/10

Well made, strong hinges, robust material, durable lenses.

Rate the product for performance:

7/10

Kept out the sun and looked good on and off the bike.

Rate the product for durability:

7/10

They seem well made and no reason to suspect they won't last. I expect I could drop them a few times without too much damage.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)

8/10

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)

7/10

They don't have the same kind of grip as traditional cycling glasses so aren't necessarily as comfortable on longer or hotter rides, but for shorter rides and off the bike they are perfectly comfortable.

Rate the product for value:

6/10

£40 for a pair of well-made and good looking sunglasses isn't bad.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed well. They kept the sun out of my eyes and have some nods to riding (casually) such as the subtle venting and protective lenses.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The venting is subtle but effective, especially for casual rides.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

More grip on the nose or arms would be nice.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes