Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Lazer Krypton KR1

7
£74.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good glasses, but try before you buy as they may be too wide for you
Weight: 
32g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Lazer Krypton KR1 Glasses are a decent pair of sunnies with Carl Zeiss lenses, a strong construction and good comfort features. Despite what Lazer says about the fit, they are quite wide, so won't suit all faces.

As with all glasses, the most important elements are the lenses. These come with three sets: one yellow, one clear and one with black tint. The black lenses are provided by Carl Zeiss and are very effective both in terms of protection and a distortionless view; Lazer claims they have 20% more distortion-free vision using its Panorama Lens Technology compared to 'standard decentered lenses used by most other sport optics brands'. That's not something I can confirm, but they certainly seem well made.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

Changing the lenses is simply done by just pushing through the frame and pushing the other lens into place from the outside. It takes around a minute in total (including cleaning the lenses of finger prints), which is fairly good.

Lazer Krypton KR1 Glasses - inside.jpg

Both the clear and yellow lenses (neither Carl Zeiss) work well in lower light conditions. The frames don't impinge too much on your peripheral vision, either, although obviously slightly more than half frame options. They are also available with photochromatic lenses.

The glasses sit on the head well thanks to the Ultragrip nose and tips used by Lazer. They even come with a spare set for the nosepiece, which means that if you lose one or they get worn out they can be simply changed over. They sit comfortably on the nose and ears, even when you're sweaty during a long ride, and I didn't have any kind of rubbing or discomfort at all.

Lazer Krypton KR1 Glasses - worn 2.jpg

Despite Lazer claiming that these have a slightly narrow fit, I found them quite wide (it's not me in the pics). I don't have a particularly small head, but I could fit my finger between the arms and my temples. It isn't a criticism, but if you can it's definitely worth trying them on before buying.

Lazer Krypton KR1 Glasses - worn 1.jpg

The glasses seem well made and the arms have a nice stiff movement that suggests they are likely to last a long time. The arms are also thick, and despite them falling off my helmet (no fault of the glasses or helmet, just the incompetence of the rider), they remained impressively intact with hardly a scratch on them.

Despite being full frame, the lenses are unvented, which does lead to a bit of fogging when stopped at traffic lights or on long, slow climbs, but not as badly as others I've worn, and they clear fairly quickly once the speed picks up again.

> Check out our guide to the best cycling sunglasses here

They come with an RRP of £74.99, which I reckon is about right. The Carl Zeiss lenses certainly go some way to justifying this price, as does the quality of construction. 

Overall these glasses performed well, and the Carl Zeiss lenses in particular worked very effectively. They might be too wide for many people, and a couple of lens vents wouldn't go amiss, but I didn't find either a huge issue and was generally impressed.

Distributor Madison has told road.cc there's a stock issue with some colours, and the black frame on test should be available towards the end of July.

Verdict

Good glasses, but try before you buy as they may be too wide for you

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lazer Krypton KR1

Size tested: 145x46mm

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A set of full frame sunglasses with Carl Zeiss lenses designed to improve your field of undistorted vision.

Lazer says: 'The Krypton is a new full frame eyewear piece in the Lazer range. It has a slightly narrow fit which makes it suitable to the vast majority of face sizes.'

I would say that the lenses work well and are very clear and undistorted, but I wouldn't agree with the 'narrow fit' that Lazer claims.

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

Compatible with M2 short temples

Interchangeable nosepads

Interchangeable lenses

Repellent lens coating

Photochromic lens option

Panorama optics

Ultragrip nose and tips

Hard case & cleaning bag

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made with thick arms that have a nice stiff movement.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Performed well: limited fogging, good protection and clear vision.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Because of the sturdy construction they are likely to be durable. They fell off the helmet without any kind of real damage, which says a fair amount by itself. There was a bit of a scratch on the lens, but nothing that impeded my vision.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10

32g is fine, and I didn't find them slipping down my nose.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Comfortable nosepiece and arms meant I could wear them for hours without issue.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

About where I would expect them to be, especially with the Carl Zeiss lenses.

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

Performed well, keeping out the wind and debris nicely, didn't steam up too much and the lenses were nice and clear to see through.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

How comfortably they sat on my head.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The width – a bit too wide for my head.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? No – purely because of their width.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – if their head was wider than mine.

Use this box to explain your score

A decent pair of glasses that performed well throughout the test. They seem durable and well made, but will be a touch too wide for many. Some venting would be good, too.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

Add new comment

1 comments

Avatar
handlebarcam | 7 years ago
1 like

Blimey, Bingo from The Banana Splits has let himself go.

Latest Comments