Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Lazer Argon ARR glasses

7
£79.99

VERDICT:

7
10
A well made pair of glasses best suited to those with a narrow head
Weight: 
29g

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 Argon ARR glasses feel solid in their construction, with the frame barely flexing at all – most likely helped by its thickness, with a large lip between the lenses and your face. It does give Lazer plenty of space to get some decent size logos in place though.

Everything is screwed together too, like the arms and the adjustable nosepiece, which is nice to see at this price point.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

Both the nosepiece and temple grips are made from hydrophilic rubber, which grips even when wet from rain or sweat and certainly does the job.

In the kit you get a hard case, a cloth bag and three sets of lenses: the smoke you see in the photos, plus clear and yellow for low light conditions.

Lazer ARR glasses - lenses.jpg

Swapping between them is simple with a method used by the majority of glasses manufacturers: a large tab on the outer side of the lens slots into the frame before you push the nose side part up into a groove in the nosepiece. It clicks into position and job done, 60 seconds if that, so an easy job to do at the side of the road should conditions change.

The lenses themselves offer plenty of coverage right across the eye and to the side, so you don't get any wind passing over the eyeball – ideal this time of year if you are a hayfever sufferer.

Lazer ARR glasses - worn.jpg

The optics are good – not quite as sharp as my favourite Oakley Radars, but you don't get any distortion of vision anywhere.

Fogging wasn't an issue either, even when riding hard in the rain, unless you stopped – so if you get caught at the lights you might need to ease them away from your face a bit until you get going again.

Lazer says these ARRs are small/medium in size, with an outside to outside width of 130mm. They are about 10mm narrower than my Radars, and while it wasn't noticeable on short rides, once I'd got over five or six hours I did feel quite a bit of pressure at the temples so you'll need to check the fit.

> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best cycling glasses

One criticsim I have is that the frame and nosepiece are quite bulky and always prominent in your vision when you're riding, especially when you are going hard with your head dropped closer to the bars than normal in a racing tuck.

Value-wise, I think at £79.99 the ARRs are about what I'd pay for them in terms of performance and specification. The Salice 016 RW at a tenner more offer pretty much the same kit with spare lenses, although the vision sounds better (and the fit, though that's subjective). If the narrow size of the ARRs fits you then you could always try another of its models with a three-lens setup for £20 less: the Lazer Solid State SS1 glasses got the okay from Mike.

Verdict

A well made pair of glasses best suited to those with a narrow head

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 Argon ARR glasses

Size tested: One size

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?

Lazer says: "The Argon Race is a spinoff from the AR1 glasses. This 2-lens eyewear piece features racing looks in a sleek, lightweight frame."

The ARRs are a decent pair of glasses with decent optics, although I'd prefer a little less frame in my vision.

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

Lazer lists these features:

Adjustable nose piece and temple tips

Ultragrip nose piece and temples tips

Interchangeable lenses

Photocromic options

Repellent coating

Panoramic optics

Extra wide lenses

Hard case & cleaning bag

Small to medium fit

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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

The lenses offer decent optics without being exceptional.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The branding across the frame makes them look pretty cool.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Narrow fit.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, for short rides.

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

The Lazer Argon ARRs are well made glasses with good coverage. The narrow fit will suit some, but limit their appeal to others.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithein

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Latest Comments