Spektrum Blank sunglasses

The super-trendy, high-quality Spektrum Blank sunglasses work equally well for all kinds of riding, as much as they do when you're just chilling off the bike, though they are a little bit pricey when you factor in that they only come with one lens and no hard case.

If you've never heard of Spektrum before, one look at the history page on its website might why – the company hails from the mountain town of Are in the north of Sweden, and it clearly has a passion for winter sports – be it skiing, snowboarding, or apres ski... Though they may look it in the photos, the Spektrum Blank aren't actually cycling-specific glasses. Rather, Spektrum says they're for 'active use', which could include activities such as running, hiking and cycling.

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Made in the north of Italy (not Are) by 'one of the world's leading injected eyewear factories' – which could well be the same one that produces high-end brands such as Oakley and Ray-ban, I'm just speculating of course – the Blank glasses are constructed from Grilamid: a predominantly natural, non-petrochemical-based plastic.

Not only do the frames have good environmental credentials, they're also lightweight but feel pretty robust despite their somewhat minimal proportions. Thanks to this svelte frame design, I found that the glasses fitted nicely inside my helmet straps without feeling bulky, and the tips didn't interfere with the helmet either. I found them to be a bit more comfortable than my go-to Oakley Radar EV Path glasses, but that could just be down to my head shape.

The rubber sleeves at the ends help keep the glasses in place when sweat builds up, so you're not having to constantly adjust them back onto the bridge of your nose, and you get a spare pair of rubber nose-pads in the box, allowing you to find a fit that best matches the width of your conk. The nose-piece is very comfortable, too and the glasses stay glued on even when you're riding on rough stuff.

The lenses come courtesy of Carl Zeiss, meaning they're really top notch quality. There is zero distortion at any angle and the infrared option on test, though designed primarily with sunny weather in mind with just 13% light transmission, seems to work brilliantly in all conditions. It even manages to just about cope with that pesky woodland shade, where it can often be a case of having to take off your glasses altogether so you don't end up riding into a tree.

If you do fall foul of such an incident, it's good to know they're also impact resistant, and feature an anti-scratch lens coating, along with Ri-Pel water repellency. I've not had a chance to test their hydrophobicity – no rain during the day throughout the test period for some reason – and so far there don't seem to be any marks on them either, though it's early days.

There's plenty of coverage here without feeling like your entire face has been taken over. The style is somewhat reminiscent of the Gargoyles in The Terminator movie, which is no bad thing of course – the look is bold and stylish, but subtle. They're not full-on racer style, but more comparable to trendier propositions such as Oakley's Sutro. They're the kind of sunglasses you could wear to the pub when you're in civvy mode. I like this.

So, even though these aren't cycling-specific glasses and have a somewhat trendier cut to them, how do they actually fare for serious cycling? Well, really rather good actually. No matter the position – upright, mid, or low down and slicing through the wind – there's plenty of visibility.

> Buyer’s Guide: 13 of the best cheap cycling sunglasses

You do get a tiny bit of the top of the frame just coming into the edge of your upper periphery when you're in an aero position, and the edges of the lens don't quite feel as if they're hugging your temples like Oakley's Radar EV Paths, but really that's just me trying to find fault with what is an almost faultless performance.

Although the glasses only come with one lens, we were given another to play with. Swapping them over for the first time was a little daunting, as I couldn't actually find any instructions illustrating how to do it, and the last thing I wanted to do was snap the lens or frame with my hamfistedness. After a little manipulation and gentle persuasion, I managed to figure out the procedure – thankfully it's really quick and easy.

The lenses themselves aren't cheap – £45 for the grey lens and £60 for the brown lens. And major omission ahoy: there's no clear lens available, so if you want to use these on a really dull day or at night then you'll have to look elsewhere (unless the option becomes available).

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When spending £135 – not chump change, by any means – you'd want to keep your shiny glasses protected when not in use, and you might think you'd get a sturdy case to suit. Sadly, you only get a soft carrycase in the box, which to me seems like penny pinching when a hard case is a much more secure option, especially when you're travelling and you want to store them securely in a bag.

The Blank's closest competitors, in terms of price and style, are the Oakley Sutros I've already mentioned, also £135; the Blank glasses are not quite as large and are arguably better looking. There are bigger, racier glasses out there if you want the lens real estate, such as the 100% S3 MAAP glasses or Oakley's Flight Jackets, but you'll pay a lot more – £179 for the 100% option Liam tested (though you do get two lenses and a hardcase), and £187 for the Flight Jackets.

Another decent option for on and off-the-bike use, for a whole lot less, are the Tifosi Swick glasses we reviewed last year. They're certainly not as good on the bike, and they're certainly not in the same league as the Blanks, but they are only £30.

Verdict

Fantastic looking glasses that perform really well whether you're on or off the bike, but the price tag is quite high