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review

Tifosi Pro Escalate FSH glasses set

8
£139.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Versatile eyewear system that gives you a good range of frames and lenses in one case
Weight: 
43g
Contact: 

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This Pro Escalate FSH glasses set is the most expensive that Tifosi makes; the company is better known for its good quality mid-range riding specs. It's a really good set though: there are three frame options, six lenses and a nice case to keep them all in.

FSH stands for Full, Shield and Half, and that's what you get: a full frame, a shield frame – where the lens itself is the frame – and a half frame. Well, you don't get the three whole frames, there's just one pair of Grillamid TR90 plastic arms that snap onto whichever front you fancy wearing.

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For each lens style you get two options. For the full frame there's a smoked sunglass lens with a mirrored finish, and a fully clear winter lens.

Tifosi Pro Escalate FSH 3-frame glasses system - frames 4.jpg

Move to half frame and there's a mirrored sunglass (again) and a high-transmission orange lens for dull days. 

Tifosi Pro Escalate FSH 3-frame glasses system - frames 3.jpg

The shield lenses are both sunglasses: mirrored like the other two, and a blue mirrored one that's darker for when it's really sunny out.

Tifosi Pro Escalate FSH 3-frame glasses system - frames 2.jpg

Swapping the front is simple: you just grab the arm and twist it to release, then reverse the process to fit it. You need to give it a firm twist to get it off, which is a bit disconcerting to begin with but you soon get used to doing it. All three frames have hydrophilic rubber nose inserts which are both very comfortable and adjustable to get just the fit you want. With the full and half frames they're part of the frame, with the shields it's just a clip-on section that snaps onto the lens. There's a rubber grip section on the arms too.

In use I've been impressed with these Tifosis. The lens quality is very good, with very little optical distortion, and the adjustable fit means you can get them just where you want them so you're looking through the lens and not the frame. The shields have the best peripheral vision but all three frames are very useable, and from a style point of view they should see you right for any type of riding. The full frames work really well as a general pair of off-the-bike sunnies too.

Tifosi Pro Escalate FSH 3-frame glasses system - frames 1.jpg

The full and half frames have vents in the lenses; whether it's that or the frame design that reduces fogging I'm not sure, but the Tifosis are pretty well behaved. I found the half frames to be the least sweaty overall.

> Check out our guide to the best cycling glasses

With two lenses per frame style you're more or less covered for every eventuality, although you're out of luck if you want to use the shield frame in low-light conditions because both lenses are low-transmission. But this is a really good, versatile system for all kinds of riding. You could be mountain biking in the rain in full frames on Saturday and racing sunny 4th cats in the shields on the Sunday, with just a quick change of the arms.

At £140 these aren't a cheap way of getting some eye protection for your riding but they still represent decent value because they're very versatile, and it's good to have everything you could reasonably need in one place. If you're looking for one purchase to cover all your eyewear needs – on and off the bike – these are definitely worth looking at.

Verdict

Versatile eyewear system that gives you a good range of frames and lenses in one case

road.cc test report

Make and model: Tifosi Pro Escalate FSH

Size tested: n/a

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?

Tifosi says…

Tifosi Pro:

Tifosi Pro is a premium extension of the Tifosi brand, a new collection that provides a platform for new technologies and innovation in performance eyewear that would ordinarily fall outside of the main Tifosi range.

Tifosi Pro Escalate:

The first model in the Tifosi Pro collection, Tifosi Pro Escalate is one of the most exciting, innovative sports eyewear product developments from Tifosi or any other competitor brand in many years.

For the first time, you can access 2 or 3 great product styles in one package, for significantly less than the cost of similar Tifosi styles separately.

The revolutionary patent-pending design - utilising Tifosi's I.C.S Interchangeable Component System technology - allows for universal interchangeability. Simply snap the arms onto any of the included frames, fit the appropriate lenses, and go!

Tifosi Pro Escalate maintains the Tifosi Key Value proposition of incredible product, at an equally great price, and all include a padded, zipped carry case & microfibre cleaning pouch.

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

1 set of universal Grilamid TR90 arms

Hydrophilic rubber, adjustable nosepiece

Hydrophilic rubber temples

3 frame configurations – Shield, Full Frame and Half Frame

2 lens choices per frame

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Generally very good, all three frames work well.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Lens quality is excellent, frames are adjustable for fit.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Grillamid TR90 plastic is light, flexible and durable.

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

Even the heaviest full-frame configuration is only 43g.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10

Really comfy across all configurations.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Good value even though they're expensive for Tifosi.

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

Very well: should be all the riding specs you need, all year.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Different style and lens options in one set.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Sometimes the lens/frame configuration you want isn't available.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Six different frame and lens options for a decent price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 189cm  Weight: 92kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Kinesis Aithein

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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