Smith Defy review – superb clarity and contrast and you get two sets of lenses

The Smith Defy sunglasses have excellent lens clarity, a wide field of vision and they are comfortable and remain securely in place. They come with a spare clear lens and a nice hard case too. They are expensive, but the premium quality and good looks go a long way towards justifying the price.

Lens

The Defy uses Smith’s ChromaPop lens technology, which is supposed to enhance contrast and colour while maintaining a natural-looking view. There are three lens options available: Sunny, Partial Sun and Cloudy, so you can choose one to suit your riding.

I tested the Sunny lens, which was ideal for the endless clear skies over the summer. The clarity was excellent, with good contrast and it also handled changes in light well. When riding off-road between bright open sections and tree cover, I never felt the need to take them off.

The large lens provides a wide field of vision. There was a little visible frame around the edges of my vision, but it was never distracting when riding.

I had no real issues with the lenses fogging up. The only time was when stopping at the top of a climb after a hard effort.

A spare clear lens is included, which is particularly useful for winter riding. Changing the lens is straightforward and takes less than 30 seconds once you’ve done it a couple of times.

Fit and function

The fit was good. The frame comes with three different nose pads and they were easy to change.

I’ve tested the Smith Defy with a few different helmets, and in all cases the integration was seamless. They were easy to put in the helmets’ sunglasses vents when not wearing them, and they stayed securely in place.

The coverage is sufficient to prevent wind from getting into your eyes, which is particularly useful on long mountain descents, where some other glasses have done less and my eyes have watered.

The glasses also stayed firmly in place throughout lots of off-road riding and other activities, without ever slipping or falling off.

At 44g, they are by no means the lightest out there, but they feel comfortable. I’ve worn them on multiple all-day rides and hikes without any irritation around my nose or temples.

Looks

I loved the look of the Rose Gold colour, and many of my club mates commented that they liked them too. They are also not overly large for cycling sunglasses, so they are a good option if you don’t like the trend towards the ski goggles look.

There are lots of colours available, and you can buy additional or replacement lenses.

They’re also one of the few pairs of cycling sunglasses I’ve been happy to wear off the bike. They’ve worked well for running, hiking and other outdoor activities, and don’t look out of place day-to-day.

Accessories and aftercare

The glasses came with a nice hard case and a microfibre bag. The Smith website itself mentions only the latter, but we were told that it does indeed come with both.

Smith offers a 30-day return policy, but only on standard models. Custom builds are non-returnable.

Smith offers a lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects.

Value

At £170, these are premium glasses, but you get two excellent lenses and good looks for the high price.

If you can handle the unusual looks, the Scicon Sports Aeroshade 2.0 Titanium also come with two sets of lenses (although they’re fiddlier to change) and are priced at £192.

The Sungod Forty2s are suitable for a smaller face and a little cheaper with a photochromic lens at £150.

If you are looking to spend a lot less, then the Galibier Liberte Optics received an excellent review and are only £65.

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Overall

The Smith Defy is an excellent pair of sunglasses. The ChromaPop lens provides superb clarity and contrast and handles changes in light well enough that I rarely felt the need to take them off. They are comfortable enough for all-day rides, stay securely in place and provide plenty of coverage without being excessively large.

I also like the fact that they look good enough to wear away from the bike, while the included clear lens adds versatility for lower light riding. They are expensive, but the overall quality makes them easier to justify.