Tifosi’s Swick sunglasses are technical enough that they work well on the bike, but not so bike-specific that they look odd off it. They’re a good choice if you want a pair of sunglasses for mixed use.
- Pros: Nicely designed, lightweight and good value
- Cons: Some glare artefacts in the lenses, fit not adjustable
The large, square lens of the Swick glasses, along with the two-tone polycarbonate frame, gives them a fairly classic look. They’re not obviously riding glasses: the shape doesn’t really wrap around your face, and there are no adjustable nose-pieces or interchangeable lenses or vents. That being said, they’re pretty good for riding in. The lens is dark enough for sunny days but not so dark that you can’t wear them when it’s a bit duller. Optically they’re good, although you do get a few glare artefacts in the lenses from time to time. It’s not a big deal and they’re fine for all-day use.
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I found them comfortable, even though the fit isn’t adjustable. There’s a hydrophilic rubber insert in the bridge and on the arms, which keeps them in place when you start getting a bit sweaty. There’s no ventilation in the lens but I didn’t have any issues with them fogging, probably because they’re not a wraparound design so airflow is good around the back of the lens. That lack of wrap means peripheral vision isn’t as good as some dedicated cycling optics, but I can’t say I ever found it much of an issue.
The best thing about the Swicks is that you can wear them on the bike, or at the beach, or in the car, or walking around town, and they look pretty normal in all situations. Okay they’re not a super-high-tech pair of cycling specs, but the only comments I got about them on the bike were from people asking what they were, because they liked them. Maybe all the snide stuff was behind my back.
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You probably wouldn’t choose them for the chaingang or a crit race, but for everything else they’re dandy. I even wore them with an aero lid. But only because it was cold and I chose the bongo hat ’cause it has fewer vents.
Anyway, I like them. They’re comfy and versatile; optically they’re pretty good, and £30 isn’t exactly top-end wedge for a nice pair of sunnies.
Verdict
Good quality sunglasses that’ll do for riding and not riding
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Tifosi Swick Onyx Blue Fade/New Blue
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, “Swick is an exciting, sporty fashion style, suitable for active, everyday use, with a lightweight frame, and a choice of standard or glare-eliminating polarised lenses.
“Swick is based on the same family technologies found on the Swank – durable Grilamid TR-90 frame, scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses, hydrophilic rubber nosepiece, integrated cam-lock hinge – with a textured Glide surface treatment on the arms, but has a larger, squarer lens shape compared to the Swank, and a pronounced 6 base curve for closer coverage to the face.
“Swick glasses include a microfibre cleaning pouch and presentation box.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Tifosi:
Colours Available:
CRYSTAL CLEAR/SMOKE YELLOW
ONYX BLUE FADE/NEW BLUE
SATIN BLACK/CRIMSON/SMOKE RED
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Pretty well, good multi-use glasses that are good on the bike.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Nice design, light weight, inexpensive, versatile.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Fit not adjustable, some artefacts in lenses.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
£30 is pretty good value for some good quality single-lens sunglasses.
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 overall score
For £30 these are a very good buy. You’ll get a lot of use out of them, both on and off the bike.
About the tester
Age: 45 Height: 189cm Weight: 92kg
I usually ride: whatever I’m testing… My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura
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, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track
1 thought on “Tifosi Swick Onyx Blue Fade/New Blue”
I like the look of these, I
I like the look of these, I do wear std shades when doing shorter rides in casual clothes, less ‘sporty’ looking glasses that will keep the crap out of your eyes and protect from sun is what I prefer but usually these are not quite as good as keeping the wind and dirt/dust out from the sides.
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