100% Speedcraft SL glasses

These 100% Speedcraft SL sunnies offer decent clarity and massive wind protection, but a lack of adjustment leads me to advise that you try before you buy. They're also not the easiest when it comes to changing lenses.

• Pros: Stylish, comfortable
• Cons: Expensive, fit is rather big, changing lenses isn't easy

The fashion for larger sunglasses has been growing over the past few years, and 100% has stepped into that market with notable riders being sponsored to show off its shades. I'm quite a fan of this trend, with my usual Oakley Jawbreakers and Radar EVs hiding my caterpillar eyebrows while also offering a great field of vision and easy lens cleaning. Getting these on test, I was curious. Could the new brand challenge the well-established Oakley?

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Well... while neither my Jawbreakers nor Radar EVs are perfect, I'd say the 100% Speedcraft SLs don't do enough to justify their price tag. The fit isn't great on me, though of course it might be better for you, plus I found the arms are too long, and removing the lens is a job I don't want to repeat.

It's not all bad, though, so I'll begin with the positives. First up is coverage. The size and height of the lens mean that no wind is getting through to your eyes, and you also get a completely uninterrupted view. With no frame around the base, and nothing joining the nosepiece to the upper frame, visibility is really rather good.

The frame height was designed to 'significantly increases vertical visibility in the riding position', and even when chewing the bars, I had great visibility up the road.

Lens quality, though, is an area that could be improved. Ours on test have the Dalloz lens, and while it's pleasant to use in cloudy conditions, I found it too bright on sunny days; my Oakleys give better contrast and a slightly darker tint. I prefer a little more contrast, but if you like a neutral lens you'll get on better with the optics provided by the Speedcrafts.

I also found there was just a little distortion, although it's really minor – if you weren't looking for it, you probably wouldn't notice. But with competitors like Koo and Smith getting their lenses spot on, it's disappointing that 100% hasn't nailed this most crucial aspect of these glasses.

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While out riding at this time of year, the lens got quite a few flies smacking into it, along with sweat. After a month of abuse, the lens is unmarked and it's easy to get pretty clean with water from my bottle and a bit of jersey. That's all thanks to the 'Hydroilo' coating which is still working well after quite a bit of cleaning.

I do like to remove lenses for a proper clean, especially after a race where they'll get really covered in sweat, but removing the lens on these isn't the easiest. I couldn't find a gentle way of removing it, and when putting it back into the frames, the corners didn't want to clip in properly, resulting in fingerprints on the lens. If you know you're going to be cleaning your sunnies regularly, be warned.

In the box you get an extra low-light lens, a smaller nosepad, a microfibre bag and a storage case with slots for extra lenses. My test set didn't come supplied with all of this, but the option to change the nosepiece would be great for my face shape.

The arms of the Speedcraft SLs, as I mentioned, are on the long side at 118mm from tip to join. That's quite a bit longer than Oakley Jawbreaker arms which can be adjusted between 99mm and 110mm. I tried the Speedcraft SLs with a Lazer Z1 helmet, Kask Rapido, Abus Game Changer and a Kask Mojito and the Speedcrafts never sat well. It's not an issue I have with Oakley's Radar EVs, which also have non-adjustable arms. The Speedcraft SLs are intended for smaller faces so I don't understand the need for such long arms... Every face shape is different, though, so try with your helmet before buying.

The rest of the fit is a little hit and miss for me. While there is good space under the lens for airflow, the upper frame sat against my eyebrows slightly. This did cause a little bit of moisture to build up at the very top of the lens, but there was no great build-up of mist. It's possible this was down to the nosepiece which, as mentioned above, is replaceable with a smaller version.

The Ultra-grip TPE rubber that is used for the nosepiece and the ear grippers is really good. It's much better than the stuff on my Oakleys which can slip slightly when the going gets very sweaty. These stayed comfortably in place, and in fact the glasses are very comfortable to wear for extended periods, helped by a weight of only 34g.

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If you've got the cash, though, there's plenty of established competition: Oakley's newer Prizm models all give the height of these sunnies with, to my mind, better lenses and a few more features that make them easier to live with; there's also the Smith Attack Max at £199 which has a really nifty lens changing system and excellent clarity. If you prefer your lenses more 'neutral', you might want to consider the Koo Open Cubes.

Overall, I'm left a little disappointed by the Speedcraft SLs. They're a stylish design that is right on trend but the lens quality, poor fit and lack of features are a let down for the not-insignificant price.

Verdict

Stylish and simple sunnies, but overly expensive for what you get