Tifosi Slip glasses

Tifosi is a US brand producing an incredibly wide range of sports eyewear, and these Slip glasses share many features other Tifosi glasses previously tested on road.cc - but they also differ in a couple of important ways too.

First, the lenses. These are made from polycarbonate, a plastic designed to flex slightly, which is 'decentered' (meaning vision is not distorted). This seems to work. I've done a few miles in these glasses in varying conditions, and the view has always been 100% clear.

The Slips come with three interchangeable lenses, classed by Tifosi as 'Clear (which has a light transmission of 98%, so worn as protection from dust or rain rather than sun), 'Brown' (providing 18% light transmission, for sunny conditions) and 'AC-Red' (a contrast lens for overcast conditions).

The fame is made from a plastic called Grilamid TR-90 homopolyamide nylon, which is very strong but still flexible rather than brittle. Across the Tifosi range, frames come in many different shapes and sizes. On the Slip glasses, the frame is slender and nicely understated.

The sections of the frame that go over the ears are made from black rubber dubbed 'hydrophilic' (ie, water loving) which Tifosi claims grip better when wet - whether it's rain and sweat. I've tested these glasses on a few wet rides (it was June, so it wasn't planned) and they stayed in place. The ends of the ear-pieces can also be bent into shape according to shape of your schnoze to ensure personal comfort. Another good reason to bend them is so the ends of the ear-pieces do not touch the inside of the lens when the glasses are folded, which means no scratches in transit.

On the upper side of each lens, there's a ventilation gap (basically an open slot between frame and lens). This helps reduce fogging by funnelling a small amount of airflow behind the lens, but I didn't find it as effective as lenses with vents in the side. Also, in really dusty conditions, I also noticed a bit of dust coming through the vent into my eye. This didn't seem to happen with the glasses with side vents.

This test pair of Slips have a grey frame, but are also available in black or pink, and with blue or green ear pieces. The distance across the glasses from hinge to hinge is 150mm, so on the narrow side and good for cyclists with a slightly smaller face. Although they're on the small side, there's still plenty of room out front, so your eyebrows don't touch the frame, and your eyelashes don't scrape on the inside of the lens.

The recommended retail price is a penny under £50 (less at some on-line stores), which compares very well with the price of similar quality specs from the better-known high-profile brands.

Verdict

Slim and stylish eye-wear at a fair price, although some riders may find the vents in the lenses are not 100% effective