Julbo Rush Reactiv glasses

The very good quality Julbo Rush Reactiv sunglasses have a quick-reacting photochromic lens and are comfortable to wear, while offering a great field of vision. You can buy cheaper, but they hold their own in expensive company.

Like most things in the road cycling world, fashion heavily dictates what sunglasses we are wearing, and at the moment everything is getting bigger. The Rush Reactivs follow that trend.

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The lens and corresponding frame are large, pretty much covering the upper part of your face, which does offer plenty of protection and great visibility.

The frame is quite slender all the way around, giving an uninterrupted field of view out front, up and down. The only place this is hampered a little is where the arms join the main frame, as it is quite bulky and can get in the way as you give a lifesaver look over your shoulder. It's not a huge issue, and I probably picked up on it more as I'm used to wearing the Bolle Shifter glasses, whose lenses swoop further back around the edge of the face, giving you a clearer view.

The clarity of the Julbo's lens is very good, with no distortion as it curves around your face, and there's no refraction from car headlights when wearing the glasses in the dark.

The Reactiv lens found on this model is photochromic, so it reacts to changes in the amount of light outside. With a light transmission rate of between 12% to 87% this natural coloured lens with a smoked tint when activated is spot on for year-round use, whether day or night.

The speed at which it adapts is impressive, too – I never noticed it change, there was never any glare as I turned into bright sunshine, and when travelling through dappled light from overhead trees I never struggled at either end – from the glasses being too bright or too dark.

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I got on very well with the overall design of the Rush – they seemed to suit my face. The lens sits quite close and the rubber texture of the arms grip well and fit nicely to the side of the head all the way round.

You can tweak the nosepiece shape to get the perfect fit, and I found it comfortable and it never slipped when I started sweating or in the rain. In these conditions the vents at the bottom of the lens don't allow any fogging up either.

Things like the nosepiece and arms are all held in place with little screws rather than just clipped together, which is exactly what I expect to see for this kind of money.

Speaking of which... these are some quite pricey glasses at £165. The similarly shaped Rockrider XC Race offer photochromic lenses for just £44.99 and were rated very highly indeed by Jim over on off.road.cc.

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The Julbo Rush glasses do ooze quality, though, and if you want a pair of glasses that will last then I reckon it's worth paying out the money on them. I wish these came with a hard case, though, for better protection when they aren't being worn.

They perform and fit much better than the £225 Scicon Aerotech glasses and are just a fiver more expensive than what I consider to be some of the best shades on the market, the Oakley Radar EV Path, and those don't come with adaptable lenses.

Overall, the Julbo Rush Reactiv glasses are a bit of an outlay, but when you consider their photochromic ability, the fit and all-round quality, I'd say they justify it.

Verdict

Great glasses that respond instantly to light change and offer a clear view of the world