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review
Glasses
Julbo Fury sunglassesJulbo Fury glasses

Julbo Fury sunglasses

4
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Mon, Mar 09, 2020 11:31

First Published Mar 8, 2020

0
£80.00

VERDICT:

4
10
Comfortable and on-trend design, but lens performance is poor
Light weight
Comfortable
Good coverage
Lens coating sheds water well
Artefacts and reflections in the lens
Prone to fogging
Weight: 
25g
Contact: 
lyon.co.uk
How we test

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Julbo's Fury sunglasses come in a range of colours with different lenses. Our Army/Black pair with the Spectron 1 lens were light and comfortable with good coverage, but the lens really lets them down.

So, the good stuff first. The Fury glasses are nicely made and light at 25g, with a polycarbonate frame and soft rubber nosepieces that are non-adjustable but fitted very well for me.

The design is following the Oakley Sutro and MAAP S3 back to some time around 1990, with big, deep lenses and loads of coverage. In cold, wet weather – and we've basically had about six months of that now – it's a good way of keeping your face just a bit warmer, and the hydrophobic coating on the lens sheds water very effectively. The Spectron 1 lens is coated on the inside and the outside; that sometimes results in artefacts and reflections as the light bounces around between the two coatings, and that's very much the case here.

Because of the colour of the lens, the reflections are orange and they appear directly to the side of car headlights, making it look like every car coming towards you is indicating. It's very disconcerting, and not hard to imagine a scenario where you missed a car that actually was indicating because you just assumed it was a reflection. Not ideal, then.

> Buyer’s Guide: 26 of the best cycling sunglasses

On top of that, if the sun's behind you and shines into the back of the lens it can fill up with lens flare to an alarming extent, which isn't great either.

They're claimed to be well-vented to prevent fogging, but that didn't stop them misting over for me on slower climbs. Most of the time they were okay.

> Buyer’s Guide: 11 of the best cheap sunglasses

It might just be this specific lens, and the others may be fine. I've no particular gripes with the build or fit of the glasses – in fact, I like them. But in this build, with this lens, I really can't recommend them at all.

Verdict

Comfortable and on-trend design, but lens performance is poor

road.cc test report

Make and model: Julbo Fury sunglasses

Size tested: One size

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?

Julbo says, "With a striking and radical style, wide cylindrical lens and perfect venting, FURY is made for speed! Lightweight and designed to fit under any helmet, it offers top quality grip. Sharp lines go perfectly with the latest trends in cycling and heighten the tech credentials and performance of these frames. Available with our Spectron polycarbonate lenses for perfect clarity of vision and protection."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Julbo:

Nose Grip : Flexible, shock-absorbing grip insert on the bridge.

Air Link Temple system : This elastomer shock absorber insert fitted at the end of the temple makes the glasses lighter and more comfortable

Full Venting : Highly vented sunglasses structure allowing full circulation of air to prevent fogging.

Grip Tech : Exclusive soft-comfort material on the temples that doesn't stick to hair, giving perfect grip and comfort

Panoramic view : Wide lens surface for maximum field of vision.

Total Cover : Maximum protection from sunlight in extreme conditions.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
4/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Pretty averagely: they're comfy and light but the lens has some real issues.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Good coverage, light weight, comfortable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Artefacts and reflections from light sources.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's a low- to mid-market pair of specs. The 100% S3 is more than twice as much, and many of the similarly shaped new breed are over £100.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really.

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No

Use this box to explain your overall score

Mostly the low score is down to how the lens performs. Other Julbo lenses might be much better.

Overall rating: 4/10

About the tester

Age: 47  Height: 189cm  Weight: 94kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

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, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Julbo Fury sunglasses 2020
Julbo Fury sunglasses
Julbo 2020
Julbo
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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