100% Eastcraft glasses

The 100% Eastcraft glasses aim to blur the lines between casual and cycling glasses. On the bike they performed brilliantly, offering an excellent field of vision, great clarity and good protection from the (removable) side shields. You get both the tinted mirror lens and some clear lenses, and both are high quality – off the bike they're quite large, but still more subtle than some super-size offerings.

The new Eastcraft (and Westcraft) glasses are meant to be more usable away from the bike, and it's immediately noticeable that they're smaller than many recent releases. Just take a look at the last two 100% glasses we've reviewed, the MAAP x100% Glendale and the 100% S3 MAAP, for instance. They're both absolutely massive, and dwarf the Eastcrafts.

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I have often tried wearing casual sunnies out on the bike, but the lack of wraparound can become rather irritating, with the wind able to get in behind them and sometimes the sun bouncing off the inside of the lens. The Eastcrafts overcome this with removable rubber side shields which do an excellent job of plugging the gap.

I was initially a little worried about peripheral vision whilst riding, and although you don't get quite the same panorama as with some supersized glasses, I had to uncomfortably strain my eyes sideways to so much as notice them. They're also really easy to remove, yet clip in firmly and securely.

The lenses are up to 100%'s usual high standards, and have a hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment. That repels water and oil, and indeed they don't pick up fingerprints easily.

We tested these with the Soft Gold Mirror lens, though the Eastcraft is available with other options: Black Mirror for the same price as these, Smoke for £10 less or HiPER Crimson Silver Mirror for £199.99. You can also buy replacement/additional lenses separately.

For the majority of riding in this country my personal preference would be the high-contrast HiPER lens, which is similar to Oakley's Prizm Trail; both are well suited to road riding on everything but the very brightest days.

Replacing the lens is simple and takes 30 seconds. 100% includes a tool for unclipping the nose bridge, but a fingernail works just fine.

The frame is Grilamid TR90, which is significantly more flexible than many materials – as a result I was much less anxious about snapping something when changing lenses.

> 31 of the best cycling sunglasses – protect your eyes from sun, crud and flying bugs

The contact points are a textured rubber which is pretty grippy and holds the glasses secure, but the unadjustable arms are quite long. Personally I could have got away with them being a centimetre shorter or so.

Overall, I found the fit very good, with a little space under the lens for airflow to stop them fogging up, and a close fit that doesn't touch my eyebrows; good news because if they do it results in sweat dripping down the lens.

Value

At £179.99 these aren't cheap, but are reasonable against many big brand offerings. For example the Oakley Flight Jackets are £194, and they don't come with any additional lenses.

If these are completely unjustifiable, you can get some great glasses for a fair chunk less – the Scott Sport Shields for example are less than half the price at £81.99.

If the 'casual use too' thing is very important to you, the Koo California Polarised Sunglasses are also £179, and veer more towards off-bike – yes, they sacrifice some field of view and protection, but some may find the Eastcrafts rather large for wandering around in.

Overall

The Eastcrafts are comfortable for long durations, the design is functional, and the lenses are high quality. The frame feels very durable and should survive a few tumbles too.

Verdict

Durable, high quality glasses with two pairs of excellent lenses