Van Rysel Kware Category 3 cycling glasses

The Van Rysel Kware Category 3 cycling glasses are keenly priced, perform well and look quite pro. The contact points could be grippier, but they’re lightweight and offer lens clarity that is the equal of sunglasses more than twice the price. 

We’ve tested a couple of other models from Decathlon’s Van Rysel range of eyewear and Dave liked the photochromic lens for its night-and-day simplicity. The Kware has a non-changing lens tint which is a Cat 3 according to the relevant ISO standard, with 12 per cent light transmission, and so primarily intended for bright daytime use. Harmful UV light is blocked – as is the case with almost all sunglasses that you can buy.

They’re available in four colours, all with the same category lenses (in different hues). As well as the white and purple ones we have here, you can get them in black or beige, or the same white frame here but with grey mirrored lens.

At 26g they’re lightweight and pretty comfortable even for long periods of use.

With a half-frame design and a large lens, I found they gave a really good field of view, which I appreciated particularly when I was cycling in the drops. The lens is cylindrical, meaning it curves left-to-right, whereas some cycling glasses use a spherical lens shape. Some may have a preference, although I have found both can work well. The lens is made of “unbreakable” polycarbonate and the frame from nylon.

Dave talked about how well the photochromatic model works for his penchant for rides that go on longer than they should. I found that the Kware shades worked well on sunny days, as you might expect, but they did pretty well on grey days too, delivering really effective detail and contrast in a range of environments.

My normal sunny day shades are a pair of Sungod Airas, which are exceptionally comfortable and use spherical nylon lenses instead of polycarbonate. Nylon lenses can supposedly offer measurably better clarity than polycarbonate, although Oakley and other high-end brands also use polycarbonate with good results.

I wasn’t able to identify any difference in clarity or distortion between the 8K0 lens on my £160 Sungod shades and the polycarbonate lens used here. That’s not to say that such things couldn’t be measured with machines; just that I couldn’t perceive a difference with my eyes.

Contact points are another matter, however. Expensive sunglasses such as those from Sungod and Oakley use grippier material on the earsocks and nose piece. It is often described as hydrophilic as they can get more tacky when moist.

By contrast, the contact points on the Kware feel like you might expect on a £60 pair of cycling glasses: smooth rubber, but not tacky. They have been co-moulded rather than added on as a separate manufacturing stage.

I found that when I was working hard and sweating, the Kware glasses were a little prone to sliding a few millimetres down my nose.

They wouldn’t get further than that, however – mostly because of an interesting hook detail on the inside of the arms which would then catch on my helmet straps. This is the “patented Flip and Clip system” – although this isn’t actually what it’s for, it turns out. It’s for ensuring rock solid retention when you take your glasses off and stuff them in your helmet vents… provided that it’s a Van Rysel helmet.

Decathlon has put out some social videos showing a cyclist, with his glasses thus stowed, taking off his helmet and dangling it from the glasses which remain firmly in place. I tried it with my Kask Protone and it fell on the floor. However, in normal use, I found I was easily able to stash my sunglasses on my helmet and have them securely stay in place.

There are no vents in the lens here, but I found I didn’t have issues with it steaming up, even on warmer days, which was a pleasant surprise given its size.

Comfort, as mentioned, was good, although I’d say I prefer wearing my frameless Sungod shades for long days as they apply a bit less pressure on the sides of my (quite large) head.

Van Rysel shades, including the Kware, are used by the Decathlon CMA CGM team, meaning an unusually approachable price to sport the same eyewear as your cycling heroes. Sadly they don’t come with a case, but Decathlon offers one for an additional fiver.

The lenses don’t appear to be interchangeable, so if you want a second colour you’ll need to fork out for a second pair.

Are these another winner from Van Rysel then? For a sensible sixty notes, you get excellent clarity from the lens and contemporary styling with a large mirrored lens. Contact points aren’t as grippy as on some alternatives, but generally I found them comfortable and effective.

In terms of other comparable sunglasses we’ve tested, another Van Rysel product at the same price – the RoadR 900 Perf – was good enough for a coveted road.cc Recommends badge.

Another brand that consistently delivers on the value front is Galibier, and Jo loved their Liberté shades which are now even cheaper (and come with a hard case and hydrophilic contact points for better grip).

Another half-frame mirrored shade is the BBB Valor Flux priced at £109 but including a second clear lens and a hard case. Ollie reckoned they were of excellent quality but a little tight on his head.

> Best cheap cycling sunglasses 2026 — protect your eyes on the bike without breaking the bank