Mountain Biking Top 10

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10 of the Best Running Sunglasses for 2021 and What You Might Want to Consider When Picking Your Running Sunglasses in 2021

 you need to Consider

We all know the importance of safety when you are mountain-biking, from having pads to choosing the right helmet but do you have the right sunglasses? A great pair of sunglasses will not only protect your eyes but add to your performance as well as look great. 

When mountain-biking you need your eyes to be protected from dust, debris, rock and dirt etc but  a heightened contrast to read the trail and speed up your reaction times. Lenses that can react quickly to different light conditions you also need lenses that help reduce glare and brightness, which will allow you to see more comfortably and relax your eyes. 

Below we have provided advice on selecting the best sunglasses for mountain biking and our recommended top 10 sunglasses ranges for 2021 based on their excellent performance and reliability. Typically lightweight and strong, with excellent optical qualities and performance coated lenses, the brands are trusted and worn by the Pros. Only the highest standards are good enough, and you should expect the best.

Key Frame Considerations for Mountain-biking Sunglasses:   

• Plastic Frame Materials - You should only choose plastic frames for mountain-biking as metal frames can be dangerous as they could snap during a fall. 
• Wrap around frame - 6 or 8 base curved frames (curved and highly curved lenses respectively) provides protection against the elements and a wide field of vision. Provides better ergonomic profile for firm fitting on face or head.
• Anti-slip nose pads - Help stop your sunglasses sliding down your nose when you are moving your head and provide maximum comfort.
• Adjustable Nose Pads - They help to keep the frames secure on your face and prevent them from sliding down your nose. Again they are not necessary but they do add to comfort.
• Anti-Slip Temples - Incorporates non slip components, helping to keep the frame securely on your face.
• Removable Retaining Strap - This allows attachment of a cord. This is not necessary it is a great idea to ensure you don’t lose your glasses. Some frames do come with retaining straps if yours doesn’t you can CLICK HERE to buy one.
• Lightweight- It's a good idea to have them as lightweight as possible this isn't necessary but just adds to your overall comfort. 

Key Lens  Considerations for Mountain-biking Sunglasses:  

• Polycarbonate/ NXT - For mountain-biking only polycarbonate or the much stronger NXT lenses should be considered. Both glass and plastic lenses can shatter upon impact, which could cause lens particles to penetrate you eyes. Both polycarbonate and NXT lenses extremely impact resistance, light weight, durable and will not shatter upon impact. Both lens indexes are 100% UV protection. 
• 100% UV protection - For protection from UV radiation
• Photochromic - These lenses will change colour with the light, becoming darker in bright sunlight, and lighter in an overcast sky. They avoid you having to change lenses or sunglasses in different light conditions as they will adjust to providing you with the optimum vision for the light available. Great if you plan to bike in and out of the forest. 
• Anti-Reflective (AR) Lenses - Applied to the front or back surface of a lens, AR provides better visual acuity to judge distances, improves accuracy and eye comfort.
• Polarised - Polarised filters help reduce problematic glare from wet road surfaces. Some brands offer photo/polar lenses which combines the advantages of both, photochromic and polarised lenses so you can get the most out of your lenses.  
• Anti-Fog Coating – Eliminates condensation inside the lens. If this is not available for your choice of frame you can buy an anti-fog gel/ spray which will also help you. CLICK HERE to buy Anti-fog gel/ sprays.

Best Lens Colours to Consider for Mountain-biking sunglasses:     

• Grey/smoke - The grey, smoke and grey-green tints are the most common of tinted lens. They block out light without changing the overall colour perception and are great for all-weather use.
• Brown - Brown is a good choice for all-purpose wear. High-contrast browns and coppers will enhance the perception of the road or track surfaces in bright light.
• Orange/Amber - Orange and Amber are good choices for partly sunny or varying conditions. In these light conditions they can help increase contrast to enable you read the terrain better and avoid pot holes, rocks and mud etc.
• Yellow - Its more effective in low light conditions or overcast days. It is superior in contrast enhancement. 
• Clear - This lens is suitable for low light and dark conditions. Ideal for shielding the eyes from wind and debris without compromising vision.

Prescription Considerations for your Mountain-biking Sunglasses:

• Polycarbonate / NXT - We always recommend you choose an impact resistant lens material for sports this will ensure your lenses are stronger then your usually glasses and can withstand the impact from a rocks and stick. Polycarbonate and NXT are both great options to choose. NXT is clearer, strong and has better clarity than polycarbonate but is not available for all sunglasses and high prescriptions.
• Photochromic - These lenses will change colour with the light, becoming darker in bright sunlight, and lighter in an overcast sky. They avoid you having to change lenses or sunglasses in different light conditions as they will adjust to providing you with the optimum vision for the light available. We usually recommend a photochromic lens as it can be used in more light conditions and overall even though it has a higher cost for you to initially invest in you are more likely to get more use out of it and it makes it a much better value. 
• Polarised - Polarised filters help reduce problematic glare from wet road surfaces. Some brands offer photo/polar lenses which combines the advantages of both, photochromic and polarised lenses so you can get the most out of your lenses.  
• PhotoPolar Lenses - (PhotoPolar lenses are both photochromic and polarising).  If you live in a climate such as Great Britain where it can be cloudy one minute and sunny the next, then photochromic lenses that are polarised are worth considering. PhotoPolar lenses are activated by the amount of Ultra Violet (UV) light absorbed by the lens and get darker or lighter dependent on the weather ensuring that your vision through the lens is clear and bright at all times. The best PhotoPolar lenses for mountain-biking will cover a range from Category 2 to Category 4 ensuring good light vision from cloudy to bright sunny days. If you are unsure about tint categories CLICK HERE to read more.
• Mirror/ flash mirror coated - Reflects the intensity of the suns glare and is an absolutely must for anyone suffering from glare as they reduce the overall brilliance of light and glare.  Note if you are getting a prescription lens with a mirrored coating the back reflectance can be more noticeable with a mirror coating so an Anti-Reflective (AR) coating on the lens is a great idea. (The difference between full mirror and flash mirror is when you have a flash mirror coating applied to your lens someone looking at you can still see your eyes as it is more a reflective sheen).
• Crystal Vision Coating (our most recommend coating*) - This includes our FREE anti-scratch coating and includes hydrophobic (like the wax coating on your car this will ensure rain rolls off your lenses), anti-reflective (AR) (this is coated front and back and will help decrease glare and reflection off the lens and easy clean/ oleophobic (this helps eliminate dust and smudges on your lenses making them easy to clean and less likely to get dirty in the first place).
• Wrap sunglasses - Can select prescriptions that will fit directly into 6 base curved wrap frames or below only. For 8 base wrap frames, select one that will fit a clip-in prescription or a direct clip lens. 

Tip: Anti-fog coating- This is not something we usually recommend. We only added the coating to our prescription range due to requests. Our main reason is that we do not think it off the bests value for money as our Crystal Vision as you can add an ant-fog gel but you cannot have any other coatings when you have a anti-fog coating. There are plenty of great anti-fog gels and sprays coatings CLICK HERE to choose.

(All products and brands are genuine and authentic. All prescription lenses are made in UK to EU rules and regulations and safety standards. We also check all frames and prescriptions before leaving our practice to ensure they meet your requirements.)