Gear Review: Ryders Photoreactive Sunglasses

Ryders Eyewear….Photoreactive series

On a recent ride with some friends we started talking about sunglasses.  You see this was  one of those all day events when we were up at the crack of dawn and didn’t get home till the evening.  Also throughout the course of the day riding in treelined forest and open air singletrack with an early afternoon thunderstorm followed by super clear sky, we always seemed to either be stopping to take off or put on our sunglasses.  Well none of us had ever used photo reactive sunglasses.  Each one of us was riding with your usual sport sunglasses with a deep tint.  After reviewing the Shore goggles from Ryders Eyewear I thought I would see how their photochromic glasses would fair under these kind of riding conditions.  Ryders sent me a few options for glasses with different Photochromic lenses to put to the test.  So enter the Hex ($89.99), Seeker ($69.99) and Porter ($69.99) Photochromic sunglasses from Ryders.  Wait a minute….you don’t know what photoreactive sunglasses are?  Just to make sure everybody is up to speed, photoreactive sunglasses are just like those eye glasses many people have that change tint once exposed to sunlight so that those of us that are half blind don’t need to switch from daily eye glasses to sun glasses! As you read this review remember this is focused on photo reactive lenses, it just doesn’t hurt that they are coming in cool styles and from a good company. Good we are all up to speed now.  So lets take a look….

First up the Hex….

Hex

The Hex is a light weight sport style pair of shades.  Several colors as well as lens styes to choose from to suit most everybody even women.  They came to us with a hard case to protect them when you toss them in your back pack.  Only wish they included a decent soft cloth to clean them with.  We really liked these glasses as they stayed put and felt very light throughout the day so on those long rides they did not bruise your nose.  This pair were not only Photochromic, but Polorized as well.  Through a long days ride the Polarized glasses worked well although we struggled with them being very reactive.  They did change however it seemed to take a bit longer time than expected than we had hoped.  It took a few days testing in different conditions before we were convinced they were working like they should.  What we found was on overcast to bright days they worked best in open long trails with little in the way of trees shading the trail, but maybe a change in light cloud cover.  But once the trail became littered with foliage and you were ducking in and out of the light, the glasses couldn’t keep up.  However these were so comfortable we had a hard time taking them off.  They earn a 3 star rating only due to the slow reacting lenses and a good cleaning cloth/bag. Otherwise they would be a solid 4 or 5.

★★★★★

Second up the Seeker….

Seeker

The Seeker was one of our favorites for riding in low light conditions.  These are a larger style that carries a bigger lens but no penalty in weight.  Again they come with the hard case but no cleaning cloth.  The Seekers sent us for a loop as the lenses were clear when you pulled them out of their case.  Not so clear when you got out in the light.  These changed much quicker than Hex.  But what really set these apart was the larger lens.  At first we were on the fence but once you start picking up speed on that wicked fast singletrack the larger lens did a great job at shielding the eyes from the wind and debris.  If you don’t feel like wearing goggles the Seekers are great, especially when its heavy All Mtn riding.  Plus the larger range in the Photochromic lens really let us wear these longer than any glasses we had ever used.  Even night time riding was a pleasure with the Seekers on.  More coverage, same light weight and a lens that truly lets you wear these all day long earns the Seekers a 4 star rating!

★★★★★

Last the Porter….

Porter

The Porter sports a full frame style that hugs the head tighter than the others and feels like a sporty pair of driving glasses….good thing cause I like to ride my bike like a Ferrari (ok I like to think I do).  Like the rest of Ryders Eyewear comes with the same hard case and lacks that cleaning cloth.  This time around our lenses are Photochromic with light amber-ish tint.  The Porters find a niche that falls between the Hex and Seekers.  They were great on trails that dodged in and out of the trees and brought clarity to the trail under the varied lighting conditions.  Here was the biggest downfall of the Porters….they sat lower on the face than the others.  But the tight fit and clarity saved a place in our gear bag for sure.  4 stars graces this rating.

★★★★★

Here are the incuded hardshell cases that come with the sunglasses to keep them protected when your not wearing them.

Overall Impressions….

So for the exception of the lack of a decent soft cleaning bag we liked all three.  Fit, style and function were all up there with some of the best in eye protection.  With a price point so much less than other brands you would think these are sub quality sunglasses, not so they held up well and stayed scratch free longer than my $300 glasses.  Performance on the Hex could have been improved regarding the change in rate and range of tint, however we still like them for everyday bright light.  They were super lightweight and felt good while wearing them.  The Seeker was the well rounded of the bunch and the most versatile for riding in many conditions.  The Porters even though they sat low on the face they made you feel fast wearing them and had a decent range of tint.  Keep in mind these reviews was based on photo reactive glasses and their performance related to riding conditions, not necessarily the glasses alone.  Are photo reactive glasses for everybody, maybe so – maybe not.  But these three found a place in our gearbag for most any ride.  For the exception of really bright days each of these Ryders glasses were awesome.  And if you don’t care for the photo reactive lens you can get all three in other tints available for each style as well as other colors.  For more information contact Ryders or visit their site below.

www.ryderseyewear.com