Cyclingnews Verdict
Big coverage, practical tint or photochromic option glasses that shrug off scratches, weather, and steam without distortion, sit securely on your head.
Pros
- +
Outstandingly tough
- +
Excellent zero distortion optics
- +
Light and secure
- +
Minimal steaming and smudging
- +
All condition Reactiv lens options
Cons
- -
Some peripheral intrusion
- -
Premium price
You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
- Price: Spectron $149.95 / £120.00, Reactiv $239.95 / £200
- Colours: Black/pink, Dark grey/orange, Black/green, Dark blue/green, Black/red, White/blue
- Lenses: Spectron 1, Spectron 3, Reactiv
- Weight: 26g
French optics brand Julbo has been stopping people from squinting on sunny days in the Alps for over a century. While the lightweight, yet secure frames, and excellent optic options make its Fury glasses a worthy contender amongst the best mountain bike sunglasses, it’s their toughness that makes them genuinely outstanding.
Design and performance
To put that into perspective, while I’m never deliberately clumsy or careless with glasses, I have a horrible habit of finding they’ve got so scratched they’re barely usable after a month of testing. In fact, in some cases, I’ve written off seriously expensive and well-regarded brands in a single ride without even knowing how. In contrast, I wore three sets of Fury sunnies in pretty much constant rotation for months in all weathers, and they emerged virtually unscathed apart from a couple of slight 1.5-2mm fine lines. Depending on the model, the lens uses an anti-fog and oil-repellent coating to resist steaming, water blurring, and greasy finger marks. There are prescription options, too.
The Class 1 optical quality is excellent with various fixed tints available from the darker oil/mirror 13-percent light transmission Spectron 1, to the more temperate climate-suited, light boosting 49-percent light transmission Spectron 3 Hi Contrast lenses that have been my go-to option. Alternatively, you can invest in the ‘Reactiv’ lenses that change from almost clear to smoke tint depending on the ambient light levels. With light transmission down to 87 percent (‘Clear’ is 90 percent), these are great go-to specs for everything that’ll even work at night. The transition isn’t instant though, so if you’re diving into dark woods off a sunny hilltop, expect to be fumbling for a few seconds. They’re not oil-repellent coated either so they need cleaning more frequently.
All Fury models use the same lightweight full coverage frame which holds the lenses in the centre only to stop distortion and make switching optics super easy. Ventilation gaps right across the top and sides and a lower edge cut-out keep steaming up to a minimum, too. You can see the frames themselves all around your peripheral which might annoy some, but it's not enough to significantly reduce the field of vision. The soft shock-absorbing fixed nose pieces and cunning ‘violin bow’ elastomer ear grips keep the Fury secure even on the most furious descents, apparently without sticking to hair (unfortunately, I can’t confirm or deny that).
The locking hinges are still firm on all three sets, even after months of heavy use and there are Fury S glasses for smaller heads. You get a cleaning/carry bag and a soft case with every pair, and considering the quality and durability, the pricing is excellent compared to other premium brands.
Verdict
I normally temper my excitement at getting fancy new specs as I know they’ll somehow be ruined within a few weeks. Not only does the Julbo Fury offer zero distortion, steam-free clarity, secure comfortable fit, and full coverage protection in a variety of easy switch optics and frame colours, it's also outstandingly tough, which boosts its value up to a wise investment rating. Expect to clean the Reactivs a bit more though, and be ready to buffer a bit in savage strobing conditions.
