Cycling glasses are as much a part of your kit as your helmet or gloves — they protect your eyes from sun, wind, and road debris, and they say something about your style, too. The problem is that many of the best cycling glasses can cost a small fortune. Having tested close to 100 pairs over the years, from cheap cycling glasses to full pro-level eyewear, I can tell you that spending big isn't the only way to get a quality pair.
Every pair of glasses in this guide comes in under £60 (around $75), and many are regularly discounted below that. What you won't find here is a pair that sacrifices genuine quality — each one offers wide, protective lenses and features that genuinely outperform their price tag.
Our top overall pick is the Victory Chimp A.P.E., from £39 / $53. You can go cheaper, but this is where price and quality meet most convincingly.
Best cheap cycling glasses
➕ Myriad of included lenses
➕ Robust and looks great
➖ Wide nose piece
At this price, it's hard to ask for anything more than this. The A.P.E. looks sharp, feels solid, and fits well — you even get a tonne of options to choose from in the lens package. Included are a mirrored lens, a photochromic lens, a clear lens, a polarised lens, and a prescription insert, covering virtually every condition you're likely to ride in. The only minor gripe is that the nosepiece runs a little wide, and there's no narrower alternative included. For the money, though, that's a small ask.
➕ Used by pros
➕ Brilliant coverage
➖ Large lens may be oversized for some
If your goal is to look like you're riding for a WorldTour team without spending like one, these are the glasses to reach for. Used by the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale squad, the Kware Category 3 genuinely feels like premium eyewear. Coverage is excellent, glare is handled well, the fit is secure without feeling tight, and the overall construction is nice and light. The single-lens design is the only limitation, with performance dropping noticeably in low light or overcast conditions. There isn't any adjustability to speak of, though that's par for the course at this price point.
➕ Vented lens
➕ Adjustable nose
➖ Arms not rubberised
The Madison Stealth is a tall-lensed glass that prioritises coverage above all else. It also comes with an adjustable nosepiece, a genuine bonus at this price point, making it a good fit across a range of face shapes. The trade-off is that the arms aren't rubberised, which can affect security depending on your head shape. Though the heavily curved frame fits quite well around the ear. The vented lens is a practical touch for riders who tend to run warm, but like most at this price, the lenses aren't swappable. At this price point, that's easy to overlook.
➕ Very grippy
➕ Sit high; good for aggressive positions
➖ Narrow arms and nose can be uncomfy
Built for riders who spend most of their time in an aggressive position, the Regale Ultra offers a wide field of view and sits higher on the face than comparable glasses. That elevated fit works brilliantly when you're low and stretched out, a position many of us find ourselves in when trying to get more aero. You're effectively looking upward through the lens rather than through the centre. Flip to a more upright riding position, however, and the same geometry becomes a nuisance, with the lens frame can creep into your sightline. The grippy arms and adjustable nose increase security, though neither is particularly wide, which may cause discomfort on longer rides. The lens has good flex, so wider heads should be well accommodated.
➕ Quality construction
➕ Smaller size
➖ No Adjustability
Not everyone wants a pair of glasses that dominates their face. If you have a smaller face or simply prefer a cleaner, less conspicuous look, the RoadR 900 HD is worth a look. The compact half-frame design is paired with high-quality arm and nose grippers that keep everything in place without the bulk. Construction-wise, it punches well above its price, feeling closer to something twice the cost. The only significant omission is an adjustable nosepiece, which limits fine-tuning for some face shapes.
➕ Classic looks
➕ Off-bike utility
➖ No grippers
If you'd rather not look like a cyclist every time you put your glasses on, the Surveillance could be the perfect fit. Inspired by 1950s eyewear, the glasses are as functional as they are stylish, with a full-frame construction that keeps things secure without needing rubber grippers. The glasses handle light transitions well, and they even have anti-fog venting built in. The trade-off is that without rubberised arms or an adjustable nose, fit can become less reliable once things get sweaty — fine for casual riding, but not ideal for racing.
➕ Smaller form
➕ Stiff lens
➖ Materials feel lower quality
The Vogel SL follows the familiar mould of most glasses in this guide, but in a noticeably more compact package. Whether that's a plus or a minus comes down to personal taste — smaller lenses mean less coverage but a lighter, less intrusive feel on the face. The lens selection is a highlight: four options are available, covering a solid range of conditions, even if they're not interchangeable. The one genuine criticism is that the arm materials feel a touch cheaper than comparable glasses at this price.
➕ Super grippy
➕ Very comfy
➖ Chunky frame in eye line
The Chester earns its place in this guide for its comfort and grip. The adjustable nose, wide pads, and fully rubberised flexible arms combine to create one of the most secure fits in this guide, useful if you're riding hard or moving around a lot in the saddle. The chunky frame feels exceptionally solid for the price. The trade-off is that slightly smaller lenses mean the frame edges occasionally sit in your line of sight, depending on your head shape and riding position. Worth keeping in mind, but for many riders it won't be a problem.
➕ Soft touch frames
➕ Many bright colours
➖ Polarised lenses are not always a benefit
The Goodr Warp G makes an impression before you even put them on. The soft-touch frame finish feels noticeably more premium than the price suggests, and the colourway names — "I Do My Own Stunts", "Extreme Dumpster Diving" — tell you exactly what kind of brand Goodr is. The lenses have a visible colour shift as your eyes move around the field of view, which takes a few rides to get used to but rarely becomes genuinely distracting. Polarisation is strong, though worth noting that it can reduce contrast on wet roads and make screens harder to read. Overall, the Warp G offer solid quality with a personality to match.
How to choose the best cheap cycling glasses
There are a lot of cheap options out there in the world of cycling glasses, so how do you spot the difference between a pro-level pair and glasses that belong in the dumpster? Well, every pair in this guide I'd be happy to use myself, but if you're stuck between options, then I've tried my best to answer any questions you might have below.
Are cycling glasses worth it?
Over not wearing anything at all? Yes. Are they better than normal sunglasses? Also yes. Cycling glasses are worth the cost, especially a budget pair. While they look a little odd, especially modern giant mono lens options, you'll find your eyes are far better protected from the sun, and almost more importantly from wind, spray, dust and random insects. You'll see better and therefore ride more safely with cycling glasses.
Why are cycling glasses so expensive?
The ones in this guide aren't, but it's a fair question when you have some models costing $400.
As well as having to meet UV blocking regulations, cycling glasses at all price points have to stay put when you're sweaty, over rough ground sometimes, and provide an unadulterated and ideally distortion-free field of view. Plus, they need to weigh as little as possible.
Ideally, they need to keep peripheral light and airflow out of your eyes and the frame shouldn't get in your line of sight - hence the large lens look. There's a lot more that goes into them compared to a standard pair of fashion sunglasses.
What's the difference between cheap and expensive cycling glasses?
More expensive options do the same job, but everything is a little better. They tend to grip better, be more comfortable, weigh less, and be made to a higher standard. Most importantly, though, the lenses are often superior.
Modern, high-performance cycling lenses are usable over a vast array of conditions, with my favourites (Oakley Prizm Road) usable in bright sunlight through to dusk.
They often use pigments that block specific light wavelengths, which is claimed to improve contrast, so you can discern road or trail conditions more easily. Examples are the aforementioned Prizm, Smith Optics' ChromaPop and 100%'s Hiper.
Cheaper lenses are less multi-purpose, but to counter this, many also come with a spare clear lens. The Victory Chimps that came out on top in this guide come with not one, but three spare lenses.
We've covered this topic in more depth, so check out our cheap vs expensive cycling glasses feature for more.
What lens colour do I need?
Each brand will have different colours for different conditions, so it's not as simple as red=sunny. Check the individual model details, but as a general rule, red and gold mirrored lenses are the darkest, for the sunniest days, grey lenses are more all-purpose, and orange-tinted lenses are better in low light.
Many modern lenses, even at the budget level, combine an orange base tint with a less transmissive mirror coating to contrast darker lenses and make them more usable over a wider range of conditions.
Why are cycling glasses so big?
The bigger the lens, the greater your field of view is, to put it simply. Once you've tried a whopping lens for riding, it's hard to go back, and you'll start to notice when frames or lens edges sit in your eyeline.
The larger lens also means that wind is less likely to bother your eyes, which comes in really handy when you're speeding down a descent - you don't want watery eyes there, that's for sure.
Be aware, if you have a small face (like I do), then bog-standard glasses are more likely to start to foul on the brim of your helmet, which can be really annoying.
How we test cheap cycling glasses?
I'm lucky in that, as well as having a slew of cheap options to test comparatively, I also have a whole host of more premium options to compare against. Fit, field of view, and comfort are my main priorities, and so making sure these all play nicely with my face, as well as my helmets, is a key part of testing.
We have a structured scoring system we use, which you can read more about in our post on how we test.
