BBB Valor Flux review: Lenses to rival Oakley’s Prizm offerings

Founded in 1998, BBB is a Dutch company specialising in cycling apparel, accessories, and components. The Valor Flux sunglasses are a new model from the brand, implementing the company’s brand-new FLUX lens technology. Designed to offer enhanced light filtration and contrast, these lenses are aimed to compete directly with the likes of Oakley’s Prizm lenses, which use similar lens technologies that are designed to optimise light performance on different terrains.

To this end, the BBB Valor Flux perform exceptionally well, offering similar levels of contrast and anti-glare that belie their sub £100 price tag. Add to that an ecologically designed frame, hard case, and spare clear lens, and these glasses represent impressive value for money.

There are some details that are not quite as refined or comfortable, but as a whole package, these are potentially some of the best cheap cycling glasses available, certainly that I’ve tested.

The retail price is £99.99, there are four different models to choose from based on which FLUX lens is chosen. However, there is at present no option to tailor the frame colour that the lenses come with an option that's often included when it comes to the best cycling glasses.

Design and specifications

The Valor Flux glasses represent the latest lens innovation from BBB and feature the new polycarbonate FLUX lens. The brand says that this name comes from the Latin Fluxus, or flow, allowing only the flow of essential wavelengths of light through the lens for optimal contrast. This has resulted in the creation of four specific lenses, each with a particular speciality based on the light wavelengths that they allow to the user's eye.

FLUX Red is designed for the road, with 16.8% light transmission and a red tone to filter out warmer tones and highlight tarmac and cobbles. FLUX Blue, which is what I have been testing, with a light transmission of 14.6% and is designed to highlight dirt pathways and shadows to determine surface textures. FLUX Green is mainly for MTB use, which highlights the differences between brown and yellow hues to allow better visuals on rougher terrains, along with contrast between green woody areas and forest trails. This has a light transmission of 16%. Finally, the FLUX Pure with a 12.5% light transmission is aimed at reducing eye strain across all terrains. These light transmission ratings make all these lenses a Category 3 lens, meaning they have a dark tint and are optimal for stronger sunlight.

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Adding to that, all Flux lenses feature 100% UV-A and UV-B protection plus blue light and infrared filters. This is important as these are the elements that determine how well they will actually protect your eyes from harmful levels of light. These lenses are also made up of multiple layers of material, with an oleophobic (oil-resistant) coating on the exterior to shed water from the lens, an anti-fog coating internally, and a scratch-resistant layer on both sides. A clear lens is also provided, which is a Category 0 lens, meaning it allows 100% light transmission and is designed purely for protection against the elements. All these lenses are cylindrical, meaning they curve across one plane, rather than spherical, which curves across two.

Moving onto the frame itself, the Valor is a new model for BBB featuring a half-frame design, leaving the base of the lens exposed. Rilsan® Clear Rnew® G850 is used to make the frame, which is a plastic derived from plant-based materials, made by a company called Arkema. 45% of the Rilsan is made from castor beans, a byproduct from the oil harvested from them is used to create bio-based fiber polyamide. The resulting material is advertised as being lightweight, flexible, and virtually unbreakable, as well as more sustainable than traditional plastic frames.

Additional features include an adjustable nose-piece to help tailor the fit, as well as integrated grippers in the arms of the glasses to assist in providing a secure fit both on the face or stowed in helmet vents. Along with the spare lens, the Valor Flux is supplied with a soft case and a zip-up hard case with room for a spare lens internally.

Performance

I’ve tested a lot of glasses over the last 12 months, from budget £30 offerings up to near £300 models. In putting on the BBB Valor Flux, there are two clear conclusions when wearing them. Firstly, the frame feels of a reasonable quality for a pair of glasses in this price category, but not quite as finessed as some more expensive options from the likes of Oakley. The second is that the lens is punching well above its category.

These new Flux lenses, and the Flux Blue in particular, are as close to the likes of Oakley’s Prizm and 100%’s HiPER lens offerings in terms of how they filter out different lights to deliver an enhanced contrast as I’ve experienced. Although the Flux Blue have been designed primarily for gravel use, I found the contrast worked very well for the road. Filtering out different lights across the spectrum can really help with improving the clarity of the surface that you are riding on, making imperfections or changes in texture and surface more easily visible. This is heightened further in bright sunlight, where additional glare can impact how clearly you can see.

I’ve often found that more budget-friendly offerings in glasses tend to compromise on both how they filter out light to enhance contrast, but also the anti-glare capacity. I’m pleased to say that the Flux lenses are real standouts in these areas. Riding in both early morning and late evening low light, I never had any issues of glare impairing my vision, even when riding directly into the sun. Another key benefit of this is when riding in dappled conditions, such as tree-shrouded lanes or trails. A regular loop that I do has a certain section of tarmac where the surface dips quite violently, and has caused a few wobbles for me over the years, as tree cover changes from exposed to shaded very quickly, and I regularly hit this dip. Impressively, the Valor Flux lens was effective enough that I could actually see this slight change in the surface of the tarmac, which is especially tricky given the lack of light or shadows to assist in spotting it.

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I’ve experienced this sort of visual clarity from a few other lenses, along with the aforementioned Prizm and HiPER, Alba Optics’ VIZUM lenses and KOO and POC’s Zeiss-designed lenses. However, all of these options are available on glasses that start from beyond the £100 mark, let alone under it.

Other benefits of these new FLUX lenses include the anti-fog and anti-scratch treatment. I haven't directly tested scratching the lenses, but usual wear and tear experienced from standard usage has yet to leave any marks on them. As for the anti-fog, some high-intensity efforts on slightly frosty and misty mornings have provided ample testing grounds for this. I've yet to find a pair of glasses that doesn't fog, and I am still yet to. However, compared to the big hitters, the Valor Flux perform just as well as any of them. I can't feel any direct airflow through the lens holes, but equally, things didn't get too warm on hot days or foggy on misty mornings. The oleophobic treatment, though, was highly effective, especially in the previously mentioned mist where a build-up of moisture on the lens is common. A quick shake and all the beaded droplets were ejected from the lens, leaving no evidence of their existence.

My one small gripe with the lens, and one that I have with every single cylindrical lens, is the lack of coverage it ends up having on my face. I don’t have a flat face, so with a lens that merely wraps around, and not down my face, I find I am left with either a gaping space above or below the lens. In the case of the BBB Valor Flux, this space is below, which overall is the better place for it to be. When tucked over in a more aggressive position on the bike, the field of view is unaffected by the top-frame, and I can see clearly. However, when riding in a more casual position such as on the gravel bike, there is a large amount of daylight that I can see under the lens. Spherical lenses are the way to solve this, which wrap down the face as well, with the Alba Optics VIZUM lens and KOO and POC Zeiss Toric offerings doing this. 100% have this to a degree with some of their models, namely the Korbin and Aerocraft, while Oakley has the Kato, Velo Kato, and Spherea. At present, there are no spherical lens offerings from BBB that come with the latest Flux lenses.

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Then we have the frame, which is a story of two halves. First and foremost, the frame feels good with a suitable curve across the face, and arms that grip my head without squeezing it. Using integrated rubber inserts works well to keep them in place on the face or in helmet vents, and it looks far sleeker than rubber sleeves over the arms. I also like the nosepiece for the most part, as the adjustability means it can be tailored slightly to suit different face shapes. It is slightly more harsh on the face than the fully rubber offerings from Oakley or 100%, but it is comfortable enough.

It also feels light on the face in use. At no point during testing and riding did I ever feel like the glasses weighed heavily on my face. When looking down, there was no feeling that they might fall off my face under their own weight. However, the arms are attached to the frame with a bit of play in them, and snap into place when you open them. It’s just not quite as refined and secure a feeling that you get from some higher-end models, but in reality appears to have no bearing on performance or longevity.

Something that will assist with longevity is a protective case. BBB provides a soft case to protect the lens from scratches, as well as a zip-up hard case for full security for your glasses and spare lenses. This is often omitted from even higher specification offerings, with a cardboard box and a soft sleeve often being the most you’ll receive. It’s a good case as well, with a rugged and secure zip. Bonus as well that a spare clear lens is supplied, and again something that is usually missing from more expensive competitors. It does mean these are glasses you can use year-round in all weathers. With the Category 3 lens tint, they are too dark for cloudy and stormy weather, so a clear lens is essential for use in that.

Value

With these levels of performance, plus the inclusion of both a hard case and a spare lens, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that these glasses cost less than £100. The closest competitor that uses a lens of comparable quality is really the 100% S3 with HiPER lens at £140.57 / $150 KOO start from £170 / $179 upwards, and Oakley varies from around £168 / $222 for Prizm lenses up to £271 / $359 for the Kato models.

The only area that the BBB Valor Flux highlight their cheaper price point is in the nose piece and the attachment point for the arms to the main frame. Even then, it is just a case of a little less refinement than the more expensive opposition. 

Where they belie their price is the lens. I genuinely think the Flux lens offers the best value for money when it comes to a high-contrast and glare-reducing cycling-specific lens. I personally prefer a spherical lens, but these are no longer the norm in cycling sunglasses, with most offerings being cylindrical. Comparing like for like with more expensive competitors, the BBB Flux lenses perform just as well, but for a fraction of the price. Add the inclusion of a spare clear lens and the case, and these represent incredibly good value for money.  

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Verdict

I’m a really big fan of the new BBB Valor Flux glasses. The new FLUX lenses perform on a level that is on par with some of the market leaders in cycling optics. A lens that not only provides great clarity and contrast, but also features anti-fog, scratch, and water treatments. Add to that a spare case and a clear lens included in the £99.99 price tag, and not only is this a great pair of glasses, but also exceptionally good value.

It's not all roses, though. At present, the frame colour options that come with each specific lens are not customisable or even interchangeable. The frame, although made using environmentally conscious materials, is not quite as refined as some pricier options, while the nose piece is fine. These flaws don’t do enough to detract from what is a superb total package delivered at a supremely competitive price.