dhb Vector PhotoChromatic Lens Sunglasses

The dhb Vector PhotoChromatic Lens Sunglasses offer an amazing field of view thanks to that extra-large lens; its clarity and the fact that it's a fast-reacting photochromic lens meant that I found myself reaching for these glasses in a wide range of conditions from low-light, dull, rainy days to sunny bright ones.

As you'd expect when you see a lens this large, the field of view is excellent. I'd go as far as saying that it's even better than you get with a pair of Oakley Jawbreakers which are still, to my mind, the oversize glasses to beat.

The frame at the top is amazingly unobtrusive; it sits close to the forehead which means that the upward field of view is excellent. This is particularly useful if you're in an aggressive position, for example when sprinting, head down in a TT position or just chewing your stem.

Peripheral vision is also excellent, and the wraparound design has the added benefit of protecting your face from wind and rain.

Cutouts at the top of the lens ensure that the Vectors don't fog up excessively, and while riding I had no issues even on slow climbs when there's not much airflow. When stopped at traffic lights I did have a few instances of fogging, but this soon cleared when I set off again.

To keep the glasses in place there are rubberised sections on the arms where the glasses sit on the ears, and also on the nose-piece. The arms are what I would call a medium length – they're about 15mm longer than a set of Jawbreakers on their shortest setting, but marginally shorter than the Oakley Sutro's arms.

For cycling, my preference is short arms on glasses as it minimises the risk of interference with a helmet. I found that the dhbs were short enough to be fine with my Met Trenta helmet but did interfere with the larger retention system on a Kask Protone. The arms on the Vectors can extend about 6 or 7mm with a simple pull, but personally I'd rather they got 6-7mm shorter.

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The nose-piece is adjustable, but I found the Vectors wanted to sit quite high up my nose, certainly higher than other glasses I've tried. This has both positive and negative attributes.

On the positive side it means the field of vision is excellent – you can hardly see the frame or nose-piece at all unless you're really looking for it. On the downside, I found that maybe once per ride my eyebrow would touch the lens, resulting in a nice sweaty smear which isn't great for clarity. This occurred wherever I positioned the nose-piece, but of course this could just be down to my face shape.

Generally, I'd always try to buy a pair of glasses that sit as close to my face as possible without either my eyebrows or eyelashes touching the lens. For me the Vectors are just a fraction too close, but buying through Wiggle you can take advantage of its excellent returns service if you find they don't fit your face.

When that giant lens doesn't have a sweaty smear on it, it's an absolute masterpiece! It sounds silly but it is amazingly clear, and the photochromic reaction is not only quite fast but also natural feeling. It's actually very hard to notice the change, especially on the road, but I can assure you that it is happening, just like when your pupils change size. I found the lens was most impressive when mountain biking on sunny days, when changes from light to dark are severe as you come in and out of wooded areas.

dhb doesn't publish a claimed reaction time for its lenses to transition, but I've timed it at under 30 seconds – Dave reckoned about 20 seconds for Julbo's Reactiv lens in the Fury glasses he tested earlier in the year, which cost £155. It's by no means instantaneous, but I never found myself thinking they were too light or too dark when out riding.

One of the things I like most about these sunnies is just how often you can use them. I'm a big fan of riding in glasses year-round as there's nothing worse than a fly or some mud in the eye, and the Vectors will be perfect for this. I've ridden on some gloomy and rainy days, on road and off, with no issues; the lens is slightly more tinted than a pure clear lens, but I found this no hindrance other than in complete darkness. At the other end of the spectrum, I've used them for some pretty bright summer rides and they perform exactly as you'd hope a pair of sunglasses would!

Value and conclusion

At £90 the Vectors aren't cheap, but nor are a lot of alternatives we've tested recently with a lens this good: I've already mentioned the Julbo Fury Reactiv photochromic glasses that have an RRP of £155, the Rudy Project Defenders are £191.99 and Oakley's Jawbreakers £180. There are, of course, cheaper alternatives out there – the RockRider XC Race Photochromic sunglasses that off.road.cc tested, for example, are £45 but don't appear to offer quite the same field of view.

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Overall, although the fit isn't my personal favourite, I'd say the Vectors are well worth a try – everyone's face is a different shape so they might work better for you, and if they do, they're very good.

Verdict

Reasonably priced photochromic sunnies that are excellent in loads of riding conditions