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review

Rapha Reis Glasses

8
£160.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Quality glasses that perform really well but at a reasonably high price
Light
Strong
Comfortable
Lens is easy to swap
No spare lens included
Extra lens is expensive
Weight: 
28g
Contact: 

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The Rapha Reis Glasses are designed to work for racier rides and offer a huge peripheral vision, a comfortable fit, and great styling, but they are pretty pricey.

For more choices in eye protection, check out our guide to the best cycling sunglasses.

> Buy now: Rapha Reis Glasses for £160 from Rapha

Rapha eschews the current trend of 'bigger is better' with its new Reis glasses. They're not small, as such – their wide lens offers plenty of coverage around the periphery – but you won't look like an alien, as with many other high-end glasses.

The glasses come in four different frame and lens options, including Black/Rose, Black Mirror/Silver Mirror, Sedona Sage/Yellow, and White/Green, each offering a different look as well as suitability for a specific set of light conditions. If you can't get the combination you like off the shelf, Rapha also offers individual lenses for £65 a pop. The glasses come with both a soft and hard case, but no extra lens.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - case open.jpg

Whichever option you go for, the design is the same – made in Italy, with a single curved piece of what Rapha calls 'High-strength Rilsan G820 Renew high performance polymer (62% biobased)', with Megol arm grippers around the sides to keep the glasses in place.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - side.jpg

The polycarbonate lens is similarly curvy, with a pronounced lip on either side of the lower section, presumably to allow air to flow around the glasses rather than underneath and into your eyes. They also feature a hydrophobic coating, which is pretty standard at this price level.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - logo.jpg

Two sizes of Megol nose-piece help you get the correct fit, and both these and the lenses themselves are easy to swap when needed.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - nose bridge.jpg

One of the most noticeable aspects of the Reis glasses is their weight – at a mere 28g they are very light. Not the lightest we've ever tested, but certainly at the lighter end. They also feel quite dainty, though at the same time the material feels pretty substantial, so no concerns there.

On the move, these glasses have clearly been designed for a racy position, which works for me as my saddle to bar drop is quite generous. Their large field of view gives you plenty of visibility without the top of the frame getting in the way; they're comfortable, they stay in place even off road, and they also offer plenty of protection against the wind when you're going quickly.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - inside.jpg

We were sent a spare lens with our glasses, so I tried them with both the Rose lens and the Silver Mirror lens. The Rose was ideal for the light conditions in spring, offering good contrast and a suitable level of filtering (18% light transmission) with the sun just peeking out from behind the clouds, while not being too aggressive to make dappled light tracks a nightmare.

I used the Silver Mirror lens (10% light transmission) on bright days in the summer, and that offered lots of protection in very bright sunlight, but was a bit too much for mixed light conditions that I tend to encounter on gravel rides.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - with extra lens.jpg

The only thing I didn't particularly like was that the glasses perch a bit higher up and further out than I am used to, regardless of which nose-piece I tried. It didn't affect their performance, it's just something to bear in mind.

Value

At £160, the Reis glasses are certainly at the higher end of the spectrum, and although you get a decent soft and hard case included, the lack of a spare lens does mean you'll have to stump up at least £65 if you want more options for different light conditions. That said, I'd argue that the Black/Rose option will cover off most eventualities. In fairness, these are very high quality glasses, and look great without being too in your face, so to speak.

2024 Rapha Reis Lens Glasses - case.jpg

They're slightly cheaper than the similar-ish Ekoi Ottimo Glasses, at £176.17, though they are a great alternative, with even more options to choose from, including photochromic lenses (and currently discounted to £123.32).

For £40 less, the Rudy Project Astral sunglasses look racy, with a lens that, like the Rapha Reis, works well in a variety of light conditions. Unlike the Reis, Matt found the lens shape caused some issues with airflow and he wasn't totally sold on the fit.

There are much cheaper options, though, such as the Galibier Regale Ultra Optics, for £39 to £46 depending on the lens, which do everything you could want, other than the lenses not being interchangeable – though at that price you could just buy more of them.

Conclusion

If you're in the market for some high-end sunnies that don't make you look ridiculous, the Rapha Reis glasses are well worth checking out.

> Buy now: Rapha Reis Glasses for £160 from Rapha

Verdict

Quality glasses that perform really well but at a reasonably high price

road.cc test report

Make and model: Rapha Reis Glasses

Size tested: One Size

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Rapha says, "Engineered for greater perception, a pair of performance cycling glasses for protection and clarity when training and racing."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Rapha:

DETAILS AND MATERIALS

Lens Options:

Yellow lens - for low light conditions and dusk - 83% light transmittance

Rose lens - moderate to bright days - 18% light transmittance

Green lens - bright conditions - 13% lens transmittance

Silver Mirror lens - for the brightest days - 10% light transmittance

Details:

Built for performance in racing bike positions

Anti-fog and -scratch finish on lenses

Hydrophobic lens coating for wet conditions

Two-point snap lock hinges

Interchangeable high-grip nose pieces in two sizes

Frame made with 62% bio-based content

MEGOL™ arm and nose grippers improve stability and grip even when wet

Weight: 28g

Made in Italy

Materials:

Frame: High-strength Rilsan® G820 Rnew® high performance polymer (62% biobased)

Grippers: MEGOL™

Lens: Polycarbonate

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

They feel dainty, but are also quite tough.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Very comfortable, though they do sit a little higher up and further out than some might like.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They offer great protection in a racy position, and work well when slightly more upright, too.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They're very comfortable; you barely notice them there.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Not cheap, but there are lots of similarly priced 'premium' glasses out there, and they come in less than the similar Ekoi Ottimo Glasses which are £176.17. You can get cheaper glasses without sacrificing much, such as the £120 Rudy Project Astral, and much cheaper such as the £39-£46 Galibier Regale Ultra Optics.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly, but I prefer a more classic style.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're very good. They do everything very well, with little to gripe about other than the cost of additional lenses (which you will want), and – a very minor point – the way they sit against your face.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 6'4  Weight: 175lbs

I usually ride: Condor Italia RC custom build  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,

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5 comments

Avatar
Freddy56 | 3 months ago
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hea its 1997 on the phone-  your oakley mumbos called and they want to go for a bruski

Avatar
softreset | 3 months ago
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"Reasonably high" is an odd phrasing. It's either reasonably priced or high priced, no?

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to softreset | 3 months ago
1 like
softreset wrote:

"Reasonably high" is an odd phrasing. It's either reasonably priced or high priced, no?

One meaning of reasonably is "to a moderate or acceptable degree" so in this context the price is high but not outrageously so. Whether one thinks £160 is not outrageous for £10 worth of moulded plastic with the added bonus of having to pay £65 for extra bits of moulded plastic so the original can work in a variety of conditions is another matter, of course...

Avatar
mdavidford replied to Rendel Harris | 3 months ago
0 likes

I would have said the definition that applies here is 'in accordance with reason' - i.e. it could (or possibly even would​) be considered to be high by a reasonable person.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to Rendel Harris | 3 months ago
1 like
Rendel Harris wrote:
softreset wrote:

"Reasonably high" is an odd phrasing. It's either reasonably priced or high priced, no?

One meaning of reasonably is "to a moderate or acceptable degree" so in this context the price is high but not outrageously so. Whether one thinks £160 is not outrageous for £10 worth of moulded plastic with the added bonus of having to pay £65 for extra bits of moulded plastic so the original can work in a variety of conditions is another matter, of course...

That would be my reading too, and is a common idiom 
"The wall was reasonably high"
"It was reasonably dry outside"

"The bench turned out to be a reasonably comfortable bed"

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