SunGod Airas BF with Iris Photochromic lens

The SunGod Airas BF Sunglasses with Iris Photochromic lens are impressive, offering excellent clarity from a large lens and plenty of customisation to suit your style. Although it's a high price for the photochromic spec, it doesn't feel quite so painful if you bear in mind you're essentially getting two lenses in one, as it quickly adjusts to the light conditions as you're riding along. The Iris lens doesn't have the largest range – it isn't suitable for a pitch black commute – but it works really well for road rides with bright sunshine that flip to overcast conditions.

Hollis recently tested the Zero frame versions of the Airas with the 8K0 Gold lens that's best suited to cloudy and sunny days. I have the Airas on test again to check out SunGod's 8KO Iris Photochromic lens for riding in changing light conditions. This is a lens you can also get on SunGod's Vulcans and Velans models.

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I'm also testing the BF 'bottom frame' version of the Airas, which is designed to provide 'unobstructed peripheral vision and ultimate protection', according to SunGod. The frame only extends along the bottom rim of the sunnies, and admittedly this does sneak into my vision, but not to the extent it bothered me.

Having the bottom frame helps protect the lens when putting down the glasses on a table pre-, mid- or post-ride. Also, I've been on a ride with someone who suffered from a nasty cheek gash from a crash when wearing frameless sunnies, so it's nice to have some protection here, just in case.

Photochromic lens

The Airas are sold with only one lens, but the photochromic option is essentially a two-in-one purchase because it's designed to quickly adjust to the light conditions.

Opting for this lens ups the price from £155 to £195 for the BF Airas. If you're happy going frameless (ZF) then you can get the photochromic lens for £170.

Although the price is noticeably higher for the photochromic option, it saves you a lot of time; you don't have to dither, deciding on the day which is best, or spend time switching lenses.

SunGod offers two 8KO Iris photochromic lens options, the Smoke tint I opted for, or HV Blue. The Smoke has a VLT (Visible Light Transmission) of 16% to 43% for sunnier outings, while the HV version has a 34% to 79% VLT, which is better suited to darker riding conditions.

SunGod says the lenses have triple-layer scratch protection, full-frame impact resistance, as well as a hydrophobic coating. So far it's been holding up well, and I have no concerns regarding the durability of this model.

The lens specced on the Airas is massive, providing a largely unobstructed viewing experience, and the smoke photochromic lens helps you deal with the conditions on a typical day's ride with changeable conditions. Its VLT range isn't the largest – you can't use these glasses for everything, it's not a lens for a ride that starts and ends at night – but the conditions it does cater for covers a lot of use cases. It's clear enough for overcast conditions and it can definitely go dark enough for bright sunshine, and dealing with everything in between.

With a photochromic lens you can't expect it to darken the split second bright sunshine hits the lens. So, like all other photochromic options, it doesn't help as much as you may like when riding along a road with shadows here and there thanks to overhanging trees. Other than in those harsh scenarios, I found the lens shifted quickly to the light conditions, so much so that I was happily unaware it was changing tint. The lens provided the desired viewing experience, not too dark or light, during daytime rides.

Customisation

The SunGod Airas are offered in seven off-the-shelf lens and frame combinations, but you can also customise these fully yourself for the same price – the frame, earsocks and icons can all be picked to suit your individual style.

I found the matte mint frame was a lighter, more vibrant shade than the 3D render depicted on the website – not that I minded, it's still a wonderful colour.

Security

Four different sized nose-pads are included so you can choose the shape that best suits you, and these are easily interchangeable. Swapping in the second smallest size I was able to achieve a happy balance between comfort and security. That said, similarly to Hollis, I found these glasses do sit further away from my face than other models I've tested, including Rudy Project's Deltabeats which are also offered with an excellent photochromic lens. With the Airas design I found it does result in some wind finding its way into my eyes, which is not so pleasant on a fast descent.

The nose-pads, as well as the earsocks, are made from SunGod's Grip-Lock hydrophilic rubber which locks the sunnies in place regardless of how sweaty I get climbing up the unavoidable steep climbs from my new home in South Wales, or how much rain is pouring, also quite common in Wales.

This is combined with slightly curved slender arms which gently wrap around and help the glasses stay in place. Overall, the glasses fitted wonderfully. The arms provide a secure hold across the rougher stuff without applying pressure to your head; they were comfy after several hours of mixed terrain riding.

Value

Priced at £195, these are quite expensive for a frame with a photochromic lens, although not too dissimilar from other premium options. Oakley's Radar EV Path sunnies with the Clear to Black Iridium Photochromic Lenses are £197, for example. And the £170 ZF option is a similar price to Alba Optics' Stratos Ghost VZUM AF-Lens (£173.46).

You can of course get hold of glasses with photochromic lenses for less. Julbo's £155 Fury Reactiv sunnies have excellent clarity and a lens that reacts quickly, and dhb's Vector sunnies are even cheaper at £90 (though not currently available) – the frame at the top is amazingly unobstructive and it has a photochromic range that's impressive, especially for the price.

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SunGod's sunnies also come with a lifetime guarantee. 'If they break (or you break them) we will repair your Airas free of charge,' it says on the website, which could certainly go a long way in justifying the high cost to yourself.

Conclusion

Overall, the Airas are very good sunnies that you can tailor to suit your style, and you also have a choice between four nose-pieces that work well with the slender curved arms to provide a comfy, secure, personalised fit. The shades may sit further away from your face than is preferable, though, meaning a little less wind defence protection than other models.

The photochromic lens itself impressed, though. It's quick to adjust and provides ideal lighting for daytime rides that include bright sunshine and overcast conditions.

Verdict

Excellent clarity from a photochromic lens that adapts quickly for a variety of daytime conditions