Oakley's Radar EV Path sunglasses comes with a smaller lens area than you often get with triathlon sunglasses, so could be a good option for anyone with a smaller face, or just someone that’s not a fan of oversized lenses.
But how do they perform? And are do they offer enough protection and coverage for triathletes?
Oakley Radar EV Path sunglasses review
The Radar EV Paths quickly felt comfortable after pulling them on, with the nose piece fitting nicely and no obvious pressure spots.
The fit proved secure throughout testing, too, both on the bike and run, with no noticeable movement. That’s in part thanks to the arms, which use Oakley’s Unobtanium earsocks and nose pads for optimum comfort and security. The rubberised-feeling texture grips the head well. If the nose piece doesn’t quite work for you, there is an alternative included.
Now that’s all out of the way, let’s talk about the lens. The Radar EV Path is available in multiple combinations of frame colour and lens choice, and you can even mix and max by customising your own pair.
In our case, we’re testing a set featuring the brand’s Prizm Sapphire lens. Oakley’s Prizm lenses have been around for quite some time now and have gone through a lot of refinement over the years.
They’re designed to ‘fine-tune individual colours, enhancing detail for an optimised experience’. As such, Oakley says landscapes that would normally appear dull or flat will become ‘vibrant and vivid’. We’ve seen this work to good effect in the past and that also seems to be the case here. There’s a vibrancy that’s not widely available across other options on test here and details do stand out marginally more than usual.
Being a category three lens with a VLT of 12%, the Radar EV Path also does a fine job of blocking sunshine in bright conditions. Of course, this does mean that in darker light or dappled woodland visibility isn’t quite so great. Admittedly, you can purchase an additional lens at £76 each, which’d give you more versatility year-round.
Of course, rarely is a product perfect and that’s seemingly the case here, too, though we only have a couple of minor quibbles. The first is a result of the smaller size of these glasses.
Unlike some bigger options, the lenses only go as high as the bottom of our eyebrows, with the frame stretching upward a little further. The result is that when hunched over onto the drops or extensions the top frame comes into view slightly.
Fortunately, the close fit minimises any wind escaping behind the lenses. Our only other gripe is that the vents at the top of the lens allow sunlight to shine through on occasion, though they will undoubtedly help fend off any fogging.
The high price may also be a little hard to swallow for some, but at least you get a hard case and soft bag included, plus impressive performance from the lens.
Verdict: Excellent fit and impressive lenses, but marks docked for impaired vision at top.
Score: 84%
Also consider...
Oakley Sutro
If you'd like an option with a bigger lens, and the wider field of vision that comes with it, consider Oakley's Sutro sunglasses.
The Prism Road lens delivers excellent contrast and detail-boosting performance, while the full frame provides durability and protection.
Fit proved ideal for this tester, with the arms and nose piece working together to deliver a secure feel while cycling and running.
While an RRP of £140 is far from cheap, it represents decent value, particularly as they can be found for considerably less at some retailers.
See our full Oakley Sutro review for more.
