Bollé Speedchaser Sunglasses Review

It’s a pretty safe bet that I’ve tested hundreds of sunglasses over the years. So, when I find a pair that blows me away, it’s not for lack of sample size; no, it’s because they are so darn good. The Bollé Speedchaser Sunglasses are the unicorns I’ve been searching for, but they do come with a hefty price tag.

Bollé Speedchaser Sunglasses Features:

• Large shield design with vent ports
• Adjustable nose piece for custom fit
• Grippy rubber temple tips
• Bio-nylon frame (45% bio-based)
• Semi-locking temples
• Phantom photochromic lenses (Cat 0-3, 82-12% VLT)
• Volt+ High Contrast enhanced color lens
• Weight: 28g (stated)
• MSRP: $220-$300

Perfect running and cycling sunnies

With years of testing and extensive industry experience with eyeglasses and sunglasses, I can quickly tell a good pair of sunglasses from a mediocre pair. As a classic French brand, Bollé designs their eyewear in France and produces them elsewhere. These were made in China from a factory that clearly knows how to make high-quality eyewear.

Slipping them on, the frames feel immediately weightless and comfortable on my face. Bollé designers chose to use an adjustable rubber nose piece with metal internals for perfect customization to my crooked nose. In addition, the entire nose piece pivots a couple of degrees around the mounting point. At first, I thought that was odd, but after using them, it further allows the nose pieces to adapt to my face, which results in what might be the most personalized and comfortable nose piece I’ve ever used.

The rubberized temples on the Speedchasers offer extreme grip, but they are not adjustable. They curve inward to provide a solid grip on my noggin without undue pressure. Once in place, these sunglasses simply don’t move at all. Rough terrain doesn’t faze them and they never bounce around. The semi-locking hinges also stay open nicely when putting them on.

With huge shield lenses, the Bollé Speedchaser provides incredible field-of-vision. The frames do wrap around the outer edges of the lenses for a secure lens hold with added lens protection. I can see the outer fringes of the frame in my peripheral, but it doesn’t distract from the otherwise large optics. Optical clarity remains outstanding and the Volt+ lenses add brightness and clarity under all conditions.

These sunglasses are wonderfully versatile to be used across road, mountain and gravel cycling, as well as trail running. I do have several other pairs of sunglasses in review right now, but they have been neglected because I dig these so much. When I grab other sunglasses on test, it’s with a fair bit of reluctance.

With Phantom photochromic lenses, they go from nearly-clear to sufficiently-dark for daytime use. The reflective mirror also aids in reflecting the sun’s rays and adds a little bit of style over plain gray photochromic lenses. If you go outside, the tint will adjust between 82-12% VLT. However, it does require direct sunlight as they won’t change when you’re driving a car. I love that I can head out in the morning before the sun comes over the Wasatch Mountains and I can clearly see the trails or roads. As the sun rises, the lenses darken. It’s not an immediate thing, but it happens gradually. Even at their darkest, they aren’t completely blacked-out and you can see my eyes behind them.

Most recently, I was in the Seattle-area and loved wearing these while trail running in the thick, loamy forests. I could see every nuance in the trails and still enjoyed both sun and wind protection while running.

I’ve been testing these with a variety of helmets and running caps and they fit nicely and don’t interfere with the various fit systems found on the POC Cytal, KASK Elemento and Cannondale Dynam MIPS. Ventilation is also outstanding, thanks to the large ports at the top off the lenses. I honestly can’t recall them fogging up at all — even while stopped on a cool morning trail run.

Buy Now: Visit Bolle.com