We had a chance to check in with Neon Optic, a sunglass and snow goggle brand from Italy, to learn more about their cycling sunglasses. In particular, the AIR PRO is what caught our attention the most.
Neon Optics is nestled along the shores of Lake Lugano in the town of Porlezza. On the edge of the Alps, they know a thing or two about winter sports and have amazing roads and trails at their doorstep for cycling. Neon takes pride in their Italian made, high quality polycarbonate lenses, that are available in a range of colors and photochromatic options.
The AIR PRO is one Neon’s frameless option. The laser cut polycarbonate lens starts as a cylindrical 6 base lens and is shock-proof, scratch-proof, and offers UV400 protection , which means they offer protection from virtually 100% of all UVA and UVB rays. At 130mm wide and 61mm tall, the AIR PRO offers plenty of coverage. At the top, small vents let air through to help prevent fogging. Neon offers an insert for prescription lenses as an option.
The lenses attach to Grilmid TR90 temples that are both flexible and durable, a common material in sunglasses these days. The temples are 115mm long, helping them pair well with helmet straps and retention systems. At the nose, a Grilmid TR90 bridge attaches to the frame and features a Megol rubber nose piece that offers an adjustable fit that stays in place, even as you sweat.
Neon has a wide range of options to help you find just the right pair to match your style. Standard lenses come in a mirror bronze, red, and HD Vision, which is a bit of a blue/red/purple combination, which offers a bit more contrast and is great for riding on the road. They also offer photochromatic versions in red, green, and bronze options that goes from clear in low light conditions to a mirror in bright conditions. For the temples, black is the main option, with a silver version in HD Vision. They also offer their “Sfumato”, or fade in caramel/black, silver/black, both with bronze lenses, and special edition Team CORRATEC version from red to fluo yellow with their red lens engraved with CORRATEC, as part of their sponsorship of Team Corratec Vini Fantini. The non-photochromatic options come with a clear lens to use during low light conditions. The temples and nose piece easily swap between lenses, allowing you to quickly adapt for your ride.
Overall weight for the AIR PRO is just 30g, offering plenty of protection without much weight. When not in use, Neon provides a microfiber bag and a nylon carrying case to store the sunglasses and extra lens.
Pricing runs from 149.00 EUR for the standard mirror lenses, 159.00 EUR for the Sfumato fade, and 169.00 EUR for photochromatic options.
We’ll be getting a pair of the AIR PRO and a few other models in for review, so keep an eye out for a product review later this year.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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