Ugly Fish Photochromic Motorcycle Sunglasses Review |
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| Tuesday, 03 July 2012 14:14 | |||
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Back in August 2011 motorcycle journalist Ian Kerr reviewed Ugly Fish’s then motorcycle sunglasses and praised them for their safety and comfort. Well Ugly Fish have not rested on their laurels and for 2012 have released a range of photochromic sunglasses, further enhancing their safety features.  One of the problems I constantly find when wearing normal motorcycling sunglasses under a helmet, is that they can’t react to changing light conditions. You can set off on your journey in bright sunshine, but weather and light conditions can change rapidly and quickly. So rather than helping your vision of the road, the conditions can have darkened and you are now peering through your sunglasses into the gloom. Normally this forces you to stop your journey and remove the sunglasses, or reduced visibility can be occasioned briefly by riding under bridges or through tunnels. Again standard sunglasses are not practical in such conditions. However with photochromic lenses, these darken automatically on exposure to UV radiation, but also lighten the tint as the UV radiation lessens, which in lay mans terms means they brighten and darken according to the amount of sunlight. At the same time they help protect your eyes from long term exposure to UV radiation. So instantly Ugly Fish have overcome my major objection to riding wearing sunglasses. Having tried the new photochromic sun glasses on a number of motorcycle rides, the lenses tint reacts instantly and seamlessly to changing light conditions, ensuring in all light conditions that your view ahead is crystal clear. In fact the rapidity with which the photochromic process happens has to be experienced to be believed. However Ugly Fish did not become Australia’s number one supplier of motorcycle eye wear just because of this latest enhancement to their sunglasses. Their commitment to safety extends to the fact that their sunglasses are certified to the European safety standards EN1938-1999 (for motorcycle goggles) and EN1836-2005 (for UV protection). The lenses are made from shatter-proof and impact resistant polycarbonate with anti-fog and anti-scratch hard coatings. I can confirm that that the anti-fog coating on the test glasses I had is very effective. It was only when the temperature was near freezing that the lenses finally started to fog. You are unlikely to need to wear motorcycling sun glasses under your helmet in such conditions or even in fact be riding a motorcycle.  Comfort is a key issue when wearing sun glasses under your helmet, however the wrap round design of the glasses and the flexible arms means getting them on under your helmet is easy and they are very comfortable. For open face helmet wearers the arms are easily detachable and be replaced with the adjustable strap (supplied as standard), effectively turning them into goggles.  The glasses are also fitted with a removable foam insert which further enhances the feeling of comfort when wearing and presumably further helps with the anti-fogging, ensuring the glasses fit snugly but lightly against the surface of your face. The quality of the product is evident, the glasses seem very well made and the supplied Ugly Fish badged hard case with substantial belt clip and storage soft bag, means you can keep your sun glasses safely protected but with you it all times. The exact model of sun glasses I had on test were the SLIM design, with black frames and smoke photochromic lenses. I have to say they looked very cool, if not a little retro, however other styles are available. Theses glasses have quickly become an indispensible part of my motorcycle wear, I now carry them with me all journeys and wear them on all most sunny days (when we get them!)  Retailing at £89.99 these glasses are a good value investment and addition to your motorcycling gear and are available from www.thekeycollection.co.uk Review and pictures by Jon Booth- www.inter-bike.co.uk
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