American brand Smith has an enormous range of glasses in its lineup, alongside its range of helmets and goggles dedicated to snow sports and on the bike. We’re checking out a couple of glasses options for the bike, which offer good UV and debris protection in a clean design: the Bobcat and the Ultralite.
The Bobcats are a slightly smaller and more lightweight version of the brand’s well-known Wildcat sunglasses, which promise a very wide field of vision, which Smith suggests will be good for riding off-road or skiing. Good for us then! The Ultralites are similarly large, designed for skiing or riding but with more of a retro vibe. Let’s take a look through each of them.
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Smith Bobcat Price & Specs
- Price | $280 AUD
- Colour | Matte Amethyst shown
- Lens | ChromaPop and Clear
- Nose Support | Single position
- Frame | Full frame
- Weight | 26g (Confirmed)
Smith’s Bobcats feature the brand’s signature ChromaPop lenses, which can be swapped out for a clear lens. According to Smith ChromaPop selectively filters out the wavelengths where green, red and blue light cross, helping bring out more contrast and your eyes to pick up out the details on a tree-lined trail — or in the snow, where everything is white and you need to see subtle differences. They also provide 100% UVA/B/C ray protection.
The glasses come with a hard and soft case; the soft case also doubles as a lens cleaner.
As someone who wears glasses for long distance, I’ll take Smith’s word for it on ChromaPop enhancing clarity. I certainly won’t be swapping my prescription glasses for these, but the Bobcats do provide excellent contrast and great visibility in a variety of light conditions – on shady trails on a sunny day, at dusk or in cloudy conditions.
At 26g, they are super light by glasses standards, but they don’t feel flimsy. The Evolve frame material, finished in ‘Amethyst’, is malleable when swapping between the clear and ChromaPop lenses. The lenses themselves also have plenty of give, so you don’t have to be too ginger when swapping them.
On the test ride, they stayed in place nicely – the rubber nose piece is quite flexible but sits nicely on the bridge of your snoz. It’s adjustable to two positions, helping dial in the fit. There are also some rubber sections on the arms, reducing slip. They provided good ventilation, not fogging up in slow sections on a warm autumn afternoon.
Smith’s Wildcat range is available for those looking for a larger fit, but I found the Bobcats to be snug but well-fitting on my large head. I didn’t notice them move on bumpy terrain, absolutely what you want.
All in all, these are a quality option with lenses that will suit every kind of condition.
Smith Ultralite Price & Specs
- Price | $225 AUD
- Colour | Matte Green shown
- Lens | ChromaPop
- Nose Support | Single position
- Frame | Half frame
- Weight | 34g (Confirmed)
Smith reckons the Ultralites are a throwback to the era of hightop sneakers, mullets, and the Walkman. Given the first two remain popular, it stands to reason that the company has brought some 1980s style back into its range.
They look pretty fresh in Matte Green – the ventilation holes at the top of the lens give retro ski goggle vibes while preventing fogging.
The Ultralites come in a cool fleece soft case. They’re more affordable than the Bobcats, but you miss out on the clear lens, which might be a deal-breaker for those riding at night or in the mud. That said, the ChromaPop lens provides good visibility in dim conditions, and you can really notice the extra contrast.
While the nose pad is made of the same grippy ‘Megol’ material as the Bobcats, the arms miss out on this feature. Maybe in the name of style. The Ultralites also miss out on the two-position adjustment of the Bobcats.
These changes make the fit a lot looser. So much so that we wouldn’t be confident taking them on singletrack. Every head is different, but you’d want to try these on or be pretty sure of having a large head before buying.
On the other hand, if you’re riding on smoother surfaces or want something to complement the fluro ski suit you misappropriated from the back of your parents’ wardrobe, the Smith Ultralites are a good pick.
