Test Lab: GB Viz Bifocal Sunglasses

GB Viz combine stylish cycling sunglasses with handy readers as we see here.

Ah life’s little frustrations … they tend to evolve early and compound (and lengthen) through he decades.

From age 2 to 10 it may be not being allowed a chocolate bar of packet of chips at the supermarket. It could be homework or being grounded through those troubling teenage years. The cost of living, saving for a car and having to rent a share house in the 20s to 30s. Then the dreaded mortgage and no time to yourself through to the 40s. And after that it’s pretty well “where did I put my readers” for every proceeding year and decade after that.

The GB Viz sunglasses look great, are comfy & lightweight, and come complete with very useful reader lenses.

Yep, readers … for many of us it’s from the mid-forties that they become a daily staple – you can’t go anywhere or do anything without ensuring you have either your readers or reading glasses … and that includes cycling.

This is where innovative UK brand GB Viz enter the story. The creators of the VIGO bi-focal sports sunglasses, from the outside these stylish sunnies look like an impressive and on-trend pair of cycling eyewear. But on the inside they pack an almost indistinguishable addition, an incorporated bi-focal in the lower corner of each lens.

Available in magnifications of x 1.0, 1.5, 2.0. 2.5 and 3.0, we’ve been testing the GB Viz eyewear in +2.0, my standard reader prescription. Over the review period they have proven incredibly helpful, both on and off the bike.

Out riding, the additional lens diopters help immensely with clearly seeing the GPS/computer while riding, plus of course that all-important cafe menu when parked up. As cycling sunglasses they are perfect – they look smart and stylish, weigh just 38g, feature polycarbonate lenses with a panoramic 165mm viewing area, and offer 100 per cent UV protection.

At 55mm deep they offer good depth and protect the eyes and face well. The lens and frame design also includes anti fog vents in the upper of each lens – I’ve not experienced any fogging while testing them.

But it’s off the bike I’ve found these sunglasses have really come into their own. Rather than a cycling-specific accessory, they lend themselves to everyday outdoor life, particularly in the bright and harsh environs of Australia in spring and summer. Around the yard, out on the boat, out shopping, at a pub for lunch … just about anywhere we’ve been, the addition of integrated readers has been brilliant.

Having to carry a pair of reading glasses while cycling can be challenging and frustrating. GB Viz have solved the problem with their sports sunnies that incorporate readers.

Where you’d normally need to take two pairs of glasses – sunnies and readers – i.e just about anywhere, these GB Viz VIGO’s have become the singular go-to outdoor accessory.

They’re comfortable, have impressively clear and sharp lenses, look good and feel great. Top marks GB Viz, an impressive product!