Best Oakley cycling sunglasses in 2023 | Oakley sunglasses buyer’s guide
We’ve road-tested Oakley’s cycling sunglasses collection to compare their features and performance
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Oakley sunglasses are a popular go-to option for cyclists, and with good reason. While often more expensive than some of the competition, there’s no denying that Oakley’s shades are well-designed, high-quality and, at times, unmistakably distinctive.
The current collection of cycling-specific shades features a wide range of frame styles to suit all tastes and face shapes – from the traditional to the truly out there, there’s something for everyone.
That choice has been added to by Oakley’s new custom sunglass programme. This enables you choose your own frame parts and lens for 14 different models, offering up to a claimed 40 million combinations. Oakley often has special editions too, such as Tour de France glasses and the Evzero Path Kokoro we’ve featured.
For those of us who wear spectacles in everyday life, Oakley’s cycling glasses range includes prescription cycling glasses.
Oakley Prizm lens tech explained
Oakley’s cycling sunglasses are also defined by the brand’s Prizm lens technology. Oakley says it took 15 years to develop, with each lens tint designed to optimise visibility and contrast in different light conditions and sports.
For example, a specific tint is used to enhance the clarity of road surfaces, helping to reveal potholes, which can often be hidden by glare. These may sound like bold claims, but our expert testing team is united in its agreement that Prizm really does make a difference.
Oakley frames are donned by a huge number of cyclists around the world. So if you’re looking for a list of the best Oakley sunglasses available, you’ve come to the right place. All the sunglasses in this article have been road-tested and rated by BikeRadar’s expert testers.
The best Oakley cycling sunglasses 2023 – as rated by BikeRadar’s expert testers
Oakley Jawbreaker Prizm glasses
- £195 / $234 / €207
- Distortion-free Prizm lens with tint specific to roads
- Unobtainium grippers at temples and nose keep glasses in place
Our highest-rated pair of Oakley sunglasses for cyclists, we found the Jawbreaker to offer crystal-clear optics. Its distortion-free Prizm lens and road-specific tint clarifies road surfaces, while its 53mm tall lens gives unobstructed visibility, even when riding in the drops.
The 131mm width wraps around your face with scalloped lower sections to fit comfortably around cheekbones. For added comfort, the nosepiece is adjustable and so are the earpieces.
Oakley’s signature ‘Unobtainium’ rubber grippers keep each section from slipping, even on a sweat-slickened face. The channels that hold the lens in place also have little rubber bumpers for a secure fit.
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Oakley Encoder
- £204 / $257 / €228
- Largely unrestricted field of vision
- Sturdy feel with secure fit
The Encoders feature decent lens coverage and are lightweight, tipping the scales at 32g.
Sharing similar DNA to the Kato, the Encoder uses a frameless design with a wrap-over nose portion.
The Encoder sits on the face well and is compatible with many helmets.
To avoid warped vision around the curved nose, Oakley has added a rubber nose pad that blocks the section out.
Unfortunately, our tester found this encroached into their vision, and acted as a distraction when out on the bike.
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Oakley Kato sunglasses
- £265 / $318 / €310
- Largely unobscured line of sight
- Minimal distortion around the nosepiece
The Oakley Katos are a boldy-styled pair of sunglasses that won’t appeal to everyone, but they perform well on the bike.
The wraparound Prizm lens has great clarity, whichever shade you choose, and there’s a colour for most conditions.
The cycling sunglasses sit securely on your face, although the nosepiece is not adjustable. That’s a shame on a highly priced pair of shades.
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Oakley Sutro Lite Photochromic
- £172 / $214 / €200 / AU$279
- Offers a wide field of vision
- Photochromic lens give impressive versatility
Sharing retro-inspired looks and interchangeable lenses, the Sutro Lite fits a little smaller on the face compared to the Sutro.
Oakley’s photochromic lenses respond to changing light conditions quickly, but aren’t as dark as standard lenses in the sunshine.
With a weight of 33g, the Sutro Lites are what their name suggests, though we found the non-adjustable nosepiece to be a let down.
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Oakley sunglasses to also consider
The following sunglasses scored fewer than four stars out of five, but are still worth considering if they suit you.
Oakley EVZero sunglasses
- £140 as tested
- Frameless construction for broad field of view
- Good protective coverage
If you’re looking for some lightweight frameless cycling glasses and don’t mind being locked into one lens, Oakley’s EVZero sunglasses are claimed to be “the lightest performance glasses in history”.
An obvious plus to these is the unobstructed aspect thanks to their frameless construction, and there was no noticeable distortion towards the edges.
Two lens shapes are available: Path and the slightly larger Range. Both come with Oakley’s ‘O-Matter’ ear socks and ‘Unobtainium’ rubber on the nosepiece and temple tips, which keep them firmly in place.
If you’re looking to do a lot of mixed-surface riding, the Prizm road lens is not the best choice. Luckily, the EVZero series is available in non Prizm lens options.
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Oakley Sutro sunglasses
- £130 / $173 / €172
- Well-sprung arms keep glasses securely in place
- Good ventilation for minimal fogging
As the brand’s take on the modern-retro styling made popular by 100% and Peter Sagan, we can see these being popular with both urban cyclists and style-conscious roadies.
You get massive coverage, with the Sutro’s tinted Prizm lenses being 58mm deep and they offer absolute clarity. Its square-section frame prevents fogging by holding them away from your face.
The arms don’t feature Oakley’s usual rubber tips, but are well-sprung so fit snugly despite this.
Oakley has recently added the Sutro Lite to its range. It has the same extra-large lens as the original Sutro, but a more open frame without the lower rim around the lens.
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Oakley Flight Jacket sunglasses
- £185 / $249 / €225
- Broad range of Oakley Prizm lens options
- Advancer switch for airflow
Similar in design to the Oakley Jawbreakers, but with the top section of frame removed, the Flight Jacket model is a futuristic-looking upgrade that features a range of Oakley’s high-performance tinted Prizm lenses.
Variants include Prizm Road, Prizm Low Light and Prizm Trail, dialled to enhance visibility in their specified area.
While the upper edges offer a great field of vision when in aggressive riding positions, the chunky lower frame hinders visibility when looking down towards gears or when turning to look behind at blind spots.
These glasses feature an Advancer switch on the nose, which alters the angle to allow for greater airflow – great for defogging, but perhaps an unnecessary gadget.
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Authors
Paul has been writing about bike tech and reviewing all things cycling for almost a decade. He had a five-year stint at Cycling Weekly and has also written for titles including CyclingNews, Cyclist and BikePerfect, as well as being a regular contributor to BikeRadar. Tech-wise, he’s covered everything from rim width to the latest cycling computers. He reviewed some of the first electric bikes for Cycling Weekly and has covered their development into the sophisticated machines they are today, on the way becoming an expert on all things electric. Paul was into gravel before it was even invented, riding a cyclocross bike across the South Downs and along muddy paths through the Chilterns. He dabbled in cross-country mountain biking too. He’s most proud of having covered the length of the South Downs Way on a crosser and fulfilling his long-time ambition to climb Monte Grappa on a road bike
