I’ve always had issues with sunglasses fogging up on rides, so when Ryders Eyewear reached out to let me know they were sending samples of their new sunglasses with a new anti-fog treatment, saying I was looking forward to trying them out is a bit of an understatement. And while I wasn’t sure the Ryders Thorn Glasses with antiFog would live up to the hype, even if they worked for a while, I was looking forward to using them.
Amazingly enough, the anti-fog performance of the eyewear lives up the the claims. (yes!)
I’m not going to even pretend to be objective here; I’m beyond stoked on these glasses.
My issues with fogging are so bad I simply stopped wearing eye protection for a while. Fogged up glasses were such a pain in the ass I stuck them in my pack and left them there. Not wearing eye protection was a really bad idea though, and I paid for it with visits to the eye doctor complaining of eye irritation. These days I always wear goggles or eye protection of some kind of avoid future issues.
I started looking into anti-fog solutions like “Cat Crap,” which was one of the best solutions I had found. Although it definitely slowed down the inevitable fogging, it didn’t stop it. Fortunately, the folks at Ryders came up with a solution for riders (get it) like me.
According to Ryders, antiFOG isn’t a lens coating, but a permanent layer that is embedded onto the lens. To top it off, it’s scratch resistant and washable. The lens is treated with a substance that absorbs the moisture that causes fog to form, dispersing it into the lens.
Not only does it work, it’s nothing short of amazing. I still pull my glasses off when taking breaks on the trail. It’s not because of fogging anymore though, but out of habit.
Ryders Thorn with antiFog and Photochromic Lenses.
We received a black and orange version of the Thorn frames with the antiFOG option and photochromic lenses. I’ve been riding with the eyewear for over two months now and quite simply, they’re the real deal.
It’s my first time running the Thorn frames and they’re a new favorite. Not only do they posses the uber-f*cking cool anti-fog treatment, but the front of the lens is treated as well, with a hydrophobic technology to repel water. (I imagine it’s something like Rain-X.) I could look it up and find out what it is, but all I care is that it works. And works real good.
On top of that, they feature photochromic, color adjusting lenses. If you’ve never used them before, photochromic lenses are rad. You don’t need to change the lenses, they change for you. They also feature anti-slip hydrophilic nose pads like the rest of the line, which help keep the glasses in place when your face is covered in sweat. The optics are high quality as well, and at $130 to $140, they could cost another $50 and still be a good value. Seriously, the antiFog is more than worth the price.
I’m surprised to find that I like the orange as they’re not really my color. However, the black pairs well with everything. As seen with my TLD Kit.
Ryders recommends regular washing of the lenses to ensure antiFog is functioning at full capacity. I recommend washing them after every ride. Yesterday I found myself sweating profusely at the top of a vigorous climb; normally I would have pulled the glasses off to keep them from fogging when I stopped to down a gel. Sweat dripping onto my eye lashes ended up being dispersed onto the lenses, and that’s when my problems began. AntiFog doesn’t work when there’s crap on the lens.
Now I know. (and you do too)
I also recommend using running water to clean the lenses. I try to do it at the end of every ride when I get home, as I’ve had bad luck scratching scratch resistant lenses. Turns out rubbing your lens with a microfiber cloth doesn’t help when there’s small bits on gravel on your lens and you’re forcefully rubbing it in. Lesson learned.
Two hours into a ride— turns out I sweat on my glasses quite a bit, which is likely the root of my issues with fogging.
Disclaimer; these glasses were provided by Ryders for the purpose of this review. That said, we’ve been super stoked on the products from supplied by Ryders Eyewear, so much I logged into my Amazon account a few weeks and ordered up a set of the Ryders Hillroy Sunglasses
Ryders has made fans of us for their balance of style, fit, price and performance and I can’t recommend the antiFog glasses enough if like me, you suffer from fogged up eye protection.
Rocking the Thorn in Orange at Crockett Hills Regional Park.
Here’s their product video.
Check them out at Ryders Eyewear
Or buy some now on Amazon.com
