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review

100% Eastcraft glasses

8
£179.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Durable, high quality glasses with two pairs of excellent lenses
Clear lenses included
It's hard to smudge or smear the lens
Flexible but durable
Expensive
Pretty large for casual wear
Long arms may not suit
Weight: 
32g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The 100% Eastcraft glasses aim to blur the lines between casual and cycling glasses. On the bike they performed brilliantly, offering an excellent field of vision, great clarity and good protection from the (removable) side shields. You get both the tinted mirror lens and some clear lenses, and both are high quality – off the bike they're quite large, but still more subtle than some super-size offerings.

The new Eastcraft (and Westcraft) glasses are meant to be more usable away from the bike, and it's immediately noticeable that they're smaller than many recent releases. Just take a look at the last two 100% glasses we've reviewed, the MAAP x100% Glendale and the 100% S3 MAAP, for instance. They're both absolutely massive, and dwarf the Eastcrafts.

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I have often tried wearing casual sunnies out on the bike, but the lack of wraparound can become rather irritating, with the wind able to get in behind them and sometimes the sun bouncing off the inside of the lens. The Eastcrafts overcome this with removable rubber side shields which do an excellent job of plugging the gap.

I was initially a little worried about peripheral vision whilst riding, and although you don't get quite the same panorama as with some supersized glasses, I had to uncomfortably strain my eyes sideways to so much as notice them. They're also really easy to remove, yet clip in firmly and securely.

2022 100% Eastcraft glasses - logo and side detail.jpg

The lenses are up to 100%'s usual high standards, and have a hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment. That repels water and oil, and indeed they don't pick up fingerprints easily.

2022 100% Eastcraft glasses - nose piece.jpg

We tested these with the Soft Gold Mirror lens, though the Eastcraft is available with other options: Black Mirror for the same price as these, Smoke for £10 less or HiPER Crimson Silver Mirror for £199.99. You can also buy replacement/additional lenses separately.

For the majority of riding in this country my personal preference would be the high-contrast HiPER lens, which is similar to Oakley's Prizm Trail; both are well suited to road riding on everything but the very brightest days.

Replacing the lens is simple and takes 30 seconds. 100% includes a tool for unclipping the nose bridge, but a fingernail works just fine.

2022 100% Eastcraft glasses - case open.jpg

The frame is Grilamid TR90, which is significantly more flexible than many materials – as a result I was much less anxious about snapping something when changing lenses.

> 31 of the best cycling sunglasses – protect your eyes from sun, crud and flying bugs

The contact points are a textured rubber which is pretty grippy and holds the glasses secure, but the unadjustable arms are quite long. Personally I could have got away with them being a centimetre shorter or so.

2022 100% Eastcraft glasses - arm.jpg

Overall, I found the fit very good, with a little space under the lens for airflow to stop them fogging up, and a close fit that doesn't touch my eyebrows; good news because if they do it results in sweat dripping down the lens.

Value

At £179.99 these aren't cheap, but are reasonable against many big brand offerings. For example the Oakley Flight Jackets are £194, and they don't come with any additional lenses.

If these are completely unjustifiable, you can get some great glasses for a fair chunk less – the Scott Sport Shields for example are less than half the price at £81.99.

If the 'casual use too' thing is very important to you, the Koo California Polarised Sunglasses are also £179, and veer more towards off-bike – yes, they sacrifice some field of view and protection, but some may find the Eastcrafts rather large for wandering around in.

Overall

The Eastcrafts are comfortable for long durations, the design is functional, and the lenses are high quality. The frame feels very durable and should survive a few tumbles too.

Verdict

Durable, high quality glasses with two pairs of excellent lenses

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road.cc test report

Make and model: 100% Eastcraft glasses

Size tested: One Size

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

100% says, "The Eastcraft is part of a collection based on a rich racing heritage fueled by innovative technology to create the ultimate sport performance sunglass that transcends multiple sports disciplines."

They perform very well on the road, but are quite large for wearing as casual glasses.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From 100%:

Designed in California

Unique lens change mechanism with V-latch to lock and unlock the lens

Removable side shields for additional protection from the elements

Interchangeable lenses - every lens color offered is available in both shield & dual lens configurations

Hydrophobic and Oleophobic lens treatment repels water, dirt and oil

Also available with contrast-defining HiPER lens and photochromic lens

In the box: 2 lenses, soft bag, hard case, lens removal tool

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well – the lenses are excellent, and they're comfortable.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Changing the lenses doesn't make you fear snapping them in half.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Quite expensive.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They're at the premium end of the market, though not at the top end of it; plenty of glasses are more expensive, and they often still don't come with a second lens.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're very good glasses, offering good coverage from high-quality lenses which stay clean, fog-free and resist fingerprints. The fit is secure and they're comfortable, while the lenses are easy to pop in and out, as are the side shields. So they're functional for riding use, although still rather big for off-the-bike use – which these are also designed for.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 23  Height: 6ft  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride: Specialized venge pro 2019  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...

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