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review

Endura Marlin photochromic glasses

8
£49.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Neat shades that react to light conditions – a bargain, as long as they fit you
Weight: 
21g
Contact: 
www.endura.co.uk

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Scottish clothing and accessory kings Endura have a whole collection of eyewear available these days and the Marlins are their top-of-the-range offering. Unusually for specs of this price, they come with a one-piece photochromic lens that changes from slightly tinted to pretty dark in less than a minute of sunlight, and they adjust back again just as fast.

They're not always quick enough to adapt to changing road conditions – for example, going through a tree-lined road section – but given that in the UK we rarely get the same weather conditions for more than half an hour at a time, it's a welcome feature.

The Marlins are rimless so there’s no interruption to your vision and, weighing in at just 21g, they’re superlight too. They provide pretty good eye coverage as well – we had just the smallest of gaps around the bottom of the lens – and there's a decent amount of airflow so they don't fog up every time you stop.

The rubber nosepiece and arms don't slip even on sweaty skin, although they were a bit broad across the temples for us so try before you buy if you get the chance. The arms are hinged for easy stowage and they come with both a stash bag and a hard case.

Verdict

Neat shades that react to light conditions – a bargain, as long as they fit you

road.cc test report

Make and model: Endura Marlin photochromic glasses

Size tested: n/a

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

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, they do their job really well

Would you consider buying the product? Perhaps

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 184cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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2 comments

Avatar
James Warrener | 14 years ago
0 likes

Got them and love them  4

Avatar
James Warrener | 14 years ago
0 likes

Oh my they are pretty! I might have to get my Radars on Ebay to fund them.

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