The BBB Chester Cycling Sport Glasses feature up-to-date looks and the lens offers decent clarity – but I wasn't so convinced by the frame, which encroaches on your field of vision. And I do feel that with a couple of tweaks these could have been so much better.
The sunglasses market has been dominated for quite a while by a few big brands, so it's good to see a new more modestly price offering from BBB with bang-up-to-date looks – following the modern trend for a single large-lens design.
However, when I put these on for the first time, I immediately noticed the nose bridge. Unfortunately this is attached to the frame using a small screw, which in itself is fine, but this screw was pronounced enough for me to feel it on the bridge of my nose while I was riding.
The resulting irritation where the screw rubs was disappointing and detracted quite a lot from the cycling experience when I was wearing these.
That's a bit of a shame as the large lens delivers good clarity and has a nice colour to it, which adds a bit of cheer to rides on overcast days, which is always a good thing in Britain. I didn't find myself wanting a darker lens on sunny days, and I think the darkness level of the lens is just about right for British riding conditions.
Other colour options are available too, BBB offering the Chesters in a choice of black, white, blue or yellow frames and smoke, blue, silver or green frames – a total of five models in total.
Unfortunately, though, the lens has a more premium feel than the frame.
The arms don't hug your head as snugly as I'd like. The arms' rubber temple tips grip well enough, but the shape of the arms doesn't lend itself to a good grip. This meant that every time I looked around, I was worried they were going to fall off – a la Michael Matthews whose glasses went flying before the finish line at this year's Milan-San Remo.
The glasses had a tendency to slide around my face that I found disappointing. I feel that at a very minimum, cycling glasses should stay securely in place – and these don't do that, having nearly fallen off almost every ride.
I have quite a large head, so I reckon if you have a smaller head you might struggle even more with this issue.
I would also like to have had a carry case rather than just the supplied soft case.
If you don't travel around much to ride your bike that may not be much of an issue, but it's a must-have for me personally as my glasses are always in and out of my bags.
Value
At £54.99 these aren't expensive as far as cycling glasses go, when even the cheapest Oakleys will cost you over £100.
But for not too much more than the Chesters and also with a large-lens design you've got the likes of the Panda Optics Conquer sunnies at £79, the same price they were when Lara tested them – and really liked them – three years ago.
Still closer in price are the Magicshine Windbreaker Polarised glasses that I recently tested. These have the added benefits of a polarised lens, a carry case and a design that stayed on my face well.
The Goodr Look Ma No Hands cycling-specific sunnies are just £45, though Suvi felt the extra-large-lens design is probably best suited to very sunny days.
Our best cycling sunglasses buyer's guide rounds up our top eyewear choices from around £40 to well north of £200.
Conclusion
BBB's Chesters have modern looks with a large, single-piece lens that offers good optical clarity. But I wasn't so convinced by the fit of the frame, so I'd very much recommend trying before buying if you're considering these.
Verdict
Good looks and a crisp and clear lens but I wasn't convinced by the frame or the fit of the arms
Make and model: BBB Chester Cycling Sport Glasses
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?
BBB says: 'The benefits of both full-frame and frameless glasses in one perfect pair of cycling glasses. The Chester looks frameless, but the actual frame is hidden on the inside. This creates the look and view of frameless glasses, but with the strength and solid feeling of full frame glasses. Our famous BBB Cycling rubber nosepiece makes sure you can make the Chester always fit perfectly on your head and the rubber temple tips create a grip on your head. The large Toric lens allows you to see everything in front of you without any distortion and the widest view on the bike!'
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Cycling glasses type: Full frame glasses
Lens type: MLC (MultiLayer Coating)
Gender: Men, Unisex, Women
Adjustable nose piece: Yes
Carrying case: No
Carrying/cleaning pouch: Yes
Lens category: 3
Material frame: Grilamid
Material lens: Polycarbonate (PC)
Temple tip system: Block system
100% UV protection: Yes
Rate the product for quality of construction:
5/10
I feel that issues with the frame – a protruding screw in the nose piece and non-grippy arms – let down the Chesters.
Rate the product for performance:
6/10
The lens, which performs well and delivers good clarity, is the highlight of these BBB glasses – but they're let down by the frame, which doesn't fit snugly and feels a little uncomfortable.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
The lens has held up well to use so far, though I'd have preferred a hard case to keep the glasses scratch-free when not in use.
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
5/10
I could feel the nose piece screw on the bridge of my nose, and I don't feel the arms offered enough grip, which meant I was always concerned they might fall off.
Rate the product for value:
6/10
At not much more than 50 quid these are a good deal less expensive than a lot of the competition.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
The lens offers good clarity, it's quite easy to keep clean, and I like the modern look of the Chesters. But I feel they're let down by the frame, which doesn't fit that snugly, and they feel quite cheap to the touch.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The clarity of the lens and their up-to-date look.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The frame – it fell off my face quite easily and I found the nose piece screw quite irritating.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's moderately priced, coming in at a similar cost to offerings from the likes of Magicshine and Goodr Look Ma No Hands, but you could easily pay multiples of the price for sunnies from 100%, Oakley and other premium brands.
Did you enjoy using the product? No – not that much.
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Perhaps – If they like the looks and they didn't slide off.
Use this box to explain your overall score
The middling score reflects a good lens that unfortunately isn't attached to a frame of the same quality. The quality lens offers good clarity, but they weren't that that stable on my face and I didn't find them that comfortable. With a couple of tweaks these could have been so much better.
Age: 23 Height: 174 Weight: 72
I usually ride: Storck Aerfast My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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