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review

SunGod Vulcans Full Frame

8
£150.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Top quality, customisable glasses with a lifetime guarantee
Great lens
Lifetime guarantee
Customisable
Choice of nose-pads for adjusting fit
Not cheap
Can interfere with some helmets
Weight: 
38g
Contact: 

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The SunGod Vulcans FF are fully customisable glasses with a high definition 8KO lens. They're an excellent option for stylish and functional eye protection, backed with a lifetime guarantee.

The Vulcans offer massive coverage without being intrusive, with a curved profile that shapes around the face perfectly. My face, anyway.

> Buy these online here

Provided with the glasses are four different nose-pads which allow you some adjustment to getting the glasses sitting perfectly. My fairly big snout required the second smallest pad.

2021 SunGod Vulcans Full Frame glasses - nose piece.jpg

In terms of customisation, the top and bottom frames can be coloured independently and there are eight colours to choose from, along with the rubber arm pads and logos, giving hundreds of different combinations.

2021 SunGod Vulcans Full Frame glasses - arm.jpg

SunGod offers its 8KO lenses with the Vulcans, which it claims to be optically superior and lighter than the standard polycarbonate seen in many glasses. There are eight different lens tints to choose from depending on your style and light conditions, with a further two photochromic lenses which react to varying conditions.

2021 SunGod Vulcans Full Frame glasses - front.jpg

The glasses on test are fitted with the Fire 8KO lens, which is impressively clear and works well in overcast and sunny conditions. The best way I can describe the Fire tint is to say the saturation has been turned way up – it makes overcast conditions look like a bright summer's day, and in the bright sun there is no glare; the lens also does a great job of managing the light levels to make my sight as clear as possible – a lot clearer than no lens or a clear lens. I used these in the forest a lot and they helped with picking out roots and holes. It's like seeing in HD.

2021 SunGod Vulcans Full Frame glasses - hiunge.jpg

The frame fit and function is great – even on some rough mountain bike trails the glasses didn't move around thanks to the nose-pads and grippy rubber arm pads.

The only potential negative is helmet compatibility. I tried these glasses with a couple of different helmets – an IXS Trail Evo, which is quite a slender helmet, and a Lazer Jackal, which is at the other end of the chunkiness scale – and found the top of the frame to be very close to the helmet line. It was fine with the IXS, but the Lazer hit the frame, which was annoying. You might need to try before you buy.

2021 SunGod Vulcans Full Frame glasses - worn.jpg

At £150, the Vulcans are a little on the pricey side compared with some – the Melon Alleycat glasses are £120, for example. The Vulcans do have a lifetime guarantee, though, and adjustable nose-pads, which help justify the extra cost.

And you can spend more – Oakley's Jawbreakers are £178, for example, we've reviewed a few pairs from 100% that are £170 or more, and a couple from Roka that are over £200.

> Buyer’s Guide: 31 of the best cycling sunglasses

Overall, I think the SunGod Vulcans are very good – they're decent value for money, fully customisable and have a great lens, backed up with a lifetime guarantee.

Verdict

Top quality, customisable glasses with a lifetime guarantee

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road.cc test report

Make and model: SunGod Vulcans Full Frame

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?

The SunGod Vulcans are aimed at road riding and mountain biking. They are fully customisable and feature SunGod's own 8KO lens which it claims to be optically superior and lighter than standard polycarbonate offerings. These are top quality glasses with a high definition lens, and can be customised to any style you fancy.

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

SunGod lists:

8KO lens - impact resistant, scratch resistant, optically superior to polycarbonate

Large coverage

Life time guarantee

Adjustable fit

Customisable style

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Excellent quality, finish is very tidy. Glasses feel sturdy and well put together.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Lens clarity is top notch and the frame fits very well, the only issue could be helmet compatibility.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Too soon to tell, though the quality and lifetime guarantee leave no concerns in this area.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10

At 38g, nothing to worry about.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Adjustable fit, with a good range.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

A little expensive compared with some, but the customisable options and lifetime guarantee add value.

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

Lens clarity is top notch and the frame fits very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The customisation options are a great touch, and the adjustable nose-pad really helps dial in the fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing particularly, just some concerns over compatibility with all helmets and head/face sizes and shapes.

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

They're more expensive than some – £30 more than the Melon Alleycats, for example – but cheaper than others, such as Oakley's Jawbreakers.

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 – customisable, adjustable, the lens technology is excellent and they have a lifetime guarantee.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 180cm  Weight: 86kg

I usually ride: Mostly mountain bike along with gravel for some good miles   My best bike is: Swarf Cycles 155 (mtb) Kenesis G2 (gravel)

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb, Enduro race, bigger mtb "adventure rides", gravel/road rides

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3 comments

Avatar
Smiley miles | 2 years ago
0 likes

i've got several pairs of Sungods. the smaller velans and the previous model Pacebreakers.  the Vulcans just looked too big and "ÿatesy" for my liking. ..their customer service however is excellent. The lifetime guarantee is "real". e.g. i had a lens crack on a sunday...by Tuesday i had the replacement ! Amazing. Wife has a pair too...really underated IMO 

Avatar
JohnK | 2 years ago
1 like

This is a good review and I'm glad you pointed out the possible issue with helmet incompatability.  Good luck with the suggestion "try before you buy though". 

I like the look of both the Vulcans and Velans and was very tempted to buy a pair until I read SunGod's returns policy - "Due to the custom nature of our products and each product being made-to-order from individual customer designs, we do not accept returns or exchanges".

Caveat Emptor!  If you do order a pair just hope they fit your face and don't cause issues with your helmet.

Avatar
Awavey replied to JohnK | 2 years ago
1 like

Id certainly echo that review, the lenses are great and the best thing about them, but that top of the frame ends up as a very close fit, or in fact does come into direct contact with the front of the helmet (plenty of pictorial examples from cyclist selfies on Instagram to give you an idea) which can get annoying on a bumpy road, Plus the nose bridge fit even with the different options isnt quite as good as it feels it should be, purely based on comparison with other brands at similar price points Ive had where neither of those things were remotely issues Ive encountered before.

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