We’ve road-tested Oakley’s cycling sunglasses collection to compare their features and performance
Oakley sunglasses are a popular go-to option for cyclists, and with good reason. While often more expensive than some of the competition, there’s no denying that Oakley’s shades are well-designed, high-quality and, at times, unmistakably distinctive.
The current collection of cycling-specific shades features a wide range of frame styles to suit all tastes and face shapes – from the traditional to the truly out there, there’s something for everyone.
That choice has been added to by Oakley’s new custom sunglass programme. This enables you to choose your own frame parts and lens for 14 different models, offering up to a claimed 40 million combinations. Oakley often has special editions too, such as Tour de France glasses and the Evzero Path Kokoro we’ve featured.
For those of us who wear spectacles in everyday life, Oakley’s cycling glasses range includes prescription cycling glasses.
We’ve also compiled a list of the best cycling sunglasses we’ve reviewed from other brands and Oakley. Head to our guide to the best mountain bike sunglasses if you’re looking for dedicated off-road shades.
The best Oakley cycling sunglasses 2024 – as rated by BikeRadar’s expert testers
Oakley Jawbreaker Prizm glasses
- Price: £195 / $234 / €207 as tested
- Pros: Distortion-free Prizm lens with tint specific to roads; Unobtainium grippers at temples and nose keep glasses in place
- Cons: ‘O’ logos can be seen in field of view
Our highest-rated pair of Oakley sunglasses for cyclists, we found the Jawbreaker to offer crystal-clear optics. Its distortion-free Prizm lens and road-specific tint clarifies road surfaces, while its 53mm tall lens gives unobstructed visibility, even when riding in the drops.
The 131mm width wraps around your face with scalloped lower sections to fit comfortably around cheekbones. For added comfort, the nosepiece is adjustable and so are the earpieces.
Oakley’s signature ‘Unobtainium’ rubber grippers keep each section from slipping, even on a sweat-slickened face. The channels that hold the lens in place also have little rubber bumpers for a secure fit.
Oakley Castel
- Price: £185 / $224 as tested
- Pros: Stylish design; excellent lenses; premium finish
- Cons: Not many accessories; not stable enough for offroad riding
The Castels offer great versatility for on and off-the-bike wear with a unique twin-lens design, which provides good ventilation through the centre of the glasses.
We found the glasses to sit well on the face, but the lack of nose grip meant they weren’t as stable as others when the road got bumpy.
The replaceable lenses offer great contrast thanks to the Prizm technology.
At 26.5g, the Castels are light enough to go relatively unnoticed when riding.
Oakley Encoder
- Price: £204 / $257 / €228
- Pros: Largely unrestricted field of vision; sturdy feel with secure fit
- Cons: Nosepiece encroaches on vision
The Encoders feature decent lens coverage and are lightweight, tipping the scales at 32g.
Sharing similar DNA to the Kato, the Encoder uses a frameless design with a wrap-over nose portion.
The Encoder sits on the face well and is compatible with many helmets.
To avoid warped vision around the curved nose, Oakley has added a rubber nose pad that blocks the section out.
Unfortunately, our tester found this encroached into their vision, and acted as a distraction when out on the bike.
Oakley Encoder Strike Vented
- Price: £210 / $255 / €235 / AU$330
- Pros: Great lens clarity and ventilation; good fit and styling for larger heads
- Cons: Nosepiece can block vision
With the Encoder Strike Vented, Oakley has mirrored the Kato’s frameless design and added a vented brow to the wraparound lens.
There’s a cosmetic element to the vents, but our tester found they helped prevent the exceptionally clear lens fogging up.
The fit and aesthetics are suitable for larger heads – we recommend trying them on before committing to a distinctly styled and expensive pair of cycling sunglasses.
Positioned in your line of sight, the large nosepiece can block your vision.
Oakley Kato sunglasses
- Price: £265 / $318 / €310 as tested
- Pros: Largely unobscured line of sight; minimal distortion around the nosepiece
- Con: Non-adjustable nosepiece
The Oakley Katos are a boldly-styled pair of sunglasses that won’t appeal to everyone, but they perform well on the bike.
The wraparound Prizm lens has great clarity, whichever shade you choose, and there’s a colour for most conditions.
The cycling sunglasses sit securely on your face, although the nosepiece is not adjustable. That’s a shame on a highly priced pair of shades.
Oakley Sutro Lite Photochromic
- Price: £172 / $214 / €200 / AU$279
- Pro: Offers a wide field of vision; photochromic lens give impressive versatility
- Cons: Non-adjustable nosepiece
Sharing retro-inspired looks and interchangeable lenses, the Sutro Lite fits a little smaller on the face compared to the Sutro.
Oakley’s photochromic lenses respond to changing light conditions quickly, but aren’t as dark as standard lenses in the sunshine.
With a weight of 33g, the Sutro Lites are what their name suggests, though we found the non-adjustable nosepiece to be a let down.
Oakley Sutro Lite Sweep Ascend
- Price: £152 / $184 / €180 / AU$253 as tested
- Pros: Low weight and good ventilation; best for narrower faces
- Cons: Movement on the roughest terrain
Compared to the Oakley Sutro Lite (featured above), the lens on the Sutro Lite Sweep Ascend is about half the size and sweeps upwards, better suiting riders with smaller heads.
Oakley has retained the circular brow vent holes, which give the Sutro Lite Sweep Ascend classic aesthetics and effective ventilation.
The lens is crisp in different light conditions and free of distortion even on the periphery. Comfortable arm grippers stop the Sutro Lite Sweep Ascend’s frame from budging except on really rough terrain.
Oakley Sutro S
- Price: £159 / $192 as tested
- Pros: Excellent lens quality; fantastic styling; comfortable
- Cons: Pricey; not as secure as more performance-oriented models
The Sutro S sunglasses span the gap between sports equipment and high-end fashion well, offering premium performance features with great styling.
The high price is justified by the inclusion of a cleaning bag, hard case and softer noise piece.
We did find the glasses to be a little less secure than the Oakley’s more dedicated models, but this didn’t affect performance negatively.
Oakley sunglasses to also consider
The following sunglasses scored fewer than four stars out of five, but are still worth considering if they suit you.
Oakley EVZero sunglasses
- Price: £140 as tested
- Pros: Frameless construction for a broad field of view; good protective coverage
- Cons: Prizm lens not the best for mixed-surface riding
If you’re looking for some lightweight frameless cycling glasses and don’t mind being locked into one lens, Oakley’s EVZero sunglasses are claimed to be “the lightest performance glasses in history”.
An obvious plus to these is the unobstructed aspect thanks to their frameless construction, and there was no noticeable distortion towards the edges.
Two lens shapes are available: Path and the slightly larger Range. Both come with Oakley’s ‘O-Matter’ ear socks and ‘Unobtainium’ rubber on the nosepiece and temple tips, which keep them firmly in place.
If you’re looking to do a lot of mixed-surface riding, the Prizm road lens is not the best choice. Luckily, the EVZero series is available in non Prizm lens options.
Oakley Sutro sunglasses
- Price: £130 / $173 / €172
- Pros: Well-sprung arms keep glasses securely in place; good ventilation for minimal fogging
- Cons: No rubber on arms
As the brand’s take on the modern-retro styling made popular by 100% and Peter Sagan, we can see these being popular with both urban cyclists and style-conscious roadies.
You get massive coverage, with the Sutro’s tinted Prizm lenses being 58mm deep, and they offer absolute clarity. Its square-section frame prevents fogging by holding them away from your face.
The arms don’t feature Oakley’s usual rubber tips, but are well-sprung so fit snugly despite this.
Oakley has recently added the Sutro Lite to its range. It has the same extra-large lens as the original Sutro, but a more open frame without the lower rim around the lens.
Oakley Prizm lens tech explained
Oakley’s cycling sunglasses are also defined by the brand’s Prizm lens technology. Oakley says it took 15 years to develop, with each lens tint designed to optimise visibility and contrast in different light conditions and sports.
For example, a specific tint is used to enhance the clarity of road surfaces, helping to reveal potholes, which can often be hidden by glare. These may sound like bold claims, but our expert testing team is united in its agreement that Prizm really does make a difference.
Oakley frames are donned by a huge number of cyclists around the world. So if you’re looking for a list of the best Oakley sunglasses available, you’ve come to the right place. All the sunglasses in this article have been road-tested and rated by BikeRadar’s expert testers.
More cycling glasses
If you’re looking for more cycling glasses why not check out our best road cycling glasses and best mountain bike glasses.
We also have rated the best budget cycling glasses should you be looking for less expensive alternatives.