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Finding riding glasses that look great, fit right and perform exceptionally well for a variety of riding styles is a fairly tall order. The POC Devour glasses tick all these boxes for me and have earned their place in my Gear of the Year for 2025.
The Devour glasses have a particularly large lens, offering a level of protection close to that provided by a pair of goggles. In fact, POC describes them as “combining the best features of goggles and sunglasses".
The lens wraps around the edge of the frame, unlike most other glasses, where the frame wraps around the lens. This gives them a sort of edgeless shape, which I think looks really neat.
I’ve used them at gravel events such as The Traka and Gritfest, both of which involved many miles of rain-soaked trails. The super-wide lens area meant I could keep my full focus on staying upright because I had confidence my eyes weren’t going to get blasted with grit.
No flies on me
While riding on the road in the colder months, my eyes don’t tend to water as much. The extra coverage provided by the POC glasses means they’re better protected from wind chill.
They say you can tell how happy a bike rider is by counting how many flies are on their teeth, but how about counting how many end up in your eyes? Cruising along insect-filled country lanes in mid-summer (oh, take me back), the Devour glasses did a great job of deflecting them.
I predominantly use the Clarity Photochromic lens, which is for all-round use because it can adapt to variations in light conditions. When sunlight hits the lens, it darkens, shielding the eyes a little more.
I have now started using the clear lenses, though, because I’m riding much more after dark. It’s unlikely I’ll change the lenses until spring, so these, plus the POC Omne Beacon helmet, will be my winter 25/26 look.
The arms are separate from the frame and can move back and fourth to give a degree of adjustability at the temples. The rubber nose piece is also adjustable to help find a more comfortable fit.
Confidence-inspiring
Having a pair of glasses that grip your head properly is even more important when riding off-road. Taking a hand off the handlebar to move your glasses back can be a big risk and I love how these virtually eliminate that need for me.
I have found I still need to adjust them occasionally, but much less than other glasses I’ve used, such as the 100% S2.
Because of their larger size, their looks can be quite divisive. I first saw these being worn by an EF Education rider during a wet mountain stage of the men’s Tour de France. They managed to stand out in a crowded peloton, and I instantly thought they looked the business. It was also clear how much protection they gave the rider.
Over the last couple of years, I have managed to drop them on tarmac. They didn’t quite fit inside the vents of the Kask Utopia helmet well enough and, as I looked behind me, the wind caught them, sending them flying. Thankfully, they held up OK, with only a small scratch to the outside of the lens.
The POC Devour glasses make me feel confident every time I wear them. I really value finding a product that makes me feel this good when I use it.
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