Nike's new MAX Transitions Outdoor sunglasses are halfway to being brilliant.
The successful parts – the light-reacting lenses – come courtesy of Transitions and are among the best we've tried.
With any light-reacting lenses, what you want is a rapid change according to your conditions, and it's here they do a cracking job. Even in extremely bright conditions the lenses weren't too dark, instead giving a crisp, brownish glow to our surroundings.
On our face, the glasses sat in a way that allowed plenty of airflow from the sides. This meant they were still comfortable on long climbs and didn't threaten to steam up, even in the most humid conditions. They fitted comfortably on the nose too, and didn't move about when our head bobbed around on climbs.
The MAX Transitions Outdoor glasses' comfortable nosepiece
Unfortunately, the frame lets the Nike MAX Transitions Outdoor glasses down. It's bulky and cumbersome, and felt like something we'd wear in a lab rather than on the bike.
The sample model we were given was the SQ. According to Nike's website, it's designed with golf in mind. The Show-X2 style has a thinner, lighter-framed design that uses the same lenses but looks to be the better bet for cyclists.
