Oakley Velo Kato review: brilliant sunglasses if you can accept this one ridiculous feature 

SQUIRREL_13188996

Recently, I had a realisation about Oakley: it’s going to try things and produce sunglasses that make little sense, because it can.

It happened at an Oakley press day where there were classics – including the famous Jawbreakers and Radars – lurking in the huge showroom hidden on the second floor of a Kensington tower block, alongside some of the wilder designs, which you’re more likely to see on Ssense than Sigma Sports. 

If you’re into Oakley eyewear, you’ll already know this. Just think back to Oakley’s MUZM collection, which contains the bug-like Sub Zeros, or its recent collaboration with Cinelli. These are fashion products first and foremost, often with some intriguing detail or quirk that piques your interest. 

This is particularly the case with one of the brand’s latest cycling sunglasses, the Velo Katos. These were launched in February this year, and brought some changes to the existing Katos, which, four years after they launched, are still striking with their huge curved lens and moulded nose. 

The biggest difference with the Velo Katos is they forgo arm hinges. Yes, that’s right, the arms won’t fold away. Instead, they’re solid, meaning you can’t pack these specs down. 

Elsewhere, the Velo Katos have gained vents in the wide lens, which are said to aid ventilation and are accentuated with small fins along the edge of the lens. 

These glasses were launched alongside the new Radar Plates and Sphaera Slashes, which all tweak existing Oakley models and are described by Oakley with some bombast. The Radar Plates pair “timeless Oakley attitude” and “modern design”; the Sphaera Slashes are “your permission to push any limits”. 

The Velo Katos are built “at the crossroads of aesthetic disruption and boundary-pushing performance”, if you needed their striking looks and quirky arms emphasised.

Oakley Velo Kato performance 

But what does all this talk and hype boil down to out on the road? I’ve been testing the Velo Katos since their release and have to begrudgingly accept how good they are on many fronts. 

As my colleague Ashley Quinlan wrote when reviewing the Oakley Katos, the large, wraparound lens brings a wide field of vision that leaves practically none of the road obscured. 

The nosepiece is just visible when looking straight ahead – and more so when you look left or right. But, in my time wearing the Velo Katos, my brain has filtered out this distraction, and I’m grateful to have little sun or wind creep around the lens, especially when I’m riding in the drops and looking up. 

I’ve worn Oakley sunglasses for several years and I’m still impressed by the quality of its Prizm lenses, which are said to emphasise colour and contrast. 

The Velo Katos I received feature the Prizm Road lens. This offers 20 per cent light transmission and is said to accentuate the black and grey found in tarmac. It does this well and the glasses have provided ample protection from the bright spring sun.

Whether or not the vents prevent the lens from fogging up, I’m yet to determine. I haven’t experienced any fogging in my brief time using the Velo Katos. But nor have I ridden in the particularly humid or cold conditions that typically lead to your lens misting – typically at a traffic light with a car inches from your rear wheel. 

In terms of fit, I’ve been impressed with the Velo Katos. I’ve found Oakley’s Unobtanium nose pad and arms hold the glasses firmly on my face, even as I went hell-for-leather up the famous Swain’s Lane climb in North London, setting a new personal best. 

I wear a size-large helmet and the Velo Katos' broad lens has also been comfortable on longer rides, where the narrowness of Oakley’s Radars can become uncomfortable for me. 

Oakley says the glasses have been designed to fit as close to your face as possible, and the shape of the lens seems to help achieve this without impeding comfort. 

Looking at these glasses from above, the arms curve in quite a distance, which should mean they stay in place if you have a smaller head – but you might find the lens feels pretty big. 

That brings us to the Velo Katos' most unusual feature, the lack of hinges. Oakley says the hingeless design is to aid aerodynamics, but no stats or evidence have been released to support this. And if we’re being frank, would the aero advantage of this hingeless design be of any benefit to the majority of riders? I think not. 

While cycling, the lack of hinges makes no difference. In fact, it makes it easier to get them on while pedalling and to slot into the arm channels of my cycling helmet. However, it’s when off the bike that it bothers me. Folding arms would mean they take up less space when they’re put away or thrown into my luggage for a cycling trip.

Oakley Velo Kato bottom line

I’m sure the novelty of the Velo Katos won’t deter some from purchasing them, especially because they deliver the quality optics many expect from Oakley. The uniqueness might even be a plus in some people’s books. After all, this is what Oakley does. 

I’m sure the novelty of the Velo Katos won’t deter some from purchasing them and might even encourage others. 

No hinges is a ridiculous idea, but that’s kind of the point. 

SQUIRREL_13188996