Share

Sunglasses

Lazer Walter sunglasses – review

Great full-frame shades, particularly for riders with smaller heads

When it comes to cycling sunglasses, you tend to fall into one of two camps: you either like the open bottom half-frame style or you prefer to opt for shield-style full-frame models.

In general, these two style options cover the vast majority of models on the market, and with launch of the Eddy and Walter sunglasses earlier this year, Lazer have both ends of the spectrum covered.

The Walters we have here fit the bill as a set of quality, lightweight, full-frame glasses, which offer good visual clarity and interchangeable lenses.

Lazer launched the Walter full-frame sunglasses earlier this year

As a rule, I’ve always been wary of full-frame sunglasses for cycling for one reason: they tend to be enormous. One look at the Oakley Jawbreakers reveals as much, and whenever I try glasses like them on, they simply cover too much of my fairly narrow face.

However, the Walters are different. Despite the full frames, in terms of actual real estate they measure pretty much the same as my go-to half-framed Oakley Radars, meaning that they’re a virtually perfect size for me. At last.

This, I suspect, will make them a genuinely enticing option for people like me who tend to find the same problem with oversized shades. Yet, the expected downside of reduced field of vision is less than you might think.

The triple pack comes with three interchangeable lens options
  • Specification

  • Price: £99.99 (triple lens packs); £109.99 (photochromatic)
  • Colours: Flash yellow, gloss white, gloss silver, matte titanium, matte black 
  • Website: Lazer
  • UK distributor: Madison

Looking forward, there’s only a hint of the white frames around the edges, and while riding they’re completely unnoticeable in any area, including the support strut in the middle. You can tell Lazer have really thought about the cyclist-specific field of vision too, because when the head is tilted downwards in the commonly-held position with eyes raised up the road, the frames really do perform a vanishing act, leaving your peripheral vision completely uncluttered.

It’s only when you try to take a look behind you when the corners of the frame become an obstruction. With this, it’s simply a case of physically turning a little further, which quickly becomes second nature. Nevertheless, it’s a natural limitation of the smaller lens size coupled with the full frame construction.

Up top, the one-piece lenses are vented to effectively avoid steaming up, while the straight arm socks are well positioned and retain to the side the head just as well as any I’ve used, even though they’re neither rubberised nor adjustable.

The nose piece is adjustable, however, just like the Eddys, so if the natural contour is too big for your nose, you can squeeze it inwards to customise the fit.

The Walter’s have an interchangeable lens and we tested the triple pack, supplied with a yellow lens for low light conditions, clear lens for night-time or rainy weather, and blue lens for sunny conditions.

Those are the ones I tested the most, given the great British summer weather of late, and I can report that visual clarity in normal sunlight is excellent – a real sticking point for me, given my history with Oakley’s that have long led the way in this area in my opinion. However, reflections and glares aren’t dealt with quite so well – it’s not uncommon to get some distortion in the immediate surrounding area of the source, although it’s one of those things that I got used to with a few rides.

The fit is excellent, helped by an adjustable nose piece

Other important features? Well, they’re light – really light, at under 30g. Despite this, build quality seems excellent too, with quality hinges that don’t squeak and an easy-to-use system for swapping lenses over, should you opt for the multi-lens pack. Just pop a new lens in according to the conditions.

As well as the glass white frame we have here, Lazer offers the Walters in flash yellow, gloss silver, matte titanium and matte black, with a range of lens options. There’s also a photochromatic lens option for £109.99.

Conclusion

The Lazer Walter sunglasses tick all the boxes in terms of visual clarity, looks, quality and overall fit. They are also a genuine full-frame option for people who have small or narrow heads. And, at £99.99 for a set with three different high-quality lenses, they’re decent value, too.

Pros

  • Good visual clarity
  • Triple lens pack
  • Good quality hinges
  • Very lightweight

Cons

  • Over-shoulder vision not the best

Share

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production