Thanks for visiting! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our FREE Full Article RSS feed. This blog posts regular product reviews, industry news, riding tips, videos, ride reports and anything else mountain biking. Go ahead, subscribe to our feed! You can also receive instant, FREE updates from this blog via email.
Julbo USA - Dirt and Run Photochromatic Glasses
When I returned from Maui this week, I received my samples from Julbo USA. Julbo manufactures high end sports glasses and goggles for numerous uses from water sports to mountain excursions. These two new pair, the Run (black) and Dirt (white)...not on website yet, are stylish adventure sport models that feature their Zebra lens technology.
Zebra® Photochromic Lenses: Ultra Reactive NXT®
From the Julbo website:
The Zebra® photochromic lens darkens or lightens depending on the light’s intensity. It can change from a light transmission rate of 40.7% to just 6.6%! Its anti-fog coating, directly integrated via laser, guarantees maximum efficiency and long life. Zebra® is recommended for mountain biking, trail biking and climbing.
The Zebra® lens has a very quick activation time: the lens reaches 50% of its capacity in just 28 seconds. In the undergrowth, the Zebra® lens changes to category 2. In bright sunlight, it provides category 4 protection.
198's Initial Thoughts
Out of the box, the glasses seem to have great coverage without any loss of peripheral vision. The construction is strong and the hinges operate smoothly. So far, they fit very comfortably, but some serious trail time will tell the full truth. I am going to use both sets over the course of the next month or two and I will report back on the process. Normally, I use my Oakley Half Jackets with the clear lens. This will be the first time in over a year that I have used transition lens on the trail. The last set was a pair of Tifsoi Optics.
If you like this post then please consider commenting below and subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox. You can also follow me on Twitter.
Related Posts
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I’ll be looking for your next report, as I’ve been thinking of picking up some glasses with transition lenses.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:37 am
Do yo have any feedback on these lenses? After your initial posting I’ve been looking to get them but would like your input first.
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
@lemuelb: So far…
The coverage is great. Much better than my Oakley Half Jackets. The optical quality is good but not great. I normally expect this out of photochromatic lenses. The tint range is excellent. You can still see perfectly in low light situations (like heavy tree cover) but they also work in very sunny conditions. The switch is also very quick.
Long story short…so good so far!
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:35 am
Thanks for the update. Living in a tropical island (Puerto Rico) there are many trails with various light conditions and weather changes this feature becomes a necessity.