The Belgium helmet company, Lazer Sports, has recently announced the fall release of a new line of sports eyewear designed for cyclists. Established in 1919, Lazer is the oldest, continuously run manufacturer of helmets, for the bicycle, motorcycle and leisure helmets markets in more than 50 countries, over 5 continents. Brian Kee, part of the new vision division at Lazer Sports, introduced the eyewear the will be appearing in retailers later this year during a presentation at this years PressCamp. The new line of glasses has five different styles with estimated retail pricing ranging from $40 to $90.
Three of those styles will have two different polycarbonate interchangeable lenses and come with a hard case. The Solidstate is the medium fit model with a rubber nose piece and adjustable temples; the Electron is the small fit model with rubber nose and temple pieces; and the Argon is the large fit model with adjustable, rubber nose and temple pieces. The interchangeable all come with two different Photochromic lenses. One is a transitioning clear to smoke lens and the other is a smoke level of tint featuring synthetic melanin which offers a SPF protection for the eyes of 140.
The Quantum is Lazer’s ‘fashion’ or off-the-bike model of eyewear. The Quantum will come in a wide variety of colors and have polycarbonate lenses, but will not have rubber at the contact points (nose and temples). They could be worn while riding as the lenses do offer the same impact protection of the other models of eyewear, but without the rubber contact points, the have the potential to move around the face a bit more.
Finally, the Zenon is Lazer’s ‘price point’ model of cycling eyewear. With a retail price of $40, the Zenon does still feature some ‘high end’ features like rubber contact points and polycarbonate lenses, but will only come was a soft case.
You might be thinking to yourself, “do we really need another eyewear manufacturer?” Well Lazer is also introducing a unique eyewear system. Based on their ‘Magic Buckle’, a magnetic helmet buckle introduced last year, Lazer will debut the ’Magneto System’ at EuroBike and InterBike later this year. The Magneto System uses magnets in the front straps of their helmets which mate up to magnets in the temple piece of certain models of their eyewear. For this system to work, those models of eyewear that will be part of the Magneto System will have temples that are shortened to the point just before the ear – the area of the head that the front strap travels down the head, towards the chin. For those of you who wear sunglasses and a helmet for an extended period of time might appreciate this new system. Since the temple will be shortened, the uncomfortable and sometime painful pressure area above your ears will be no more! What is unclear at this point is if the Magneto System glasses can be worn off the bike without the use of the helmet to hold them on your head.
Be on the lookout for the new eyewear from Lazer later this year at your favorite bike shop.