Tifosi Prescription Cycling Glasses Review: Affordable, Photochromic Performance Tested in Africa

Ordering prescription cycling sunglasses online can feel risky — will they fit, will the lenses match your prescription, and will they actually perform on the bike? I had those same questions before trying Tifosi’s prescription sunglasses. But from the at-home try-on kit to the easy online ordering and surprisingly quick delivery, the process was smooth from start to finish. In this hands-on Tifosi prescription glasses review, I’ll share how the ordering experience works, how the Fototec (photochromic) lenses perform in the real-world — including in the heat, dust, and sun of Africa — and why these affordable prescription cycling sunglasses might just change how you see your next ride.

Let’s be honest: most product reviews tend to read pretty similarly. I can’t say I’ve read many that proved memorable. So when asked to review Tifosi’s prescription glasses, I decided to try something different.

I took them to Africa.

A view of the Nile through my Tifosis.

Not that I booked a trip to Africa just to review the glasses; PEZ doesn’t have anything like that kind of budget. But I did have a trip already scheduled, when I’d be riding through Uganda in a range of conditions — low light, midday sunshine, a lot of dust and sweat — so I figured I’d have an opportunity to put the specs through their paces.

First, though, I had to order and obtain them.

The Ordering Process

I’ve ordered glasses through a try-on process before. It’s typically a fun experience; you’re shipped several pairs in different styles (that you select), which you then wear around, checking yourself out in the mirror and collecting input from friends and family before selecting a pair.

Just a few of the many styles of Tifosi eyewear available in prescriptions

This was just what I did with Tifosi: the website was straightforward, offering a selection of prescription-friendly frames. The selection was not as wide as some of the consumer focused fashion brands, but Tifosi is known primarily as a cycling- and sport-glasses brand.  I was, however, impressed by their big selection and chose five styles to try on at home.  (Note: not every Tifosi frame is available in a prescription version.) In general, the process was easy to follow, and shipment of the try-on pairs and my final pair took just a few days.

While the process was indeed smooth, I noted two things: First, all of the frames shown were black. I was interested in some different colors, and discovered the frame colors were shown only after I clicked the “Buy Prescription” button.

Also, the glasses were shown only as unshaded eyeglasses; I thought I was getting prescription riding sunglasses. I learned later that because the glasses are all available with Fototec technology (i.e., photochromic, or “Transitions,” getting darker with sunlight), they are displayed as non-shaded eyeglasses.

I went ahead and selected five sample pairs that I thought would look good as shades, and received them in less than a week. Tifosi lets you try several pairs (since it’s impossible to choose eyewear without trying them on first), then you send back the ones you don’t want – or you can just buy them all. (The process requires a $25/pair deposit, returned to you after you return the try-on frames.)

As with the online selection screen, all five pairs featured clear lenses — no shading. As we all know, different frames look better and worse as eyeglasses vs. sunglasses, so I had to imagine each pair as shades. I selected the Swanks in a cool ice blue, thinking that for prescription glasses, I’d want something more fashionable than classic cycling wraparounds.

Uploading my prescription was quick and easy. I mistakenly uploaded a contacts prescription, and within 24 hours received a personal email asking for my eyeglasses version. Great customer service!

The Glasses

When I first donned my new glasses, my wife said, “Um…edgy -?” But that was my choice: again, Tifosi offers a wide range of options for prescription wear, including some less edgy frames and colors.

They’d arrived boxed, and in a hard clamshell-style case — perfect for keeping them safe while traveling; as with many glasses brands today, the case itself is a valuable item. The case also included a soft sleeve for enhanced protection, plus an anti-fog cloth and small bottle of solution.

The case’s contents: wrapped shades, a protective sack, and anti-fog cloth and solution.

I noticed immediately that the Swanks’ arms snapped open and shut, a feature I prefer in my glasses. They seemed light in my hands and on my face — perhaps not quite as light as my classic riding shades (also Tifosi), but not bothersome at all. The lenses were clear and the prescription seemed accurate.

The frames are, like most quality glasses – adjustable.  Mine originally sat slightly crooked on my face, but with a small amount of effort I was able to adjust them to sit straight.

The Tifosis in Africa

The locally-sourced bikes we rode needed a lot of adjusting. The Tifosis always stayed on!

I’ll admit: reviewing these new glasses in Africa is mostly a coincidental gimmick. But there are some aspects to traveling there — and especially riding — that would put them to the test: There tends to be a lot of dirt and dust; glasses tend to fog in the humidity; and the sun rises and sets rapidly there, so I’d get a real-time view into the Fototec capability. Here’s what I learned:

• Overall, the Tifosis did great. I wore them for a couple of full riding days, on both highways and dirt roads, in all levels of light. They were clear both up close and far away— essential since we were dodging traffic and potholes much of the day.
• While I’d opted for the narrower, non-wraparound Swank frame, my range of vision seemed sufficiently wide. I did notice my eyes watering more than when I wear my typical cycling glasses — but again, chalk this up to my frame choice.
• After pre-treating them with the anti-fog solution, even when the humidity kicked up, the glasses didn’t cloud.
• After a full day of riding amid a lot of dust, I rinsed them and then used the anti-fog cloth, and noticed no scratches on the lenses.
• When I started to sweat and a couple of drops fell onto the inside of the lenses, they evaporated and I could see entirely clearly. (After several more drops, though, I had to clean them to be able to see clearly.)

On one very positive hand, the Swanks never slipped, even when I was sweating and the road was bumpy.  The rubber anti-slip nose pads held a solid grip to my skin even tugging ever so slightly when I removed the glasses.

As for the appearance, my riding crew (friends and family) all remarked how much they liked them. And the local folks we saw…Well, I already stood out enough, irrespective of my glasses looking edgy.

Wearing the Tifosis, I could see well in lower light.

I already own a pair of prescription sunglasses, but frankly I rarely wear them, and I never wear them riding, as they tend to slip, and they don’t transition in varied light. Since our trip to Africa, however, I’ve continued to wear my Tifosi Swanks, including on the very long return flights, and on a local group ride, when my buddies remarked that they liked them (or maybe teased me a bit — but again, the color and frame choice was mine). While I’ll continue to wear my contacts and classic riding glasses for serious riding and racing, wearing the Tifosis has made me a prescription sunglasses convert.

I could see my new-found friends clearly.

Since returning from Uganda, where the sun tends actually not to be that bright, thanks to pollution and a fair amount of shade, I’ve worn my Tifosi Swanks on several rides. I still like them very much, including the fact that they change shading very rapidly, but discovered something that I believe is typical of photochromic glasses: for really bright light, a dedicated darker lens blocks more light.

The view through my Tifosi’s on a cloudy day…

…and on a sunny day.

• You can order Tifosi’s prescription glasses at www.tifosioptics.com. Pricing varies, starting around $99. All shipping is free.

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