When it comes to cycling sunglasses there are a lot of options on the market to choose from. Unfortunately most of them carry a premium price tag for the sunglasses as well as replacement lenses. That’s why we’re excited to be reviewing Bliz Fusion sunglasses which provide high-end features at a sub $100 $94.95 retail price. With the Fusion sunglasses you also won’t feel guilty for buying multiple lenses as they are currently available from only $26.95 for simple clear lens and go upto $44.95 for higher filter category variations. For those not familiar with the brand, Bliz is a Swedish brand that is well known for their competitively priced technical sport glasses, goggles, and even helmets since 2007. In this review we’ll also be trying out the Nordic Light lens option, which is specifically designed to enhance your vision for low-light and flat light conditions.
The Bliz Fusion sunglasses provide aggressive oversized styling and premium optics at an affordable price point
With Bliz’s Colorama program, the Fusion sunglasses can also be customized for a personal look. For only $104.95, the frame color, lens, and jawbone can be chosen independently allowing for mild to wild color combinations. What’s unique about the Fusion sunglasses is that they offer a dual personality – the bottom bumper (aka the Jawbone) can be removed and swapped out for a separate nose piece for a frameless bottom appearance. Designed around a Grilamid TR90 frame, the Fusion sunglasses have an aggressive oversized design with vented lenses and flexible temples as well as nose piece. Also note that the Fusion sunglasses are identical to the Bliz Matrix sunglasses aside from the detachable jawbones.
| Rating | Design: A- Optics: A Comfort: A Value: A |
| Retail Price | $94.95 / $99.95 (nordic lens) / $104.95 (colorama version) |
| Measured weight (in g) | 34 |
| Likes | + Competitive price + Removable jawbone for customizable look + Comfortable fit with adjustable nose piece and temples |
| Dislikes | – Visible molding lines – Jawbones variations not sold separately – Colorama options limited to only frame and jawbone |
| Where to Buy (US) | Bliz |
UNBOXING
Despite the more affordable price point, Bliz packages the Fusion sunglasses in a premium sleek black folding hard case. With a leather like texture and debossed Bliz branding on top it looks and feels upscale. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Fusion sunglasses w/ jawbone installed
- Extra jawbone
- Fabric cleaning cloth
- Nose piece
- User manual
For our matte white frame, the black jawbones came pre-installed while the extra jawbones are white. The additional nose piece can be used in place of the jawbones for a frameless bottom look.
FIT & FINISH
Out of the box, the most striking thing about the Fusion sunglasses is their aggressive cylindrical design. Where normal sport sunglasses have a gradual curve for a more secure fit (especially compared to lifestyle/streetwear sunglasses that are flat), the Fusions have a nearly circular profile that extends through the temples. This wrap-around design means the sunglasses stay in place even when the roads get rough. Combined with the oversized frame design, your field of view is also wide and open with the temples and nose piece nearly invisible. Bliz offers the sunglasses in a variety of colors from subtle matte white/black to flashy shiny red and blue colors. For only a few extra dollars, the Bliz Colorama customization option also lets you mix and match from 14 colors for the frame and jawbone. However, unlike other customization programs you can’t select the logo colors or the temple color independently. We were also surprised to find that Bliz doesn’t sell the jawbones separately – so choose your colors carefully.
For this review, we choose the matte white frame variation which includes a contrasting black jawbone and black temples. An additional white jawbone is included which gives the sunglasses sleek uniform full frame appearance. The oversized frame and angular lens design mean they look great on or off the bike. The Bliz logos are embossed on the center of the frame and both temples in contrasting black which are a bit more prominent than some other sunglasses such as the POC Aim or Bollé Chronoshield. Interestingly, on the inside of the right temple Bliz also prints the model number and lens category – which is odd as you can swap out lenses with one of a different filtering category.
The removable jawbones are a nice touch and with the two variations included allow you to change up the style of the sunglasses on the fly. Removing them takes a bit of force but if you start with the sides and then pull downward they are easy to swap. Similarly, the lenses are held to the frame using notches and have a tight and secure fit. Again with some careful force they come out making it easy to swap out for different seasons or just to change up the style. One thing we did notice is that on the inside of the lens there are visible molding lines that aren’t visible from the exterior of the sunglasses. With the jawbones removed, the Fusion sunglasses look similar to the Bollé Lightshifter with the vented lens and aggressive angles.
OPTICS
We tested two lenses for the Fusion sunglasses – the included Smoke with Red Multi lens (filter category 3, with VLT of 14%) and the Nordic Light lens (filter category 2 – begonia/violet). The Smoke and Red Multi lens is a higher category lens that was well suited for the sunny days we rode it with. The red base tint works well to brighten and enhance imperfections on the road when you’re riding. We also tried the Nordic Light lens which is specifically designed for low light or flat light options. The begonia/violet base color of the lens helps enhance color perception and brighten even dreary overcast days. Despite the filter category 2 rating, we found the Nordic lens to be a great option for overcast days where typical sunglasses were too dark.
COMFORT
At first glance, the highly curved shape of the Fusion’s design makes them look like they are optimized for smaller faces. However, thanks to the flexibility of the frame and the adjustable temples and nose piece we found the Fusion to be quite comfortable and had a similar fit compared to standard medium/large frames. After you adjust the temples they hold their position thanks to the rubber wire core making it easy to customize the fit. The flexibility of the temples also makes the sunglasses easy to store on a helmet without any discomfort. With the vented lens and Bliz’s Hydro Lens technology, we found that the Fusion sunglasses didn’t fog up even on slow climbs.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Bliz Fusion sunglasses to be well priced with clear optics. The aggressive cylindrical shape and oversized design provide a wide field of view. Whether you choose a standard color scheme or customize them with the Colorama option, the Fusion sunglasses also offer two removable jawbones and a separate nose piece to let you mix up the style on the fly. These features as well as the folding hard case mean the Fusion sunglasses provide premium features without the premium price tag – even the replacement lenses are affordable. The only minor issues we found with the sunglasses were the visible molding lines on the inside of the frame and the fact that removing the lens takes a fair amount of force. Otherwise the optics of the standard lenses and Nordic Light lenses were distortion free and had great color rendering. If you’re looking for a set of high performance sunglasses without paying too much the Bliz Fusion sunglasses are a great option.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Bliz. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.