A large part of Magicshine’s success as a brand has been their ability to offer affordable high-quality products. We’ve consistently seen that with their bike lights which are brighter and offer more features than mainstream brands. In this review, we’ll be looking at Magicshine’s latest Windbreaker sunglasses which are one of Magicshine’s first cycling apparel products. As with their bike lights, the Windbreaker sunglasses offer an impressive value with a retail price of $44.99 for the standard lenses, $59.99 for photochromic lenses and $74.99 for polarized lenses. The Magicshine Windbreaker sunglasses offer a wide field-of-view thanks to oversized lens shape and a frameless design. Despite the budget price, the Windbreaker sunglasses have lightweight TR90 frames, impact-resistant lenses and UV4000 protection.
The Magicshine Windbreaker are budget friendly oversized sunglasses with a sleek frameless design and aggressive shape.
Retail Price | $44.99 (classic) / $59.99 (photochromic) / $74.99 (polarized) |
Rating | Design: B+ Optics: A Comfort: A Value: A+ |
Measured weight (in g) | 28 (classic / photochromic), 30 (polarized) |
Likes | + Affordable prices + Frameless len has a wide field-of-view + Offered in a variety of colors and lens option |
Dislikes | – Colors aren’t as vivid as higher-end brands – Excessive branding – Unnecessary use of plastic in packaging |
Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine Windbreaker sunglasses come in compact white cardboard boxes with branding and specs printed onto it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Windbreaker sunglasses
- Branded zippered hard case
- Fabric carrying bag
- Cleaning cloth
- Info pamphlet
We were happy to see Magicshine include both a zippered hard case and the fabric carrying bag as you have more ways to travel with the sunglasses. The only negative we have to bring up is the excessive use of plastics in the packaging as the sunglasses have plastic temple arm covers as well as an unnecessary plastic bag.
FIT & FINISH
Magicshine has chosen a frameless shield design to give the Windbreaker sunglasses an sporty appearance. The lenses have sharp corners and contours at the corners to give the sunglasses an aggressive look. Magicshine offers the sunglasses with standard lenses, photochromic, and polarized lens options to accommodate nearly any rider. Depending on which version you choose, there are also multiple lens and frame color options from high contrast white / orange, white / teal to black. Although there is no customization option, the color combinations are attractive with the accent colors shared between the temple arm pads and logos. There are Magicshine logos on each temple arm and on the center of the lens for brand identify which seems a little excessive.
While the Windbreaker sunglasses have large oversized frames, the design itself is fairly constrained. It’s an attractive design but conservative enough that you could easily swap in another brand logo like Oakley or Smith and no one would question it. Unlike the ROKA Matador Air or Oakley Kato which have polarizing feature, the Windbreakers can easily be worn on or off the bike. Also to note is the frameless design Windbreaker sunglasses do not offer interchangeable lenses as the temples are not removable. The fit of the sunglasses can easily be adjusted as the nosepiece and temple arms have anti-slip and flexible rubber materials.
ON THE ROAD
Although the oversized sunglass trend can be a bit controversial, it’s hard not to like the wide field-of-view they offer. The tall and wide lens design of the Windbreaker and frameless construction mean you never see the edges of the sunglasses while riding. It’s a highly immersive experience that provides a clear view and protects your eyes from debris and wind. We found the Windbreaker sunglasses to be comfortable to wear and were impressed with the clarity of the lenses. Despite the curved shape, the Windbreaker sunglasses have no distortion or non-uniformity in the lens coatings.
The only difference we found between the WIndbreaker and more expensive sunglasses like the Smith Bobcat or POC Devour is that color enhancement and contrast improvement aren’t quite as good. Instead, the Windbreaker is closer to the actual color with some darkening depending on the lens you choose. We found the photochromic lenses to be quite useful as well as they can adjust between Cat 1-3 depending on the lighting conditions. We do wish Magicshine had a more detailed lens description as their website doesn’t give specific VLT (visible light transmission) for each individual lens which would’ve made it easier to select the right lens for your environment.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine Windbreaker to be well designed and comfortable sunglasses. Despite the budget price, the Windbreakers have impact resistant lenses and lightweight TR90 frames that are common features with high-end sunglasses. The large lenses with frameless design mean you have a wide field-of-view which is perfect for high-intensity activities like running or cycling. Even though the Windbreaker sunglasses have a somewhat common shield design and lack the name recognition Oakley or POC might have, they are good value with multiple color and lens options. One of the main downsides is the color enhancement isn’t as punchy as we’ve seen with Smith’s Chromapop or Oakley’s Prizm lenses. That said, if you’re looking for some oversized cycling sunglasses that won’t drain your bank account, the Windbreakers are a good option.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Magicshine. 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.