The POC Elicit are one of POC’s lightest sunglasses and were developed to optimize coverage and performance. They were originally launched in 2022 but POC has recently updated the sunglasses with an improved temple attachment design based on user feedback and Toric lens shape. At only 23 grams, the $280 Elicit is a super light full frameless sunglass design with interchangeable lens feature. POC has used a bio-grilamid material on the temple and nose pad to reduce the environmental impact and keep the weight down. The Elicit comes with an additional clear lens with a dedicated holder in a premium zippered base.
The POC Elicit Toric combines a sleek lens shape with super lightweight construction to optimize comfort and field of view.
| Retail Price | $280 |
| Rating | 8.9 / 10 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 23 |
| Likes | + Super lightweight with frameless design + Classic POC styling with modern appearance + Wide field of view with excellent optics from Clarity lens |
| Dislikes | – Premium price – Swapping lens requires patience and precision with small tabs on temple arms |
| Where to Buy (US) | POC |
UNBOXING
The POC Elicit comes in an aluminum foil like ziplock bag with POC branding printed on the outside. Once you open the bag you’ll find:
- Zippered hard case
- Elicit sunglasses
- Spare clear lens
- 2x alternative nosepads
- Informational pamphlet
The foil-like appearance of the outer bag is a bit strange but helps keep the sunglasses and all the accessories protected from dust or damage.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Elicit sunglasses have POC’s classic silhouette with an oversized lens and smooth curves. The design has a minimalist approach with a single large lens and beveled corners. To minimize the weight, POC has utilized a frameless design which has temple arms and small nose pad that attach directly to the lens. Despite the frameless design, the Elicit has an interchangeable lens design which means you can remove the temple arms and nose pads to swap in different lenses. POC also offers the sunglasses in an impressive eleven combinations with matte frames and a variety of POC’s Clarity lens colors. The frame colors match POC’s unique helmets with colors like Uranium Black and Fluorescent Orange White as well as Clarity Road and Clarity Trail lenses.
For this review, we have the classic Hydrogen White frame with the Clarity Road Sunny Silver Cat 3 lens. The sunglasses have a matte finish with the white color on the temples and the nose pad. It’s an iconic color combination that pairs well with POC helmets like the POC Cytal in the same Hydrogen white combination. As you would expect, branding on the sunglasses is minimal with POC written vertically at the edges of the temple arm and “Clarity by POC” along with “Lens by Zeiss” printed along the top of the lens. Note, POC sells two versions of the Elicit Toric which have elongated curved lens and the standard flatter Elicit. The toric lens is designed to minimize the airflow that reaches your eyes to improve clarity.
As with any pair of sunglasses, the lenses are the most important feature. The POC Elicit uses POC’s Clarity lenses which have an oversized and curved shape to optimize visibility. Our lens is the Clarity Road with the Silver Cat 3 lens that has a 10-13 VLT that is optimized for sunny conditions. The lenses also have nice detailing with beveled corners that create a visual edge on the lens. One of the other unique features of the Elicit are the truss style temple arms. These mimic a bridge truss design with thin angled connectors to connect the top and bottom edges. POC has updated the way the temple arms attach to the lens to make them more secure. They have a tab on the inside that can be depressed to pull the temple arms off the lens.
The temple arms also have a snap-hinge design that makes the sunglasses easy to put on or take off. To optimize the fit, the nose pads have a malleable rubber design with a non-slip material. POC even includes two additional nose pads with different shapes that can be swapped in. Each side of the nose pad is held on with small hooks which means you simply pull down on them to remove them.
ON THE ROAD
The one-size-fits-all approach worked well with our face as the temple arms and lens are all very flexible allowing the sunglasses to conform around different sized heads. It’s border-line flimsy feeling compared to stiffer frameless sunglasses like the Oakley Kato but it helps eliminate any pressure points. The tips of the temple arms have nice rubber padding that holds them in place and distributes pressure. As with the POC Aim sunglasses we previously reviewed, the Zeiss produced Clarity lenses have excellent optics with no distortion and a nice color balance. The Elicit Toric’s curved lens shape works well to deflect wind and create a nice wide field of view.
Paired with a matching POC helmet like the POC Cytal in the same color scheme, the Elicit have a nice understated design. While the product name “Elicit” sounds extreme, the Elicit glasses have the same smooth and restrained styling POC is known for. That means the Elicit works well on or off the bike which is something you can’t say about the more extreme POC Devour sunglasses or retro sunglasses like the Smith Ultralite. The only negative thing we have to say is that the lens swap procedure is a bit intimidating as you have to use a small tool to push down on the release tab of the temple arm. We’re impressed that POC even made the frameless Elicit sunglasses with an interchangeable lens feature, but it’s not very user friendly to do the swap.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the POC Elicit Toric to be attractive and well made sunglasses. POC’s updated toric lens shape not only looks sleeker but helps optimize airflow. The frameless design is also super light at 23 grams with flexible thin temple arms and a frame to help it conform around your face. We found it to be comfortable for all-day rides with no pressure points with the swappable nose pads as a nice way to customize the fit. While the truss design of the temple arms might be too industrial for some people, it’s a unique design feature that helps the sunglasses stand out and looks good in the various frame color options. As far as negatives, the Elicit Toric are very expensive and removing the temple arms to change lenses isn’t user friendly. That said, the POC Elicit offers modern styling with a lightweight design that’s perfect for any length ride.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by POC. 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.