The Equinox sunglasses are one of the more unique designs of Shimano’s 2025 sunglass collection. These are marketed as sunglasses with tech-infused style and versatility that borrow from the S-PHYRE sunglasses. Retail price ranges from $120 with standard RIDESCAPE lens and $140 with photochromic lens option. The sunglasses are semi-frameless with an oversized lens and interchangeable lens design. Shimano has used a Rilsan polyamide frame along with a cutout temple arms to help with helmet compatibility. The sunglasses are offered in nine variations including road, gravel and off road RIDESCAPE lenses.
The Shimano Equinox sunglasses combine a unique design with cycling-discipline specific RIDESCAPE lens options.
| Retail Price | $120-$140 |
| Rating | 9.4 / 10 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 26 |
| Likes | + Unique design with z-shaped temple arms + Oversized lens for wide field of view + Clear RIDESCAPE lenses that are optimized different riding styles |
| Dislikes | – No zippered case |
| Where to Buy (US) | Shimano |
UNBOXING
The Shimano Equinox CE-EQNX5 comes in a simple cardboard box with blue Shimano logos printed on it. It’s a two piece box design with an outer sleeve that slides off, and an opening box inside it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Equinox sunglasses
- Branded fabric carrying bag
- Quick guide for lens / nose pad instructions for Shimano’s full sunglass lineup
- Lens info pamphlet
Shimano does not include a zippered carrying case with the sunglasses which are usually included with other brands.
FIT & FINISH
The Shimano Equinox are semi-frameless sunglasses with unique styling that is optimized for a wide field of view. These have a wrap-around cylindrical single piece lens with extended side corners to keep the sun and debris out. Shimano offers the sunglasses in nine variations with RIDESCAPE Road, Gravel and Off-Road lens options. There are also two options with Photochromic lenses that are only $20 more that can adjust to the environment. All the variations have Rilsan polyamide frames with different matte color options for the standard lenses and transparent gray frames with the photochromic lenses. For this review, we have the white matte frame with the Ridescape RD lens that has a red mirror effect. The design of the sunglasses is unique with a wrap-around visor design that seems to be wider than it is tall. That’s because of the side extensions at the corners of the lens that stick out by about 1/8″ or 3mm.
The one piece lens also conceals the center portion of the frame and sticks slightly upward which gives the sunglasses a frameless appearance. There is also no nose pad bridge which gives the sunglasses a clean look. One of the main selling points for the Shimano sunglasses are their proprietary RIDESCAPE lens technology. It’s Shimano’s lens design that uses specially tuned lenses to optimize them for either road cycling, gravel cycling or off-road. Each lens is tuned to specific colors such as the gray of asphalt for road cycling or the dirt and rock for gravel and mountain biking. All the lenses have a polyamide construction and different coatings to maximize clarity.
We have the RIDESCAPE RD lens which has a 21% VLT which is a category 2 lens that works in sunny or cloudy conditions. It’s not as dark as other lenses on the market though which can be as low as 15% VLT but it has a nice mirrored finish. These are a one-piece lens with an interchangeable design and an included clear lens that can be swapped out for nighttime riding. The lens is surprisingly thick as well which gives the sunglasses a rigid feel. There are also vents on the bottom corners of the sunglasses which help give them a bit of style and help with ventilation.
The temple arms are one of the other unique features of the Equinox sunglasses with an unusual cutout design. They are straight temple arms but have large cutouts with a Z shape for the main structure. A thin extension of material connects along the top of the front half of the temple and a rubber piece covers the cap on the rear. It’s an interesting design that’s slightly offset downward to help with helmet compatibility. There is a black rubber coating on the temple tips to help with comfort and tapered tips to help with flexibility. The nose pads have a reversible design and are attached to the sunglasses using hooks that can be quickly removed. Pulling down on the nose pad releases the hook and lets you flip the nose pad to customize the fit.
ON THE ROAD
While the new Shimano S-PHYRE SL have a sleek frameless design that can blend in with other glasses like POC, the Equinox stand out. The cylindrical visor like lens and side extensions help the sunglasses stand out in an otherwise crowded marketplace. Even the Z-shaped temple arms are something we haven’t seen in this form and work well. While we don’t think they have any functional improvement, there is already plenty of space between helmets, it’s a nice design and comfortable. The RIDESCAPE lenses work great on the road and have a nice distortion free design that helps you forget you are wearing them. Soft touch points on the nose and temple tips eliminate any pressure points and provide a non-slip fit even over rough roads. While the design may not be for everyone, the sunglasses offer great optics and feel well built for daily use.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Shimano Equinox sunglasses to be comfortable and well built. Shimano has incorporated unique design elements with the lens side extensions and the z-shaped temple arms that help the Equinox stand out. As with other Shimano products, everything feels well made with a flexible but strong frame and thick one piece lens. We appreciated details like the overlapping front lens which gives the sunglasses a frameless appearance. The highly curved oversized lens also provides a wide field of view with the RIDESCAPE lenses improving color contrast and brightness. The only downside we found with the sunglasses is that Shimano does not include a zippered cage. That said, the Shimano Equinox sunglasses combine unique styling with high-performance features at a great price point.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Shimano. 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.