Review: POC's Do Half Blade Clarity Glasses - Premium Price & Performance

Nov 20, 2019
by Daniel Sapp  
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POC are well known for their mountain bike helmets, pads, and gloves, but the Swedish company also has a full line of performance and lifestyle glasses and goggles.

The POC Do Half Blade glasses fall very much into the performance category, with a look that is anything but subdued. POC states that the glasses were developed for road cycling, but over the last year and a half I've validated that they are appropriate eyewear for the mountain bike as well.

The glasses are designed to be lightweight and durable, impact and weather resistant. This is critical as the frame has to flex some for durability and to allow users to swap between different lenses. There are hydrophilic rubber inserts on the inside of the arms where they contact the temple and on the nose piece to keep the glasses securely on the head.
Do Half Blade Clarity Details
• Carl Zeiss lens
• Anti-fog, RIPEL liquid repellence coating
• Hydrophilic rubber on nose and temple
• VLT: 32% (as tested)
• Weight:
• Interchangeable lenses
• Color Tested: Propylene Red Translucent / Zink Orange
• MSRP: $260 USD
www.pocsports.com


photo
The Crave (left), Do Half Blade (middle), and Aspire (right). All three glasses have a similar style "high-performance, racy, solar-shield" look to them but the fit is very different. The Do Half Blade work incredibly well on the mountain bike.
photo
The more conforming fit of the Do Half Blade (middle) works well on the trail.

The Do Half Blade has a frameless bottom on the lens to allow a greater field of vision and the Carl Zeiss Clarity lenses have an anti-fog treatment to keep the field of vision clear as possible. There are also vents at the top of the lens where it meets the frame to allow for further ventilation.

According to POC, the Clarity lenses are made to filter specific peaks in the color spectrum to enhance all-day precision vision and the lenses are available in several different categories depending on need. Spare lenses are not included but the lenses are interchangeable. Different lenses cost between $60-$70 USD depending on which one you choose.


photo


Performance

I've been riding in the Do Half Blades for over 18 months. I have also been wearing POC's Crave glasses, which are very similar, but slightly more "mountain bike specific" according to POC. Overall, there's not a lot of difference in the two except in lens style and selection. The fit is nearly the same, while the POC's Aspire model fit significantly larger.

The lens on the Do Half Blades I have is a Brown/Light Silver Mirror with a 32% VLT. POC calls this lens a "category 2 trail tint." This allowed plenty of light through them and provided a good read on the terrain in a myriad of light conditions. Dawn and dusk would be better served by a slightly lighter or clear lens, but even in the jungles of Appalachia I have been pleased with the light brown lens. Additionally, there is a clear "Category 0" lens offered by POC for lower light conditions.

photo
The brown category 2 lenses do an excellent job of keeping things clear in the forest.

Lens fogging is common in a lot of climates, especially those with higher humidity. It's pretty much inevitable that it's going to happen to any eyewear, but it's important that you can manage it. The Do Half Blades do a better job than any glasses I've had at staying clear. On extra warm or humid days they still incur some fogging if I'm stopped at the top of a climb, but once I'm on the move they'll clear up in a matter of a second or two.

Even after throwing the glasses in the back of my car on more than one occasion (per week) and over a year's worth of riding, they've remained relatively scratch free. Given the amount of use they've received - literally hundreds of rides, and how well they have outlasted multiple other pair of riding glasses, they're the most durable glasses I've had.

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The glasses fit well with every helmet I wore except for POC's own Tectal Race. The helmet tends to push down on the arms making the glasses slightly uncomfortable. This is more of a helmet issue than a glasses issue but worth keeping in mind if you're trying to stay on brand.

Last but not least is helmet fit. The Do Blades fit well with all helmets I have used them with. POC claim that they are designed to work with their Octal helmet which is a little more geared towards XC or road than aggressive trail, so I ran down to the local bike shop to pick up an Octal to double-check this. The glasses do fit well with the Octal while you're wearing them, however, the rubber pads on the helmet that are intended to help stow the glasses on the helmet when you don't want them on your eyes don't do their job. The glasses do not interface as well as I'd hoped with either the Octal or the Tectal Race helmets from POC.

photo

The arms of the glasses feel a little pushed down when wearing POC's Tectal Race helmet, and sizing up to POC's Aspire glasses (pictured) makes things incredibly uncomfortable with their own helmet, for what it's worth. With the Do Half Blade glasses, I had no fit or comfort issues when riding in my Specialized Ambush helmet.


Pros

+ Great fit, excellent eye protection, minimal fogging
+ Interchangable lenses
+ Excellent durability

Cons

- Pricey, should include a clear lens with them
- Fit with POC helmets specifically isn't great

Pinkbike's Take
bigquotesI've only had one pair of glasses that's lasted more than a riding season over the last decade, and the Do Half Blade are that pair. These glasses have become the surest staple in my riding kit and I'm anxious anytime I feel that I've misplaced them. They have stood up to a lot of riding and abuse better than I could ask for and done their job ride after ride. The inclusion of a clear lens to the package of mtb models would be a good move by POC, but otherwise I'd say that they're one premium product worth their premium price. Daniel Sapp


Author Info:
danielsapp avatar

Member since Jan 18, 2007
476 articles

150 Comments
  • 127 1
 Anyone else read keep reading Do Half in a Rammstein voice? Just me? Ok nevermind then
  • 49 0
 Do Do Half Do half blade
  • 35 0
 Do Half Blade Carl Zeiss Do Half Blade Carl Zeiss
  • 3 0
 nicht die Nacht!
  • 21 27
flag WAKIdesigns (Nov 20, 2019 at 6:40) (Below Threshold)
 This is genuine comment gold
  • 2 0
 hahaha was exactly my first thought!
  • 5 1
 I think its funny people actually have time to read about some fugly glasses.
  • 11 9
 @jorgeposada: you’d have to see 5 page long discussion on dorkiest Swedish site on whether to run valve caps on presta or not...
  • 2 0
 oh god, its awesome joke
  • 2 0
 du hast mich yeah, just after reading the title
  • 3 0
 As a Canadian living in Germany I can say all I read was "POC glasses: expensive for no reason."
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Poor Waki can’t ever get a break, huh?
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: no caps. Rotational weight..
  • 32 3
 Sunglasses should never cost even a quarter of this price unless they've got prescription lenses. The cost to produce this is likely pennies, but the sunglasses industry has been selling the idea that sunglasses are an expensive commodity for the last 20 years, and we've all just bought in to it. Stop buying this over priced shit, and this problem will solve itself.
  • 7 5
 I have expensive glasses for fishing, because the lenses are polarized and very clear. They were worth the cost because of said quality and clarity, have lasted 5yrs so far, and I expect them last at least another 10. Now, riding a bike in the woods usually involves shit flying in your face and hard impacts with the ground, so expensive glasses are a waste of money there. Any good hardware store should have some quality safety glasses that are reasonably clear, certified impact resistant, don't look half-bad, and are pretty cheap.
  • 8 7
 The cost of sunglasses isn't decided arbitrarily by some dudes in an office who want to maximize the amount they want to rip you off. The major eyewear companies (Smith, Oakley, etc) have major overhead costs. Think about it this way: How many pairs of sunglasses would they need to sell to continue to afford athletes like Shaun White? Or to have front and center sponsorship at the Olympics? Or to pay your favorite MTB athlete a decent salary.

People demand that mountain bike athletes be paid fairly, and have good benefits but then hem and haw when they have to pay money for a product that directly helps their favorite athlete get paid.
  • 1 0
 wait awhile and pick up on the site everybody loves to hate, SteepandCheap (owned by backcountry.com) - got a set of Smith Envoy and Smith pivlock arena max for $100 - retail would have had me at $400
  • 15 0
 @skycripp: Nah dude, it's not about any of that. Read up about how Luxottica changed the sunglasses industry.

Here's one of many articles about it: www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-glasses-lenscrafters-luxottica-monopoly-20190305-story.html
  • 1 0
 What you seem not to realize is that for the majority of people with what they want to believe is "disposable income" expensive is the unequivocal equal to quality.
  • 3 0
 @skycripp: cue the next article about some pro having to work in the winter and the pinkbike armada screaming "The industry needs to pay them more money!!!!!"
  • 3 0
 I used to work at an opticians and the mark up on frames and lenses is ridiculous.
Staff used to get our glasses at cost price plus vat and I got a pair of Armani glasses that retail for £325 for £7!! With prescription lenses!
So yes, most plastic framed sunglasses will likely cost no more than a couple of pounds at cost.
  • 2 1
 @skycripp that’s the most boot licking-est comment I’ve ever read on here. We need to pay corporations with millions in profit so they can afford athletes? WOW
  • 2 0
 @Shibby187: Do you want athletes to be fairly compensated for risking their lives and providing us with entertainment? Pick your poison. A company with razor thin margins can't afford to pay athletes well. End of story.
  • 2 0
 @HankBizzle: Okay, a few things here:

1) Armani is a brand that has consciously positioned themselves in the luxury market. Everyone knows the glasses aren't worth what they pay, but the people who buy them gladly spend the extra money to be perceived as wealthy. It's the same with Gucci, Luis Vitton, Hermes, etc.
2) A brand like Armani also has astronomically high costs, so *some* of that markup is necessary to maintain their status as a luxury brand. They have to pay to keep stores open in very expensive areas (5th Avenue in NY, shopping malls in Dubai, Hyde's Park in London), take out expensive full page adverts in the WSJ and fashion magazines, hire the best/hottest fashion models on the street, pay for tv adverts on prime television.

I don't think anyone would fail to understand that there is massive mark up in a product if you only have to pay for the product itself. But there are a lot of other things to consider that most people don't seem capable of wrapping their heads around: cost of manufacturing is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the overall balance sheet of a manufacturing company. Hell, even the ransom insurance owned by the CEO likely costs a few million bucks a year.
  • 1 0
 @skycripp: When I said about us buying the glasses at cost plus vat, I'm talking about the cost price to the retailer. So none of that mark up goes to the manufacturer or designer, all of that profit goes to the retailers. So nothing to do with paying the sponsorships or any CEO's fat pockets.
  • 24 1
 My only comment about open bottom glasses that no one ever talks about is their ability to slice open your cheek in a crash. Helmet pushes down on glasses and the lens slices into cheek. It’s a nasty cut, in that regard for trail glasses I prefer to stick to closed bottom glasses. Thankfully POC has a pair that fits the bill????
  • 5 0
 @inceptioncyclery excellent point that I've never considered. I know what my next glasses will look like.
  • 7 0
 I've found some guides ask you to not wear open bottom glasses because they don't want to deal with more of this type of injury.
  • 7 1
 Ooh never thought of this, so POC = Protection Of Cheek!
  • 3 1
 @Riggbeck: I remember a guide telling me that a twice he had people just about chop their eyebrows off due to exposed edges at the top of the lens.
  • 25 0
 Luckily I only wear sunglasses with a full face.
  • 3 28
flag blowmyfuse (Nov 20, 2019 at 7:10) (Below Threshold)
 @Riggbeck: I would tell the guide to worry about themself.
"Dear guide...shut your hole. Let's do this."
Sincerely...paying customer.
  • 3 0
 My concerns exactly. I have seen a few friends get really messed up from open lens glasses cutting their face. ER visits and stitches.
  • 11 0
 @blowmyfuse: I had a similar response before leading a trip in Nepal, only I gave advice on properly washing cutlery and hands before eating, 10 days later I was the only one on the trip to not get the shits. Some advice has merit.
  • 5 0
 This is unfortunately true, seen it happen first hand. Nobody should be wearing open edge glasses for any type of high risk sport. Selling these as protection for mtb is cynical at best.
  • 2 1
 Yep, a minor low impact crash gave me small cuts on my cheeks which pointed out that during a major crash, I could end up with serious damage!

Which is why I use Ryders Roam frames with their Fyre lens. Bottom framed for protection, no upper frame for amazing venting and the Fyre lens works extremely well... I basically forget I'm wearing these no matter the conditions. Cheaper than these POC's too.

www.ryderseyewear.com/ca-en/catalog/product/view/id/14271/s/roam/#pdp-lens-tech
  • 3 0
 I cant grow enough of a porn-stache for these glasses
  • 4 1
 @islandforlife: are they impact resistant though? I couldn't really find any info Ryders website. I had a pair of Ryder Nelsons nearly take out my left eye in a crash. Where the arm and frame meet dug into my face leaving with gaping hole just millimeters from eye. The lens also popped out and dug into my lower eyelid leaving scar there. Now granted the Nelsons are more off an off bike pair of glasses. Impact resistance is just something that I think all riders should considered before putting a pair glasses on for a ride.
  • 8 0
 @deiru: The lenses in all pairs of Ryders are premium-grade injected polycarbonate and are extremely impact resistant. The NXT lenses found in our FYRE collection even more so. Sorry to hear about the crash. If you'd like to DM us we can talk about it further and see about getting you a new pair under warranty.
  • 4 1
 @islandforlife: Soooo, you'll just get cut above your eyes in the event of a crash, not below. I think that the point is to source glasses that have a frame that wraps fully around the lens.
  • 3 0
 I have seen two cases directly of open lenses cutting deep just under the eyes! For me only closed glasses! These are crazy dangerous in my opinion.
  • 2 0
 Yep I had 5 stitches in the bridge of my nose from the POC closed bottom glasses. Issue is the nose pad does not cover the lens and the lens is even with the frame and nose piece. Took a good crash and the glasses took a flap of skin down my nose as the rotated slighty enough to act as a blade. The glasses have to be closed bottom around the entire lens. I switched to the Oakley Sutro and am really stoked on those. I think if I had the sutro or goggles instead of the POCs I wouldn’t have had a scratch.
  • 1 0
 @pdxkid: Never seen or heard of anyone cutting above your eyes? Maybe it has something to do with the way a face is shaped... if glasses get driven into your face, your cheeks nose and bridge stick out and are easy to cut, but your forehead is behind your glasses and drops away as you go up... then you have your helmet in the way.
  • 2 0
 @deiru: This page covers their impact resistance in a couple spots - www.ryderseyewear.com/ca-en/lens-tech
  • 2 0
 @islandforlife: thanks man
  • 10 0
 FIT WITH POC HELMETS:

Thats exactly my problem. I own a Tectal Race for some months and the lid is awesome but I cant find a good fitting pair of glasses for it. I have different Oakley Radars, a Poc Crave and some other bike glasses and they are alle pushed down by the helmet. Seriously POC, even your own glasses do not fit???

Its sad to have found the perfect helmet but now not beeing able to ride with sunnys anymore!
  • 5 1
 Time to make the switch to goggles Bru!
  • 4 1
 @landscapeben: No way with the half lid!
  • 3 0
 I wear Oakley Field Jackets with my Tectal Race and I find the fit is excellent. But there always a lot of factors in both helmet and glasses fit. Goodluck with your search!
  • 1 0
 @drake88: Thanks, maybe I should try them...
  • 1 0
 Jawbreakers fit perfect
  • 1 0
 @Chridel: I do with a Giro Chronicle MIPS, works a treat!
  • 4 0
 You could try having your ears lowered.
  • 2 0
 @Bob-Agg: First good solution! I will visit my ear specialist next week!
  • 7 0
 I have yet to find any sunglasses that fit well with the POC Tectal helmet. Every pair impacts with arms and the side of the helmet like the review mentions. Which sucks because the helmet fit is one of the best IMO.
  • 3 0
 oakley jawbreaker isn't too bad, ime. best of the bunch i've tried
  • 2 0
 agreed. I've found myself just taking the glasses off midway through the ride. It's bad when the poc glasses don't fit the poc tectal lol
  • 10 5
 That price tag automatically makes me want nothing to do with this. I've been using $11 wish.com glasses for the last two years and I guarantee I get way more value per dollar spent than these. Plus they come with a clear lens in the six lenses included.
  • 19 2
 I've seen cheap Chinese plastic lenses shatter and I want nothing to do with that around my eyes. I'll happily spend money on quality impact tested glasses.
  • 13 0
 At least go for the lowes or home depo glasses that have some vague safety rating haha.
  • 8 0
 @bikekrieg: Safety glasses are great since you can get them with clear/various tints and even polarized lenses.
  • 6 0
 @pav4: Yep, been running safety glasses for years. They're great at keeping crap out of your eyes, cheap and light. Carhartt are my go-to, $9 on Amazon and super comfortable.
  • 2 1
 Try getting Smith Attach MTB Padloc's for "half price" and it still being over $100...and the lenses scratching within seconds of getting them out of the box.
They come with a giant case with a padded groove to drop them in...which is what is scratches the lens. Oh...and nobody on their Customer Service line will answer the phone. And if you email them about it, some chic responds with a "could care less about your issue" one line email over a week later.

Never realized how lucky I was to have a buddy at Tifosi in the past.
  • 2 0
 @maxyedor: yeah but you can only afford a spare (counts on fingers) 26 pairs if you only pay £9-10 bucks..............ahhh okay i hear ya
  • 4 0
 $260 is a bit much for glasses that WILL get scratched, banged up, and destroyed. We’re mountain biking, not playing golf or fishing, we will land hard on our faces at some point, expensive glasses will go flying....
  • 12 0
 I find that clingfilm wrapped round your head works well and no chance of shattering.
  • 5 1
 @bigtim: It works great, but I find that theres a performance hit. I get really tired after 80-90 seconds. Maybe I’m doing it wrong.
  • 1 0
 @pav4: And you can spend the $240 dollars you saved on beer.
  • 2 0
 You can get "store display" Oakleys on Ebay for $50-80, the optics are well worth the money. I spent more money trying to find a pair of cheap glasses with lenses that dont badly bloom in direct sunlight or have bad distortion than I did the Oakleys.
  • 1 0
 Should be called Dough Blades instead !
  • 3 0
 @Shawn902: There are plenty of work rated safety glasses that are just as durable and cost less than 20 dollars for a pair.

These are tiny bits of molded plastic being sold for hundreds of dollars.
  • 2 1
 @singleandluvinit: I've never had good luck with cheap glasses. Distortion is always apparent after an hour or so of wearing them and they'll give me a headache
  • 1 0
 @blowmyfuse: Same here but $130 is about all i'm willing to spend. Quality lenses are all i will invest in because of this fact. Plus if taken care of they will last a very long time. Out-of 10 ill try on, cheap or not, only 1 of the higher dollar ones will fit correctly with optimum clarity and field of vision.

Lots of people are careless with there shades and just don't get it.

It baffles me why you got down voted for your comment!
  • 2 0
 @likeittacky: I was downvoted because I am not hardcore. It happens.
  • 1 0
 @blowmyfuse: But you're a Pisgah Pimp! That's Hardcore enough!!
  • 1 0
 @likeittacky: I pimp that forest out all day every day, pushing her goodies on all the boys. Heck, I'll roll her to the ladies too if they swing that hammer.
  • 1 0
 @blowmyfuse: I see how you a got your PB user name! HAHAHA
  • 3 0
 I get having to pay a premium sometimes for high quality gear, but at that price point I’d definitely expect a second tint lens included. I paid about the same $$ for Spy ski googles a couple seasons ago and justified overpaying for the second lens. At least give me a good excuse to over pay :-)
  • 3 0
 Totally agree. Why are glasses soooo much more expensive than goggles, even premium goggles?
  • 1 0
 @danp63: In this particular case,I would guess that having the Carl Zeiss name on it adds $200 to a $60 pair of sunglasses.
  • 2 0
 @danp63: for reals. Why? Goggles are like $30.
  • 4 2
 Dear PB editors, if you're reviewing glasses you should think about people who needs optical lenses for example: me. For me it's the most essential info if i can fit optical lenses there so please keep that in mind in next review.

Thanks.
  • 4 3
 Get contacts or wear goggles. Most shades dont go over glasses. You know this.
  • 2 1
 The best option I've found are NoCry safety glasses on amazon. $20 a pair, clear and tint versions available, UV400 rated.
  • 8 0
 @lognar: I believe they meant glasses that you can get prescription lenses for rather than fitting glasses underneath anoth pair, that being said contacts are definitely the best way to go.
  • 1 1
 @Piazzano: what brand of cycling shades that are compatible with custom prescription lenses?
  • 4 0
 You should look into Uvex safety. I can highly recommend these:
www.uvex-safety.pl/pl/produkty/osobiste-srodki-ochrony-indywidualnej/6341/korekcyjne-okulary-ochronne-uvex-rx-sp-5512
Fully certified with rx lenses appox 150 EUR.
  • 2 1
 @Konyp: good for if you have too many women chasing you around too
  • 3 0
 @lognar: Oakley makes them for Jawbreakers. Expensive af though like $300-500.
  • 4 0
 @lognar: To be fair all sports glasses look very silly to normal people. These at least won't cut your face open in a crash like these POCs.
Not everyone can wear contacts you know.
  • 1 3
 @cgreaseman: had no idea. Thanks!

@konyp congrats on reading the upper comments and getting on the bandwagon. Lacerating your face from the bottom of your shades is so unlikely. And most people can wear contacts... theres only a handful of contraindications to contacts and most of them would make riding a mtb unsafe in the first place
  • 5 0
 @lognar: I don't get what you mean, are you angry at me for some reason? I've seen a person being cut in a fall with open frame Rudy Project Rydons with my own eyes.
As for contacts, yes most people can wear them, this is why I wrote "not everyone". Dry eye for example is very common and a problem when wearing contacts while not a risk for mtb. I myself have tried various contacts many times with different eye drops but my eyes simply reject them.
Rx sport glasses are a simple, convenient and safe solution for the 50% of adults who need vision correction. I just wish more companies would offer them.
  • 1 0
 @lognar: or you go with Shimano RX clip and it work quite good for very good price.
  • 1 0
 @Konyp: sorry bro didnt mean to sound so agro. I still think it unlikely that unframed glasses are dangerous. I think your buddy had a freak accident.

Also there are artificial tears for dry eyes that work great
  • 1 0
 @lognar: No problem.
Artificial tears unfortunately do not help me in regard to contacts. Tried all sensible brands.
  • 1 0
 @Konyp: have you tried refresh plus preservative free drops? They have been keeping me going in my hard contacts.
  • 4 0
 Nobody is going to mention that POC managed to make glasses that don't even fit with their own helmets? Ok, I'll just go on then minding my own business...
  • 1 0
 The worst are Oakley jawbreakers! Cycling specific but they don't work with any helmet because of the arched frame!? Wanna buy em? Cheap!
  • 1 0
 @Beez177: Always a sucker for a bargain, hit me up!
  • 2 0
 Some say Piece Of Cake, some Piece Of Crap and some Piece O O verpriCed.

But making glasses not fitting your POC helmet, slicing your cheeks while crash with a cost like this... where is a review for those with strobo fast reacting lens I maybe would spend the money on for 1-2 seasons of riding before they'll be useless?
  • 5 0
 "Can I speak to the manager" glasses without the bling - but just as ugly
  • 3 0
 That is too good. Asshole glasses.
  • 3 0
 The brand name is quite appropriate as 'POC' is exactly the sound of expensive glasses hitting a stony surface after a drop from eye height.
  • 1 0
 Would love to see a „ridden and rated“ for glasses at some point, or a direct comparison of the several tint types that are out there.

I have Oakley Radars with the prizm trail glass and they’re honestly the best glasses I ever had, but considering that my usual pair of (non-mtb) sunglasses never costs more than 20 bucks that doesn’t mean a lot.
  • 5 0
 oakley jawbreaker, best bike glasses out there!!
  • 2 0
 Got a pair but they don't fit a lot MTB helmets because of the arched frame!?
  • 1 0
 I have the POC Crave, and they are hands down the best riding glasses I've owned. However - and this is a major issue - the clear replacement lenses have now been out of stock for almost a year. It's bad enough that they are not included with the glasses that are supposedly designed specifically for mountain biking, but the lack of even aftermarket availability is a serious drawback. I had a crash that resulted in a scratch right in front of my right eye, and now have to use my shitty old glasses instead.
  • 1 0
 I recently invested in a pair of night riding glasses, cost me 5€. They are rated for impact and clarity and surprizingly have no distortion. The previous pair broke recently, I paid 6€ and they lasted 2 yrs. Plenty of falls and braches on the face in that time. My daytime/good weather sunglasses are polarized and cost 50€. I find expensive glasses are a bad investment for mtbing.
That said, I once tried a pair of oakley prizm something on a trail ride and they were awesome. So yes, their optics are superior, but I still can't justify the price on something that will get scratched and eventually lost or broken.
  • 3 1
 Oakley "Field Jacket" photochromic lenses -have to be some of the best MTB specific glasses on the market. Pricey but worth it.
  • 1 0
 @tips-up
Agreed. I just picked up a pair, they are awesome!
  • 3 0
 I certainly wonder how much money the make of a pair of glasses like that. The production cost can’t be that high...?
  • 14 18
flag hungrymonkey (Nov 20, 2019 at 6:10) (Below Threshold)
 i wonder how much it also costs to transport and store them, develop them, market them, distribute them, pay their salaries, and make a profit from them, make a profit for their distributors, create jobs for their distributors, pay their distributors salaries etc etc etc etc - presumably around $260...

There's nothing wrong with premium products existing, and there's nothing wrong with cycling brands actually making a profit. Would you like your employer to make less profit? Would you rather bicycle brands made minimal profit, couldn't invest in new things, risked their employees jobs, and eventually folded?

I have no interest in POC - but companies making a profit seems to be some sort of dirty word in cycling. I go on car websites, people never complain at the cost of a ferrari, for example, they just wish they could afford one.

Expensive things exist, but there are loads of cheaper options out there too. nobody is forcing you to buy POC/Oakley/Smith etc etc etc

Ultimately pricing of POC (or whatever) is down to very, very simple economics, which is taught in high school. If the pricing for their product is too expensive for the market, people won't buy them. in this case, they will be on sale later in the year, and next year's product might be cheaper.
If they do sell (or at least sell enough for POC to be happy that they've covered the costs they wanted to, and made the profit from it they want), they've got their prices right.

It's really basic. The market (other cyclists, maybe not you) have created the environment for POC (or Oakley, or Smith, or blah blah blah) to be able to put a $260 pair of glasses out there. If the market didn't exist, neither would the glasses.

I can't buy a ferrari, but i'm not going to lose sleep over it...
  • 6 0
 @hungrymonkey: You've really drunk the coolaid, haven't you?

This is the real truth about cost: items are worth what people will pay for them.

It has nothing to do with production costs, research costs, ( insert here whatever makes you able to sleep at night after buying over priced sunglasses). These companies rely on the fact that you believe that fantasy in order to justify the ridiculous price.
  • 1 4
 @jayacheess: on the contrary, i just understand basic economics. you'll see in my costings that i included their profit in there - why should they not make a profit? or, alternatively, how much profit are they 'allowed' to make in your world?

"This is the real truth about cost: items are worth what people will pay for them."

And that is exactly MY point, if you bothered to read and understand it...
("If the market didn't exist, neither would the glasses").

Seriously - lets say you, @jayacheess , have a product on the market.
You have the ability (as POC clearly do) to sell it at $260, and make a decent profit after your various costs are met. You also have the ability to sell it at (arbitrarily) $100 and make less profit (or, need to shift more units, which ultimately is potentially harder to do, to make the same profit).

Which would you do?
  • 1 1
 @hungrymonkey: I'm not arguing that POC shouldn't try to make as much profit as possible. I'm arguing that consumers should stop buying over priced products if they want producers to stop over pricing them.
  • 3 0
 @jayacheess: also, it is about distribution costs and those are high for sunglasses due to monopolies/cartels (Luxottica etc).

No wonder that the simple sunglasses usually cost double the price of the best mtb goggles, and I'm sure that the goggles are more expensive to produce than the sunglasses.
  • 1 0
 @Archimonde: Yep, Luxoittica is basically ground zero for the overpricing of sunglasses. They nearly cornered the market, jacked up all the prices, and now anyone not owned by Luxottica gets to reap the benefits of their near monopoly pricing. ( POC )
  • 2 0
 When was the last review that did not include some version of the terms “pricey” and/or “overpriced”?
  • 5 1
 Cons - celibacy
  • 2 0
 Well, in fairness, the smelly sausage fest that is mountain biking in general isn't exactly conducive to sexytime. But to be sure, those glasses aren't helping matters.
  • 1 0
 @pinhead907: all true
  • 3 0
 "Do half price off and I still won't buy them"
  • 4 0
 Ali Express $20
  • 2 0
 Those aren't bad, but they fog like a mofo.
  • 3 0
 @Smokee9000: Bought the POC Craves off Ali. Knock offs? not sure but they came with 4 lenses and POC case and the clarity is excellent. Only downside is they took 2 months to get here from China. $20 haha not $260!
  • 2 0
 @Beez177: I had the same experience. Bought the 1/2 frame and full frame. No regrets at all
  • 2 0
 @Smokee9000: I think the difference is only about about antifog coating. And on genuine glasses it gets wiped as you clean them periodically. So the best way is to reapply it with a antifog spray.
  • 1 0
 @Archimonde: Agreed, I need to get the spray
  • 2 0
 Nothing beats the Smith Wildcats for the ultimate endurbro look. It also comes with a clear lens.
  • 3 0
 Wait for it.... "jUsT BuY SaFEty GlASseS"
  • 3 0
 pffff $260 :Rollseyers:
  • 1 0
 Home Depot sunglasses are hard to beat for the money.
Under $10 for the polaroid ones.
  • 3 1
 $260 for riding glasses is the most absurd thing I've ever heard.
  • 1 0
 Carl Zeiss make plastic lenses or are these glass? $260 for plastic...gtfo!
  • 2 0
 Price is fucking ridiculous
  • 1 0
 For nearly 300 bucks I'd much rather keep my excuse to take a break because there's something in my eye.
  • 1 1
 That guy must be smashing his eyes into tons of stuff if he’s never had a set of glasses last more than one riding season. Pretty silly.
  • 2 0
 First I read „half price” but immedietaly noticed how wrong I was...
  • 1 0
 This guy knows how to do product reviews
  • 1 1
 Too much $$. Photocromic safety glasses. $50 max and you don't stroke out when they get lost.
  • 3 2
 I'm taking my pitvipers any day
  • 1 0
 Are these the ones I see on Amazon for $30-40?
  • 1 0
 My prescription glasses cost lest than this...
  • 1 1
 You have to be a dentist to buy those.
  • 1 0
 1/4 of a bike price!!!!!
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