Smith Origins
Smith did not start out with making cycling sunglasses. Smith was born in 1965, when Dr. Bob Smith developed sealed thermal lenses and breathable vent foam for ski googles. He began building goggles out of his garage and selling them out of his van. In 1979, he introduces his first pair of sunglasses, the Sunhawk. Ten years later, Smith officially incorporates and begins doing business as Smith Optics.
Smith has over 55 years of experience pioneering the lens technology, with innovations expanding into head protection (Aerocore construction). Smith entering the helmet market allowed for better integration of sunglasses and helmets, this provides better comfort and style while providing superior protection.
Review Video
Unboxing
The glasses come in a black hardcase that is inside of a thin cardboard box. Inside the hardcase, you will find the glasses, spare lens, microfiber storage bag that doubles as a lens cleaner, instructions, and stickers. The hardcase is filled with foam and firmly hold the glasses and protects them when not in use.
Goggles or Cycling Sunglasses?
The Wildcat are goggle inspired cycling sunglasses that provide protection from the sun and debris, but allow for plenty of airflow to keep your face cool. The lens is cylindrical shaped to provide maximum face coverage without being too big or bulky. The nose pads have two positions that allows you to dial in the fit of the glasses.
These are performance cycling sunglasses meant for cyclist who want some stylish glasses without being too flashy. The Get Wild frames may be a little bold for some people, but there are other colors available that are a little tamer.
The Wildcat sunglasses come in six frame color options (Matte Black (all black), White (white frame black temple), Black Cider (black frame with orange temple), Matte Mystic Green (Mystic Green frame black temple, and Get Wild (blue frame pink temple). There are also three lens options, ChromaPop Black, ChromaPop Red Mirror, and Photochromic Clear to Gray. The lens option availability depends on the frame color.
The Black lenses have a visible light transmission (VLT) 10%, which is good for blocking strong sunlight, and the red lenses have a VLT of 15 %. Both style of lenses provides 100% protection from harmful UVA/B/C rays.
The Photochromic lenses vary from 20 – 80% VLT depending on the light conditions. The Photochromic lenses shift from clear to gray when exposed to sunlight. These lenses allow you to comfortably ride in a wide range of lighting conditions.
ChromaPop is Born
In 2013, Smith launched ChromaPop lenses. ChromaPop enhances the clarity and natural color and allows you to see more detail. ChromaPop lenses optimizes the color and enables you to see with an unparalleled vibrancy. ChromaPop increases clarity and helps reduce eye strain.
Lens Swapping
Switching the lens on the Wildcat glasses is relatively simple. First, pull apart the top edge of the frame and the nose bridge to disengage the hooks of the lens. When removing the lower part of the frame, pull on the frame just slightly to the side of the top of the arch of the frame. Next step, remove the sides one at a time, holding the frame arm with one hand and pulling on the center of the lens with the other hand. Installation is the reverse.
The Wildcat Sunglasses
The Wildcat cycling sunglasses under review are the Get Wild frames with the ChromaPop Black Lens. The Get Wild color is a Baby Blue frame with Hot Pink Temples. The frames are quite flexible when twisting them, but they bounce back to their original shape. The arms provide a firm grip to the side of the head that are not too tight. You will not have to worry about them sliding off.
The frames are made from Hybrid TR90 and TPU materials that are very light and durable. The frames have AutoLock hinges that keep the arms open, making it easy to remove and put on the glasses with one hand. The temples and nose pads are made with Megol, a soft non-slip material that provides all day comfort. The glasses are 32.3 g (1.14 oz). The frames are 135 mm (5.3 in.) x 62 mm (2.4 in.) x 125 mm (4.9 in.).
The Smith Wildcat sunglasses retail for $209 for the black and red lenses and $220 for the Photochromic lenses. These are the prices found on the Smith website.
Initial Thoughts
The Smith Wildcat glasses are nice and feel like they are high quality. When looking through the glasses, things look really clear and sharp, and objects “pop”. In relatively low light the black lens is a little too dark, but in full sun, the glasses perform very well. The glasses provide plenty of protection from the sun and will keep you from needing to squint.
The sunglasses are very light and are very comfortable for all day use. The sunglasses are not too large, and they fit comfortably under the brim of a cycling helmet. I think the glasses are pretty stylish and I would recommend them, but my preferred Smith sunglasses for road cycling are the Attack MAG MAX.
Unfortunately, I feel like these cycling sunglasses do not provide quite enough wrap-around coverage. There is a slight gap in coverage in the far peripheral since they do not quite wrap around like the Attack Mag lenses. Though, this is only a minor issue, and is only a preference thing. For full sun conditions, this extra coverage helps reduce eye fatigue.
Riding in Partial Shade Conditions
Riding trails with the 10% VLT lens may seem like they will be too dark, but I find that these lenses perform very well when riding in tree cover when it is full sun out. For low light conditions and full coverage, these are a bit too dark, and the Photochromic lens will be better suited. For dark or evening riding the clear lens are prefect.
Final Thoughts
The Wildcat frames have about a 19.1 mm (0.75 in.) space between them and your face when resting on your nose. At first, one might think the space is too large, but after using them for a while, I realized it is a great feature. The gap allows for plenty of air flow and prevents the lens from fogging up between the bridge of the nose. This is especially important when riding in the woods with humid conditions.
The Megol nose pads grip well to the skin and are designed to get sticker once they get wet. When riding bumpy downhill trails on my mountain bike the glasses stayed in place. On occasion, the glasses would slide down a bit and would need readjusting, but the glasses never fell off my face.
While riding trails with the dark lens, I did not notice any peripheral view issues. It was when wearing the clear lens on my road bike that I did. Since the lens do not wrap around the face completely, the frame arms block a portion of the peripheral view. For trail riding it is not a big issue, but for road riding it is. On the trails, the main focus is on what lies ahead on the path, but for road cycling one needs to be more aware of the surroundings, e.g., passing cars.
Would I recommend these glasses? Short answer, yes. As I previously mentioned, my preferred glasses are the Attack MAG MAX, especially for road cycling. For mountain biking, I like how the Wildcat sit away from my face and allow for more air-flow around the lens, which prevents fogging. The Get Wild color gets bonus points for being stylish. Thus, for off-road trail riding, the Smith Optic Wildcat cycling sunglasses will make a great pair of glasses that provide protection from debris and the sun, and I will continue to use them for this type of riding.
Author Conflicts
I purchased this product with my own money. I did not receive any compensation from Smith Optics to review these cycling sunglasses. The product was reviewed on my own accord to provide information about the product to readers. Hopefully this review has provided useful information to help guide you when deciding to purchase the product.
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Smith Wildcat Sunglasses Wildcat Blue/Chromapop Black
