POC Eyewear - Is there anything better?

So, my friends at POC started sending me sunglasses and helmets to evaluate about a year ago, and they JUST sent me another round of gear to test. There was a pair of the new DEVOURs in the box, so I thought this would be a good time for a run-through of everything they’ve sent me...Allright, so what I have in front of me is the REQUIRE in tortoise with a silver mirror clarity lens, the DEFINE with a slightly lighter MTB Silver Mirror... and then the AIM, the DO Blade, and new Devour all with multiple POC Clarity lenses in different shades.Show more

I’ve had the DEFINE’s for quite a while, and just got the REQUIRE’s. POC calls these “lifestyle” sunglasses, and the implication is that they’re more designed for wearing casually, but I find this segment of POC’s lineup to be the most versatile: they can be both your daily driver off the bike and a stylish alternative to sort of ‘single purpose’ performance glasses like the AIM when you’re ON the bike. Not everyone wants that big wraparound look, and you can get the same durability, fit, construction, lens quality, and integration with your helmet in a single pair of glasses. And at like over 200 bucks per pop, that’s a huge benefit.

Before we zero in on the AIM, DO Blade, and DEVOUR let’s talk about the Zeiss CLARITY lenses that you’ll find on all of POC’s glasses. When it comes to lenses, other manufacturers tend to start with the “what” rather than the “why” when it comes to shades and gradients. What I mean is POC is a ‘safety first’ company - it’s their north star, and as I’ve said before: the ethos of PROTECTION permeates everything they do. This quote from their site says it better than I can:

“we wanted to push the boundaries of science and innovation and develop unique and enhanced vision technology to give riders the precise levels of light and contrast exactly when they need it….because being able to react a millisecond quicker can often be the difference in a winning run and being able to avoid an accident.”

(Crop and insert photos of the PDF here)

And here’s what that looks like: They partnered with Zeiss, the global leader in optical perfection, and produced lenses that are graded from cloudy to partly cloudy to sunny, and have varying levels of contrast. Some are optimized for the colors of the trail and some are optimized for the colors of the road - it’s almost like applying brightness and contrast to an instagram photo - but the end result is that it makes it easier to see every detail.

I have every color you see in the ‘road’ rainbow for my AIMs, Devours, and DO Blades, and my DEFINEs have the Clarity Trail Light Silver and since I’ve got just about every brand under the sun (pun intended) can testify that this is no BS - when compared with my Oakleys, 100%’s, and Smiths, the clarity and contrast is better by a noticeable margin. But the style? Well, that’s decades ahead. Most other brands seem to be stuck in some kind of ricky bobby eastbound and down loop, but not POC. They just...look...cool. And, I’m not sorry that that’s important to me.

With the AIM you get a big, but not gigantic, mostly frameless wraparound setup that’s light as a feather and integrates well with just about any helmet. Same goes for the DO Blade - but it’s framed at the bottom which limits the range of vision a little. They’re also slightly heavier than the AIMs but work better if you wear a cap under your helmet.

The DEVOUR is a totally different beast. They’re YUGE with a Y, but they don’t look goofy or like they’re trying too hard. They’re literally as big as a pair of goggles, but with a sunglasses frame and more traditional temple pieces. I’ve only got a few rides under my belt with them, so tune in for a more detailed review in a month or so. First impressions, though, are pretty solid. Mostly because I suffer from very dry eyes, AND live in a very dry climate - so these help keep that at bay much better than smaller glasses.

But, that kinda begs the question: which one is my favorite? What’s my go-to? Honestly the DEFINE lenses and frames are a bit too light and transparent, so the REQUIRE with the darker frame and lens combo is my daily driver OFF the bike, but surprisingly it’s the DO blade that i find myself reaching for most often. They fit my face perfectly, and since i always wear a cycling cap under my helmet to absorb sweat, the low profile tucks up under the bill better than the AIM or the Devour. I also prefer the straight temple pieces to the more traditional L-shaped ones on the DEVOUR because they play nice with my helmet straps and have a smaller contact patch with my head. And I usually leave one of the rose-colored, silver mirror lenses in because they’re perfect for just about any light condition, even riding at dusk and dawn.

Overall, you can’t really go wrong with POC eyewear - they have a broad selection, so you can definitely find a style or two that fits.