Walking Equipment and Accessories

Oakley Radar EV Path Sunglasses | Review

Oakley have taken one of their best bits of eyewear and improved it even further

Why We Chose The Oakley Radar EV Path: Durable construction, Prizm lens, lightweight

Oakley’s original Radar eyewear represented everything they’d learned from decades of working with the world’s best athletes. With the taller lens of the Radar EV, and the extended range of view it provides in the upper peripheral view, the team behind the big ‘O’ logo have just raised the bar another notch.

Who Are The Oakley Radar EV Path Sunglasses For?

They might look like the kind of thing an Australian leg spinner would wear while ripping through an English batting line-up in the 1990s, but these sunglasses are primarily for outdoor enthusiasts looking to shield their eyes from the sun’s harmful rays (cricketers, by all means, feel free to wear them too).

“For people who like to move at speed and need a big, open, sighter on the route / path ahead.”

Depending on the Prizm Lens you use with them, you can wear these when you’re road cycling, when you’re out on snow, or when you’re getting active on some sun-drenched trails either on foot or by mountain bike. There’s even a Prizm lens designed specifically for playing golf in if that’s what floats your boat.

The increased range of view offered by the Radar EV Path in the upper peripheral means it’s the ideal product for people who like to move at speed and need a big, open, sighter on the route / path ahead.

Materials

This product is primarily made from Oakley’s lightweight O’Matter frame material. O’Matter is a nylon material. It’s 25% lighter than normal acetate and two times stronger. Because of what they’re made from, the Radar EV Path sunglasses won’t ever feel heavy on your face and will be more than tough enough to handle unexpected impacts.

The Oakley Radar EV has Unobtainium earsocks and nose pads. Unobtainium is Oakley’s innovative, patented, material designed to deliver maximum comfort where you need it most.

Oakley’s Prizm Lens Technology helps you see more clearly and in greater detail. Photo: Mike Brindley

The product is primarily made from Oakley’s lightweight O’Matter frame material. Photo: Holly Burns

The Oakley Radar EV has Unobtainium earsocks and nose pads. Photo: Mike Brindley

Features

Any purchase of the Oakley Radar EV Path sunglasses comes with a protective hard case thrown in for good measure – meaning you can keep them extra safe when they’re not in use.

As well as your choice of Prizm lenses, these glasses are also available with Oakley Authentic Prescription Lenses. It’s not much good protecting your eyes from the sun if you can’t see where you’re going in the first place, so this’ll be a much appreciated option for many.

“The lenses improve your view of the route ahead, and help you to pick out obstacles you might ordinarily have missed.”

We’ll be touching on the Prizm lenses properly shortly but it’s worth pointing out that Polarized and Iridium lens options are available here. Also, shout out to the Oakley performance shield lens technology with HDO. What is that exactly? Well, the HDO stands for High Definition Optics. It means the lenses optimise safety and performance, and have the beans about them to meet the uncompromising demands of professional athletes. Clear, sharp and accurate vision is the order of the day here, with Oakley essentially serving up enhanced clarity for the wearer.

Testing the Radar EV Path in the Lake District. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

Prizm Lens Technology

Oakley’s Prizm Lens Technology is, in a nutshell, all about elevating contrast and colour so that the wearer can see more clearly and in greater detail. The lenses improve your view of the route ahead, and help you to pick out obstacles you might ordinarily have missed. There’s a range of them because each one has been designed with certain sets of outdoor colours in mind.

Depending on the environment you’re primarily spending your time in, you’ll want your lenses to let in a different amount of light. This is what Prizm Lens offer. The Prizm Snow Sapphire lens, for example, has a light transmission score of 13%. This is because the above-the-clouds-sun, and reflection off the snow, will be incredibly bright already. The mountain biking focused Prizm Trail Torch lens, on the other hand, has a light transmission of 35%. This is because, when on the back of your mountain bike, you’ll so often be riding trails situated under shady trees.

Conclusion

The Oakley Radar EV Path has an RRP of £161. The Julbo Aerospeed, meanwhile, is comparatively cheaper – priced around the £100 mark for the non ‘Reactiv’ versions. Both products are excellent in their own right, it’s just that with the Oakley product you’re paying a little bit extra for the vision-enhancing technology and unrivalled comfort.

The Outdoors Magic team found the Radar EV offered great clarity in a range of light conditions. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

Tester’s Verdict

Ryan Van Kesteren, Outdoors Magic staff

“As someone who usually goes for traditional full framed sunglasses, these looked a bit too aerodynamic for me on first impressions, but I’ve since become extremely impressed by what they offer.

“The level of comfort that’s provided by the wrap-around design surpasses any of the shades I’ve worn in the past. To add to that they only weigh 29g – light enough for me to forget that I’m wearing them after half an hour of activity.

“I’ve used the Radar Path EV’s for hill walking, running, bike riding and climbing and they’ve performed well in all situations. When I’ve been working hard and built up a sweat they’ve stayed perfectly in place. The design of the arms also integrates well with my cycling and climbing helmets.

“I’ve also worn them for cycling on overcast days to keep the wind out of my eyes. Then lenses performed perfectly well, even in cloudy conditions. In fact, the Prizm lenses enhanced the contrast of the clouds so much I thought someone might have spiked my water bottle with mushroom tea.

“Although I’ve only used these glasses in summer conditions, the ventilation slits above the lenses have proved to work. After pausing at the top of hill climbs the lenses have steamed up slightly, which then disappeared in no time once I was on the move again.”