Uvex Sportstyle 810 V sunglasses review

We've tested Uvex's photochromatic sunnies through the highlights and lowlights of a British summer.

Uvex Sportstyle 810 V cycling sunglasses
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Uvex Sportstyle 810 V sunglasses are a nice pair of sunnies with quality lenses and a good level of tinting that isn’t too dark to see details, but they have a slightly hard-plastic feel

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Wide field of view

  • +

    Not too dark to see details

  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Slightly plasticky feel to side arms

When I put the Uvex Sportstyle 810 V sunglasses on indoors, the lenses were pretty colourless and I had the feeling once I set out to ride that they still were. So I took them off to have a look, to find that they’d actually turned quite dark grey. The tinting is subtle enough to not really notice, so it gives a lot of contrast and road detail when out riding, yet it still provides a decent level of protection from bright sun.

>>> Review: Uvex Race 1 helmet

Uvex claims that the Sportstyles cover protection levels against the sun from S0 to S3 (with S0 being effectively clear and S3 being for bright sunlight; S4 is not suitable for driving but good for crossing glaciers). My experience above suggests that this is accurate. There are mirrored photochromatic and non-photochromatic versions as well as these non-mirrored photochromatic ones on test.

Side arms can be cold-moulded to fit

Side arms can be cold-moulded to fit

I’m not normally a fan of full rimmed sunglasses for riding, preferring open sides and bottom for uninterrupted peripheral vision, but the Uvex Sportstyle 810 V sunglasses have sufficiently large lenses and a wrap around style so that I didn’t really notice the frames. And the curvature and lens size means that there’s very little unfiltered light finding its way around the sides.

>>> The sunglass-saving device you never knew you needed

Watch: how to dress for hot conditions

Despite the large lenses, I did not find misting a problem. There’s a ventilation slot in the side of each lens and Uvex says that the lenses are anti-fog treated too. The Sportstyles are comfortable to wear for extended periods; they have a wide, rubberised, adjustable nosepiece. The temple grips are rubberised and can be bent to ensure a good fit. The plastic from which the frame and side pieces are made feels a bit unyielding compared to some other makes’, although they are durable and comfortable enough in use.

Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Paul Norman

Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.

He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.