PERFORMANCE SUNGLASSES

Not just a stylish addition to your training and racing kit, a decent pair of sunnies are essential for protecting your eyes and helping with clarity on brighter days.

- HELEN WEBSTER

The eyewear we've tested this issue is all suitable for running, but with plenty of crossover for cycling we've considered the overall appeal to triathletes who are looking for a pair of do-it-all glasses - after all, you wouldn't usually have two sets with you on race day.

So, what am I looking for?

Well, for a start, performance eyewear needs to be comfortable and fit well. If glasses are too heavy or pinch at the temples you aren't going to want to wear them for very long. I'm also looking for a fantastic field of vision that isn't impeded by the frame or edge of the lens. It also needs to act as a barrier between your eyes and wind, bugs and dust.

On the bike, sunnies need to work well with the fit of your helmet and also provide good all-round visibility. A change of lenses can be handy too, allowing you to swap for a lighter tint in low light.

These glasses were given to a male tester to try as well as my own testing and I took their comments into consideration when writing these reviews. Many sports sunnies are sold as unisex and adjustable arms and nose bridges should help them fit a variety of face sizes.

Most importantly, your glasses have to protect your eyes from the sun, so look for UV400 protection and the right visible light transmission (VLT) - how much light gets through the lens - for you. The lower the VLT percentage, the darker the lens will be.

Other things I like to see include: a boost to visual clarity to help pick out details; alternative lenses for cloudy days (unless it has photochromic lenses, which adapt to conditions); additional nose pieces for a better fit; a hard case; vents (to avoid foggy lenses); and value for money.