Sunglasses from Out of: Stylish & light - new glasses for bike tours in summer
Marc Strucken
· 02.08.2024
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Sunglasses were and still are perhaps THE equipment with which you can best express both function and style. Sure, work glasses from the DIY store protect against dirt and light just as well, but do you want to shoot down the trails with them - and, above all, run up to the ice cream parlour afterwards? It's a good thing that the young Italian brand Out of is now coming up with new beautiful and very functional sunglasses! We tested the three models: the Bot 2 - with electronic tinting, the Piuma (Italian for feather) - feather-light, self-tinting bike glasses and the Rams - simple, stylish sunglasses.
The Out of sunglasses Bot 2 with electronic tinting in the test
The Out of Bot 2 sunglasses offer a feature that not many have yet: They are equipped with electronic lenses that darken with the help of a sensor and a small solar cell. The lenses adapt almost instantly to changes in light. This means that when driving into a forest or a subway, there is hardly any of the unfortunate blind moment when eyes and normal self-tinting (photochromic) lenses have to adapt to the new light conditions.
The technology behind the photochromic electronic IRID lenses of the Bot 2 is patented by Out of and was already honoured with an eyewear award in 2022 (Silmo d'Or). A chip continuously ensures that the light transmission of the lens is adapted to the ambient light. It is supplied with the necessary energy by a small solar cell. According to the manufacturer, the sunglasses switch from S1 to S3 protection class (manufacturer's specification 60% to 6% light transmission) in 0.2 seconds. We were unable to measure this, but the effect works absolutely reliably and you hardly notice the change when driving.
You can find more sunglasses in the test here:
The sports sunglasses are made in Italy from carbon-reinforced Grilamid and are extremely light, weighing just 29 grams (even when weighed). For comparison: The React Optray weighs 36 grams. And the Ekoi E-Lens weighs 38 grams. The Bot 2 therefore sits quite lightly on the nose; the small box with the electronics is not noticeable as it sits above the field of vision. Incidentally: The electronics are permanently installed and, according to the manufacturer, 100% waterproof.
The temples on our test sunglasses were not adjustable, but had a curve for a firm hold, which can press into the skin and leave marks. For all out-of-glasses, there are optional adjustable temples - called Adapta - for an extra 10-15 euros and a little more weight, which we tested on the Rams sunglasses and consider to be a real recommendation! The nosepiece is also not adjustable. Depending on the structure of the olfactory organ, this may fit better or worse - there is room for improvement here in glasses costing around 350 euros.
Available lens tinting (tested): Red, blue, green, Regular (grey)
The Out Of Bot 2 Classic is available from 349.00 euros (RRP) >> available here at a reduced price
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The Out of Rams cycling sunglasses put to the test
The Italian manufacturer Out of describes its Rams sunglasses model as "sleek and simple".) They "only" have a tinted lens, a large full frame and the lightweight temples that the Bot 2 also has. The cycling glasses are said to weigh just 21.6 grams. However, as we had fitted the Adapta temples to our model, the glasses weighed 27 grams. However, they fit perfectly - even without an adjustable nose piece. The temples can be bent in different directions from about the halfway point and are coated with silicone to prevent slipping.
Our model in the test also had a very stylish gold coating on the cylindrically curved lenses. For the Rams, Out of uses a hydrophobic (water-repellent) and oleophobic (oil-repellent) lens from the renowned manufacturer Zeiss. However, we were unable to determine that this has an effect in the form of better cleanability, and the lenses fog up just as quickly as those from other manufacturers. But the look is great.
Available lens tinting (tested): Blue, grey, green, violet, red, Gold
The Out Of Rams sunglasses regularly cost from 169.00 euros >> available here at a reduced price
The Out of Piuma self-tinting sunglasses put to the test
At 16.8 grams according to the manufacturer and a self-measured 19 grams, the self-tinting Out of Piuma really is very light. According to the Italian eyewear manufacturer, each component has a different carbon fibre content, which reduces the overall volume. The frame is also open at the bottom - and with the photochromic clear lens in our test glasses, the Piuma actually looks very delicate, even though it is the same size as the Rams.
The thicker Adapta temples would increase the weight, but we actually had the impression with the Piuma that the sunglasses quickly slipped off the nose. Here too, either an adjustable nose piece or siliconised temples could help.
However, the photochromic tint from clear to grey in our test goggles was too low for sunny days. The area of application here is wind and dirt protection - at night, in bad weather or on cloudy days. The self-tinting goggles can therefore be worn well in the evening, for example, when no tinting is required.
Available lens tinting (tested): Blue, black, green, violet, Clear/photochrome
The Out Of Piuma is available from 199.00 euros (RRP) >> available here at a reduced price
Who are Out of anyway?
The company Out Of was founded in Italy by the three siblings Federico, Laura (in the video) and Roberto Righi and specialises in innovative products. Their combined expertise as physicists, industrial designers and graphic designers as well as their great passion for outdoor sports inspired them to found a company that exceeds the usual requirements in the sports eyewear sector - and all made in Italy.
In November 2023, Out of completed the largest equity crowdfunding campaign ever conducted in Italy. Its shareholders include well-known investors such as Ferrari and Azimut, one of Italy's largest private equity funds with assets under management of more than 85 billion euros.
Marc Strucken
Editor
