Review: Salice 006 Sunglasses

Some may have seen the Salice 006 on the likes of Thibaut Pinot in this year's Tour, or famously worn by Alessandro Pettachi for a few years now. That wasn't the reason I bought them a few months ago, when I lost my previous pair of sunglasses in a sailing "accident". I decided to opt for Salice, partly due to style, but also because of price, quality and other reviews that I had seen on the web.

You will have to excuse my constant comparison of these with the Oakley Radar glasses, but as far as I am concerned they are the nearest competitor and renowned for being one of the most popular sets of shades on the market.

The 006 is Salice's top of the range model; no fancy names here, just a number. But the quality of the glasses is evident from the off; they come in a unique soft vault case, which houses the glasses and their spare clear lenses .

The glasses are light, the hinges feel strong, and the clarity of the lenses is very high.

On the road the glasses stay put in all but the worst conditions; with a soft rubber nose piece and gripped arms holding them firmly to your face. The slight let-down compared to the Radars is that neither of these rubber grippers are replaceable, however despite being white, they seem to clean up well, and unlike the radars, they are not visible from the outside so even if they do discolour a bit, they won't affect the look of the glasses when they are being worn.

It should also be noted that when you can pick a pair of these up for around £55, they are only £25 more than a set of replacement nose and ear socks for the Radars, so when they do discolour it is not too much more of a hit to replace the whole set of glasses, never mind the rubber parts.

The lenses are easily popped in and out, although a fair bit of care is needed. The darkened mirror lenses are very clear and not overly dark like some lenses; meaning you are not riding blind when you suddenly dive into the shade.

The clear lenses are also a major asset in my opinion; especially for night riding at this time of year!

The thing that may detract from some people's opinion of these glasses is that the lenses are quite large, and may not suit some face shapes. I haven't had a problem with this and in fact appreciate the extra coverage, but I know from other testers that this has been a let-down.

Overall, these are a great set of shades. They are a good price (around £55), light, well made, with two sets of lenses and a carry case. In my opinion (and budget) that places them above the Radars; however sunglasses are a difficult thing to review, everyone has different tastes and preferences, and of course different budgets. Therefore all I can say is that these are a great set of glasses for the price and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another pair.