100% S3 sunglasses review

Large sunglasses are in vogue right now but the 100% S3 glasses aren’t  just style over substance. They offer a great fit and an expansive field of view and that’s why they have earned a spot on our Editor’s Choice list for 2019.

The 100% S3 glasses are the latest set of shades from the American upstart company that has taken a bite out of the riding glasses market.

They're not replacing the coveted 100% S2 glasses, which I awarded a spot on Cycling Weekly's Editor's Choice list, instead they will exist alongside each other, but they do have a very different design.

Whereas the S2 was only a half frame, the new S3 has a slightly extended nose bridge, presumably to better support the larger lenses, amd a pointy, rectangular lens that's almost identical to the 100% Speedcraft. I really liked the distinctive look of the 100% S2s but the S3's design offers a more expansive field of view.

The lens feels almost limitless and the peripheral vision is simply superb, plus with the increased size comes increased protection and the S3 lens does a great job of keeping out the elements. My eyes water far less in the S3s than they did in the S2s, or any other sunglasses for that matter. They do, however, get grubby quite quickly, despite a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating.

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Typically, my slim face hasn't suited larger glasses, and in the past Oakley Jawbreakers and Oakley Sutros have all moved off the end of my nose when I've looked down. I was fully prepared for the S3s to do the same, so it was a relief to find them to be different.

The gap between the glasses and my temples is slim and the rubber-tipped arms offer an assured grip on the side of my head, making these the first glasses I don't have to constantly adjust. Because of this, they've become my go-to glasses.

Using the HiPER lens is a significant improvement on 100%'s standard lens, and I'd recommend forking out the extra £20 for the increased contrast. However, I'm not convinced the lens is quite as vivid as Oakley's Prizm technology, which in my eyes is still the market leader in lens technology. But by increasing the number of lens options – there's a now a photochromic replacement available – 100% is taking steps in the right direction.