Smith Attack Max sunglasses review

The Smith Attack Max sunglasses use the brand’s recently introduced ChromaPop lens tech, coupled with a new lens swap mechanism.

ChromaPop lenses are designed to filter out two specific wavelengths of light. So whereas sunlight has a continuous colour spectrum, ChromaPop lenses separate this into three distinct ranges of colour. Smith says that this helps improve visual acuity, so that you can see detail more accurately.

The Smith Attack Max glasses come packaged with two lenses: a platinum mirrored grey version for strong light conditions and a Rose Flash pink lens for lower light. Both are very effective. The platinum mirror lens cuts out glare under bright sunlight, without being too dark for more overcast UK conditions.

Swap to the pink low light lens and clarity and definition at lower light levels are good too – it’s the sort of lens which you take off after an evening ride to discover that it’s actually quite dark out, but you hadn’t realised it.

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The Smith Attack Max is available with six different frames and three different main lens colours: two frames with the platinum mirror lens, three with a red mirror lens and one with a green mirror lens, all with ChromaPop.

The lens on the Smith Attack Max is large: Smith measures it at 53mm deep. Like the 100% Speedcraft sunglasses used by Peter Sagan, it has a raised part above the eyes, making sure that there’s good coverage even with your head down. Peripheral coverage at the sides and bottom of the lens is also very good, so there’s very little unfiltered light finding its way in. Despite this, the frameless design means that the Smith Attack Max sunglasses are not prone to misting.

Smith’s temple grips are very comfortable and hold well. There’s a long rubber section and the rimless lens means that they flex easily to provide a close fit.

Smith has also refreshed its lens interchange tech with the Attack Max. A pincer on the end of each side arm clips onto the side of the lens and is held in place by a strong magnet between its two sides. This leads to very fast and easy lens swaps and gives a secure connection once in place.

You also need to swap over the nosepiece, which also clicks between two different widths. Again, this is a quick and easy process.

So although they’re not photochromatic, their lens tech means that the Smith Attack Max glasses work really well in a wide range of UK light conditions. But all this tech doesn’t come cheap, with the £195 price tag putting the Attack Max at the premium end of the sunglass spectrum.