Reviewed: POC AIM Sunglasses
We review the POC AIM as part of our hottest sunglasses of 2020 roundup.
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POC AIM Review
$220, 38g (as measured), Competitivecyclist.com
This pricey new pair of sunglasses from Swedish eyewear and helmet maker, POC, combines the monster coverage that’s popular this year with incredibly impressive lenses. Earlier this year, we reviewed POC’s audacious Aspire Solar Switch—a pair of sunglasses with a similar shape to the AIMs, but with a super crazy instantaneously darkening lens. TL;DR: A great idea with pretty ok results. The AIMs on the other hand are a simple pair of sunglasses with very little going on—but to great effect. When compared to some of the other frames in this roundup, the AIMs’ earpieces might feel a little basic and almost dated, but the rest of the design is very very Euro. This version of POC’s new line has only a front frame from the top to the earpieces, but there are other options with coverage extending midway across the top and completely beneath the lens (Crave Clarity) or completely across the top and midway beneath the lense (Aspire Clarity).
We really enjoyed the lack of a frame beneath the lens, particularly because the POC AIM’s lenses are amazingly clear and distortion free—most likely due to POC’s very smart partnership with Carl Zeiss. For those not familiar, you’ll find Zeiss’ name on only the highest-end eyewear like Ray-Ban and even pricey camera lenses that require super crisp glass. Even with the rounded shape, we found no “hotspots” where light became distorted and distracted. Like the other “face-shield” options, we did find the AIMs to be slightly warm when climbing on the bike or when running, but this can also be a boon if you’re training or racing in chilly conditions. Weight-wise, the AIMS fall right on the heavier side of the roundup, but they certainly didn’t feel clunky while riding and had no problem fitting a few different helmet options. We really liked the crisp action of the earpieces that basically felt spring-loaded, but also felt good about the fact that the earpieces easily detach in a fall or if accidentally crushed; super simple process to pop back into place.
Read the complete roundup of the hottest shades of 2020 here.