Tifosi Moab Eyewear: Final Review

Note: Tifosi Optics sent the Moab model eyewear to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test/review. I am not being paid nor bribed for this review and all opinions expressed are my own. 

The Tifosi Moab eyewear has been put through its paces here and now it is time to give my final verdict on the these shield style glasses for cycling. My introduction and first take can be found HERE. 

Okay, now on with the review! This October has been weird from a weather perspective. We have not received much rain at all, and we have had copious amounts on Sunshine accompanied by hot, dry, and windy days. While that doesn't bode well for a lot of other things, it was great for reviewing Sun glasses. I was able to use these enough to get a good feel for how they work out on the gravel and on some pavement riding as well. 

First off, I wanted to share my experiences with swapping lenses. Thankfully Tifosi ships the glasses with a paper showing the procedure for how the Moab glasses are to be handled when you swap lenses. It went just as the instructions showed it to me. I was very glad to have had that resource because I doubt I would have gotten it right had there been no guidance and I may have possibly damaged the lenses, frames, or both.

The AC Red lenses are my favorites.

I switched out to Tifosi's AC Red lens and found that to be very similar to my previous experiences with the Rail glasses I reviewed last year.This lens tint lets a bit more light in, which my old eyes prefer, but it also seems to bring out the contrasts in the road surface in a clearer way. 

The mirrored lens, in my opinion, doesn't seem to have the clarity of the AC Red lens. I find that the mirrored lens makes things a bit duller and a bit less defined, but this could boil down to my eyes and your eyes may see that differently. Literally and figuratively. 

In terms of comfort, the Moab frames are unobtrusive and easy to forget about while you are riding. The nose piece helps the glasses to stay put on your face and I did not feel compelled to poke at the glasses to keep them in place often as I have with other eyewear. This is especially useful when the gravel is chunky or the road is rough and the bumps and vibrations are making your head shake a bit. 

Final Word: I like the Moab's looks on me and Tifosi's AC Red lens is a winner for riding on gravel where discerning the "good line" is hard to do if you cannot make out contrasts in the road surface. The mirrored lens might work best for someone riding mostly paved roads and for those with more light sensitive eyes than I have. The bonus clear lens will work great on rides at night or during cloudy weather, so you have the versatility you need to make these glasses work in all conditions, At Tifosi's asking price ($79.95) the value is definitely there.

It is hard to find any negatives with Tifosi's Moab eyewear, and this might be just me, but the mirrored lens seems a bit less optically clear to me. But other than this, probably personal, issue, I can highly recommend Tifosi's products to anyone. The Moab's style is hot in cycling now, so this is a great choice for those looking for such eyewear styling for cycling needs. 

Review: Tifosi Moab Eyewear

 Note: Tifosi Optics sent the Moab model eyewear to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test/review. I am not being paid nor bribed for this review and all opinions expressed are my own. 

The Tifosi Optics Moab in the Sahara colorway.

Tifosi has been around quite a while now. I first came into contact with the brand when Tifosi sponsored the first Trans Iowa in 2005 by providing each entrant a free pair of glasses. Since then Tifosi has been a brand I have used off and on for my eye protection needs on the bike. Last year I was able to review their Rail model glasses, and now comes the brand new Moab model which I am reviewing here. 

What It Is: In typical Tifosi style, the Moab is available in several colors and with a couple of options in lenses including Fototec, Tifosi's photo-chromatic lens technology, Interchange, which includes three lenses for varying light conditions, and the Clarion lens which has a water repellent enhancement to prevent excessive moisture build-up. The frame is made of Gryllamid and has hydrophobic ear and nose pieces which get grippier with moisture build up and are also adjustable for a premium fit. The Polycarbonate lenses are scratch-resistant, shatterproof, and on the Moab, have ventilation spaces to allow for anti-fogging. The Moab weighs a claimed 31 grams and is recommended for Medium to Large faces. The price for the Moab is $79.95

The two optional lenses which come with the Interchange package.

I received the Interchange package with my Moab frames which includes a mirrored lens, a reddish colored lens called "Red AC", and the clear lens for night time or low-light conditions. 

The lenses are not too bad when it comes to exchanging them, but you will have to clean them each time you do this since it is nearly impossible not to switch lenses without touching them in the process. Fortunately Tifosi's included bag for the storage of the Moab doubles as a cleaning cloth. There is also a soft case in the box which you can stash the two unused lenses in, and which holds the Moab frames. 

Fit And Function: 

The Moab is a "sheild" style of eyewear that is popular these days with cyclists and the lens bridges across both eyes in one piece. This provides excellent peripheral vision without obstruction. I found I could only see tiny portions of the frame while wearing the Moab, despite its full-frame design, and even that was no distraction at all. 

The Moab looks okay on my large face, if I do say so myself. Others thought they looked good on me. So much for that. This doesn't matter while riding, really, but it was nice to know that people thought these enhanced my appeal, I suppose. 

As for riding, yes, they do the job. I did notice less air turbulence behind the lens and around my eyes. The day I tried these was a very windy one with gusts up to and over 30mph often during the ride. This did not deter the Moab in its mission to keep my eyes from dealing with that. Plus it was full-Sun out and the Moab did a bang-on job of helping me discern which lines were best in the gravel as I rode. 

The day also happened to be well into the 90's for temperature and the nose piece and ear pieces did their job of keeping the Moab on my face where I wanted the Moab to sit. No sliding down the nose at all. 

So Far... Tifosi does it again with a great style for cyclists and with their typical value-packed, feature-rich glasses. I do like this style of eyewear and it is nice to see it offered at a reasonable price. I'll be trying out the Red AC lens next and I expect similar results as I experienced with the Red AC lens in the Rail model last year. 

Stay tuned for a Final Word coming in a few weeks.