100% Speedcraft Review

100% is a California based company making products for casual wear and the sports of motocross, mountain biking, and road cycling. The company has grown dramatically in recent years and boasts a stacked roster of professional athletes. Their product line includes everything from downhill mountain biking helmets and goggles to performance and lifestyle sunglasses.

The Speedcraft is a popular model in their cycling eyewear line that is well suited to high-velocity sports like mountain biking and road cycling. It's offered with two quality lenses at a competitive price. We tested the Speedcraft over several months during the late summer and fall on both mountain and road rides in a range of weather conditions.

Performance Comparison

Lens Quality

The Speedcraft features two polycarbonate cylindrical lenses with a base six curvature. The lenses are produced by Dalloz Sunoptics, a French company that has been making lenses for over 50 years. Testers found these lenses to provide good optical clarity and relatively distortion-free vision.

It can be challenging to differentiate between the lenses that come with all of these high-end performance sunglasses. They generally all provide a clear and distortion-free field of view. That said, testers did experience a touch of distortion at the upper and side edges of these lenses when compared to their spherical lens competition. This is by no means a deal-breaker as you have to go out of your way to really notice it.

The Speedcraft comes standard with two lenses. Our test model came with their HiPER Red Mirror lens with a 21% VLT for bright light conditions, and a clear lens with a 93% VLT for low light conditions. Both lenses provide 100% protection from harmful UV rays and are CE and ANSI certified for impact resistance.

The lenses are treated with a hydrophobic coating, think Rain-X, on the outside to shed water from the lens. We found it to work relatively well. The HiPER Red Mirror lens has a very bright orange-red reflective coating that we found to stand up well to regular use during testing with no scratches or scuffs to mention.

Fit and Comfort

The Speedcraft is undoubtedly a comfortable pair of glasses, but they are outdone in this metric by some of the more comfortable competition. They've got grippy Megol rubber on both the arms and the nose pad, which keeps them securely in place on your face. The frame has a fair amount of flex to accommodate a range of head widths, plus they come with two sizes of nose pads for varying nose shapes and sizes. These glasses have a large fit, with loads of coverage up high across the brow, down on the sides of the nose, and out to the sides.

Testers noted that the Speedcraft tends to squeeze the head a little tighter on the sides, which helps to keep them in place but is a little less comfortable than some of their competitors. The glasses do come with two nose pad sizes, but otherwise, they aren't adjustable, so you may not be able to dial in the fit to your exact preferences.

The textured Megol rubber on the nose pads is quite grippy and keeps the glasses in place, but it's less comfortable on the skin than the other models. The Speedcraft's large fit may also result in contact with the brow or checks for some users depending on their facial size, structure, and features. Our testers didn't have any issues, though.

Coverage

If there's one thing 100% didn't skimp on with the Speedcraft it's eye protection. These glasses are big. At 145mm wide and 56mm tall, they boast one of the largest lenses of all the models in our test selection. The cylindrical lens has a base six curve, wraps around quite far on the sides, and fits close to the brow and relatively close to the cheeks.

They block light from all angles; in fact, you're very hard-pressed to see anything but lens while you're wearing them. The large, almost goggle-like, coverage also provides excellent protection from wind, dust, and flying debris, plus the lenses are CE and ANSI certified for impact resistance. The lenses also filter 100% of harmful UV rays.

One thing our testers found interesting about the Speedcraft is that, despite their massive lens and coverage, they didn't have the best wind protection of the bunch. Don't get us wrong, they do block the wind well, but testers did notice more air movement around the eyes at high speeds when compared to some other models we tested.

We think this is due to the small air scoops at the bottom of the lens, which are meant to promote air circulation and prevent fogging. The air scoops work well for their intended purpose but result in more air movement than some of the competition.

Frame Quality

The Speedcraft has a large, beefy frame made of two separate pieces. Switching between the two included lenses is relatively easy. The arms attach near the upper corners of the lens to a stout piece of the frame that runs across the top of the lens. The back half of the arms are covered in textured Megol rubber and keep these glasses in place when the going gets rough.

The nosepiece is separate from the rest of the frame and snaps into place with just a little pressure. The Megol rubber nose pad attaches to several small plastic posts on the nosepiece of the frame and swapping between the two included sizes is quick and easy.

The primary frame material is stiff but not brittle, and it seems that the Speedcraft can stand up to some serious abuse. The frame doesn't feel like it will crack or shatter if you drop them on the ground or handle them carelessly.

All elements of the frame appear to be well made, and they've added some performance-enhancing features to the design. The arms have small air scoops that stick out slightly about midway down their length. These air scoops are meant to channel air towards the temples to enhance airflow and manage moisture in that often sweaty area. At the bottom of the nose piece, 100% also added small air scoops intended to direct airflow up and behind the lens to increase air circulation and help prevent fogging.

Field Performance

Like many of the models we tested, the Speedcraft does its job out in the field. We found that they stick in place on your face well no matter how rough it gets. The hydrophilic rubber of the nose piece and arm tips provides grip no matter how sweaty you get.

The air vent scoops below the eyes did their job well and kept the lenses from fogging at low speeds or in humid conditions, but we also found that they allowed noticeable wind interference when traveling at higher speeds. Additionally, we found that the extra airflow hurt these glasses' performance in dusty conditions. Unlike their counterpart, the Glendale, this model didn't keep the dust out of our eyes like a pair of goggles when riding dry trails in a group.

Style

100% wasn't messing around when it came to the style of the Speedcraft. These glasses are big, bold, and in your face with a massive reflective cylindrical lens and a very angular design. They look like something from the future and something straight out of the early 1990s at the same time. This look is relatively popular among mountain and road cyclists these days, but we admit that it probably isn't for everyone.

Case Quality

100% includes a nice zippered hard case with the Speedcraft. It's on the larger side, making it a little less useful for taking with you on a ride, but it is great for storage, travel, and tossing in your gear bag between activities. The rectangular case has a quality zipper that allows the case to fold open fully to access its contents. Inside there is a semi-rigid foam with cut-outs to securely accommodate two spare lenses and the glasses with a lens installed.

Our test model came standard with the HIPER Red Mirror lens and a clear lens for low light conditions. The case is set up to carry one additional lens should you choose to add one to your setup. A microfiber storage/lens cleaning bag is also included.

Value

We think the Speedcraft is a solid value. At their retail price, we feel they represent a great value considering the optical quality, eye protection, and quality hard case, plus they come with two lenses for varying light conditions.

Conclusion

The Speedcraft is a quality performance sunglass model with massive coverage and bold styling. They've got a sturdy frame, multiple lenses for varying light conditions, a quality zippered hard case, and are offered at a very competitive price. We feel they are a great value for their combination of performance, quality, and price.

Other Versions and Accessories

100% makes a line of sunglasses for both performance and casual wear. The Speedcraft is available in two different sizes, the larger standard size, which we tested, and an SL version which has a slightly smaller lens.

The Speedcraft is offered in ten different frame color and lens options. They also make replacement lenses in a huge range of tints, reflective coatings, and VLT percentages, ranging in price from $40-$80.