Julbo Fury Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
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Julbo Fury | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Price | $98.71 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $80 List $79.95 at REI | $80 List Check Price at REI | $29 List $23.99 at Amazon | $90 List $89.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Reasonably priced, lightweight, secure | Inexpensive, three lenses included, good optics, good dust and debris protection | Inexpensive, great coverage, three lenses included | Very inexpensive, comes with 3 lenses, good coverage, available in multiple frame colors | Inexpensive, good coverage, good optics |
Cons | Smaller fit, only one lens included, no rigid carrying case | Difficult lens swaps, can fog easily when stopping | Insecure fit on smaller heads, below-average fog prevention | Minor lens distortion, do not increase contrast | No case, limited versatility |
Bottom Line | A lightweight model with good coverage and a secure fit | An impressive value with high-coverage, high-performance, and three lenses included at a reasonable price | An affordable model with great coverage that works best for larger heads and road biking | You get a lot for your money with these very inexpensive shades | An updated classic that's great for road cycling but work in a limited range of light conditions |
Rating Categories | Julbo Fury | Tifosi Sledge | Tifosi Rail | X-Tiger Polarized | Scott Sport Shield |
Lens Quality (20%) | |||||
Fit and Comfort (20%) | |||||
Coverage (20%) | |||||
Frame Quality (15%) | |||||
Field Performance (25%) | |||||
Specs | Julbo Fury | Tifosi Sledge | Tifosi Rail | X-Tiger Polarized | Scott Sport Shield |
Fit | Large | Large-Extra Large | Large-Extra Large | Large | Medium-Large |
Number of Lenses Included | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Lens Tested | Spectron 3 CF - Smoke/multilayer red | Smoke, Clear, AC Red | Clarion Blue, AC Red, Clear | Clear/Mirrored/Polarized | Red Chrome |
Ideal Lens Light Conditions | All | Clear: Low light Smoke: Bright light AC Red: Medium to bright light |
Clear: Low light, Clarion Blue: Bright light, AC Red: Medium to bright light | Clear: Low light Mirrored: Bright light. Polarized: Bright light/water | Bright light |
Visible Light Transmission (VLT) | 12% | not specified | not specified | not specified | not specified |
VLT Protection Index | Cat 3 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
Ideal Activity | road/mountain/gravel biking | road/mountain biking, running, backcountry skiing, golf, fishing, hiking | road/mountain/gravel biking | road/mountain biking, running, fishing, backcountry skiing, golf, hiking | road biking, running, backcountry skiing, fishing, hiking |
Polarized | No | No | No | 1 of the three lenses | No |
Lens Material | polycarbonate | plastic- polycarbonate | polycarbonate | "highly flexible resin lens" | plastic |
Lens Type | cylindrical | cylindrical | cylindrical | cylindrical | cylindrical |
Neutral/Contrast | Neutral | Increased contrast | Increased contrast | Neutral | Neutral |
UV Protection | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
HEV/Blue Light Protection | Unkonwn | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Impact Resistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Protective Coatings | None | None | None | not specified | None |
Weight (grams) | 23 | 39 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
Case Included | Microfiber cleaning/storage bag | Rigid zippered case and soft cleaning/storage bag | Rigid zippered case and soft cleaning/storage bag | Rigid zippered case and soft cleaning/storage bag | Microfiber cleaning/storage bag |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Julbo isn't necessarily the first name that we think of when tracking down a new pair of sunglasses, but this French company has been around for more than a century. With roots in mountaineering eyewear, Julbo has expanded to provide sunglasses for everything from trail running to sailing. The Fury is a recent addition to their mountain bike-specific lineup.
Performance Comparison
Lens Quality
The Fury is available with a variety of lens options, but each pair only comes with one lens. You'll want to make sure that you select the best lens for your typical riding light conditions if you end up going with this model. We tested the Spectron 3CF lens that transmits 12% of visible light, and we found that it works best in bright light conditions. Riding in dappled light or transitioning between bright and shaded areas we found that this lens was a little bit dark. The Fury is also available with Julbo's Reactiv photochromic lens, which adjusts its light transmission based on the light conditions.
The Fury's base-5 cylindrical lens provides sharp, distortion-free optics, and we couldn't discern any difference in optical quality from the other high-end lenses we tested. Additionally, the lens held up incredibly well during our test process. Despite a few brushes with trailside branches and being dropped on the ground more than once, our Spectron 3CF lens was no worse for wear after our test session.
Fit and Comfort
The Fury has an incredibly secure fit, but it isn't the most comfortable model that we tested. The frame fits a little bit narrow, which means that the arms squeeze fairly tight against the sides of your head. This contributes to the secure fit, but it also meant that we developed some discomfort at the sides of the head when wearing these glasses for long periods of time. For situations where we needed our glasses to stay put on our faces, though, we appreciated the tight fit. It's nice not having to worry about your sunglasses rattling off of your face when you're focusing on the trail ahead.
Coverage
at 53mm tall and 131mm wide, the Fury doesn't have the biggest lens in the test. Regardless, the close fit and full-frame mean that these glasses actually provide solid coverage. While wearing them you can see the edges of the frame in your periphery, but it isn't enough to be distracting or cause issues with your field of vision while riding.
Out on the trail or road, these lenses provide enough coverage to keep you from wincing at oncoming bugs or brush. The polycarbonate lens is shatterproof and should provide solid impact protection (luckily we didn't get a chance to put this to the test.)
Frame Quality
Julbo doesn't specify the material that comprises the Fury's frame, but it's similar in strength and flexibility to the Grilamid TR90 material that some of our favorite glasses in the test use. It is flexible enough to provide a decent range of comfortable fit and rigid enough to give the glasses some structure. The nose piece and arm tips feature grippy soft material that Julbo claims helps to absorb shock and contributes to the secure fit. Overall the frame construction is solid and we don't have any durability concerns.
Field Performance
Out on the trails, the Fury performed admirably. Ultimately, we have no real complaints about the way these glasses performed in the field, but they didn't quite stack up with the best models in the test. The mid-size lens provides solid coverage and protection, the ventilated design means that fogging isn't a huge issue, and the grippy nose and arm tip pieces mean that they stayed in place well. While their performance was solid all around, they didn't wow us in any one specific area.
Style
The Fury's styling isn't quite as over the top as some of the more gaudy models that we tested, but the reflective Spectron 3CF lens will still stand out in a crowd. The styling is distinctively more casual than the Julbo Aero, and it fits in well with the current trend of large, high-coverage sunglasses.
Case Quality
Along with its sibling, the Julbo Aero, the Fury is one of the only models we tested that doesn't come with some kind of rigid storage case. Instead, these glasses just come with the standard microfiber storage and cleaning bag. These glasses are on the more affordable end of the spectrum, but we're still a bit disappointed that Julbo doesn't include a protective storage case.
Value
These sunglasses are a decent value, but we think there are better options among the models that we tested. The Tifosi Sledge comes at a lower price and outperformed the Fury at just about every turn. The Sledge also includes three lens options and a rigid storage case. If you're a big fan of the Fury's styling they're a solid option, but otherwise, we feel there are better values available.
Conclusion
The Fury is a solid pair of sunglasses, but it doesn't quite stack up with the best that we tested. That said, if you're looking for a new lightweight pair of mountain biking sunglasses that will stay in place on your head, these are a decent option to consider.
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