Julbo Cyrius Review

Performance Comparison

The Cyrius provides a clear view, whether at the resort or in the backcountry.

Photo: John Truesdell

Lens Quality

The majority of our test goggles are equipped with interchangeable lenses that increase their versatility by allowing skiers and boarders to tailor their eyewear to light conditions. That versatility is a wonderful thing for long days out in the mountains, but the Cyrius utilizes a cylindrical photochromic lens that provides similar versatility through one single (double construction) lens.

We bought the Cyrius with the Performance 1-3 option for the lens, which has a claimed VLT of 17-75%. This level of light blocking is meant to provide protection for a wide variety of light conditions. We put the Cyrius to the test, wearing them in conditions from bluebird and bright to late day and overcast, and found the Performance 1-3 lens provided solid optics for all but the brightest and darkest times. One of the most challenging environments for goggle performance, our testers really enjoyed the constantly changing lens while skiing trees on sunny days. The lens rapidly adjusted to the lighting, which made for more enjoyable skiing and less eye fatigue at the end of the day.

Nearing dusk, the Reactiv Performance 1-3 lenses brighten things up by removing some blue light.

Photo: Jason Cronk

While we weren't able to test every lens option available with the Cyrius, there are two others available, the High Mountain 2-4 with a VLT of 5-20% for the brightest mountain environments and also the All Around 2-3 with a VLT of 15-30% for good overall protection when things are on the bright side.

Comfort

Even though goggle comfort can be subjective, there are some features that make a comfortable fit more likely for more riders and skiers. Things like a frame with some give, medium fit, a wide and grippy strap, and some nice cushy foam are some of the basics. We found most goggles tested have all of these features, and the Cyrius is no exception.

The medium-sized frame, which already has a relatively flexible nature, also sports several slits on the upper half, which provides an even greater degree of flexibility. This allows the goggle to flex and adapt to different sizes and shapes of faces. In addition to the pliable and comfortable frame itself, we found the Cyrius is also padded with a two-layer foam cushioning system that further helps mold the goggle to facial contours. Some of the other high-end goggles in our test included three-layer padding, but with the combination of a softer frame and the two layers, we didn't notice any remarkable difference between the two styles.

The Cyrius has a medium fit which provides a comfortable for a wide range of users, with or without a helmet

Photo: Jason Cronk

We found the strap to be a nice generous width that is equipped with three low profile silicone beads that ensure the Cyrius stays in place. The strap also includes dual adjusters to make dialing in the proper fit even easier.

Ventilation and Breathability

The most comfortable and stylish goggle with the latest and greatest optics also needs good ventilation to keep your field of view clear. After testing, we found the Cyrius is one of our top performers when it comes to ventilation and breathability.

Uphill ventilation and breathability testing with the Cyrius.

Photo: Robyn Cronk

There are several features that ensure adequate airflow through the Cyrius. The top of the goggle is a split frame design with a wide strip of air-permeable foam, which allows generous ventilation. In addition to the large ventilation area up top, the lower portion of the frame has two ventilation ports on each side. To further add to keeping that fancy photochromic lens clear, Julbo also treats their lenses with an anti-fog coating on the inner lens.

If breathability is a major concern for you, whether it's frequent snow sliding on warm days, hiking in your goggles, or high humidity environments, the Cyrius should be on your list. Moisture moved quickly and effectively from inside to outside the goggles, better than most of the test bunch.

Julbo's SuperFlow ventilation design kept our test goggles clear with air-permeable foam on top and bottom.

Photo: Jason Cronk

Ease of Changing Lenses

When it comes to changing lenses out, the Cyrius is the easiest…wait, the most difficult…well, the thing is, it's a fixed lens. This may be good, bad, or indifferent, depending on your perspective. On the one hand, we do enjoy the one and done lens selection for the day through the photochromic lens. On the other hand, what about when the conditions fall out of the range of that adjustable lens? Without the ability to swap lenses, you have to make due.

The other issue with the single lens is with potential damage and wear. It's not as easy as picking up a replacement lens and popping it right in. Julbo does have a lifetime warranty and reportedly will replace lenses if you send your goggles back to Vermont. If you have more than one pair of goggles, this may not be a big deal, but if you don't, this may be a deal-breaker for you.

The photochromic lens shows its value on mixed lighting days.

Photo: John Truesdell

Durability

We found that right out of the box, the Cyrius has a solid, although lightweight, feel, and we expected our pair would stand up to testing. After putting our goggles through the paces, we are pleased to say they came out unscathed.

Thankfully our fixed lens emerged without a single scratch even after being stuffed into our ski packs repeatedly. We did keep the goggles in the included stuff sack, which includes a semi-rigid support that mimics the lens shape — no need to send our test pair back to Julbo for replacement.

Another common wear point is the goggle strap…goggles of the past had a tendency to lose their elasticity over time, especially when worn with a ski helmet. Over two months of skiing in these goggles, the strap looks A-OK. Assuming you take reasonable care of your gear, the Cyrius should provide several seasons of use, but if you should run into any issues, remember the Julbo limited lifetime guarantee.

The Cyrius on a day with constantly changing skies -- an ideal day for these goggles!

Photo: John Truesdell

Style

Eyewear style is a tough one to quantify, but we can say the Cyrius has a nearly frameless design, which has proven popular over the past few years. With that being said, the design isn't over the top futuristic like some of the other options in our test lineup, and the Cyrius maintains a traditional shape. This might be a large advantage to many and an equally boring disadvantage to others.

For skiers and boarders who want to match their eyewear to the rest of their kit, the Cyrius is available in several strap and lens color combinations. There should be something for everyone when it comes to color and style. The Cyrius is a happy medium between traditional and modern.

A traditional, medium sized, semi-frameless design and available in several colors.

Photo: Jason Cronk

Value

Since the Cyrius is somewhat unique in the single fixed lens construction of the goggles, judging value is a little more complicated. The lens quality, breathability, and nearly universal fit definitely score high marks, but the lack of lens interchangeability might be a pretty big strike for some skiers. However, not having to keep an extra lens in your ski jacket is valuable to many folks, too. The fact that the Cyrius comes in on the higher end of the price spectrum makes the value factor less too. If you're looking for a top-performing photochromic lens and don't care so much about price, the Cyrius is an impressive pair of goggles.

Photochromic lenses provide lens adjustability for variable conditions, with this particular 1-3 lens model protecting our eyes from all but the brightest days to nearly dark for great versatility.

Photo: Robyn Cronk

Conclusion