ArcLite Ethos Motorcycle Sunglasses Review - Spoiler: Great Tactical Protective Eye Wear!

Bret is picky about his motorcycle sunglasses. Find out exactly why he likes the ArcLite Ethos glasses!

[grimsadventures-bikesnpetr]

Fantastic presentation once again, BTW I been riding 2010 BMW like yours for 3years, I was forced into a situation, this weekend where I had to dab my way out of a horrible rut, it came naturally, I instinctively put my foot down to stop the bike from falling over and it worked, your videos really help at times, and I hope you read this comment, from South Africa.

[kyledoman]

Great review!!! I own these glasses and he hit on every single thing I love about them. They fit great with my helmet and I even forget I’m wearing them most of the time. No wind getting around them and there is no vision warping. It’s a snap to change out lenses and the quality is top shelf. I’ve had these for a few years now and haven’t had any problems. Well worth every penny.

[banksjim]

Cool for me to see Bret recommending these. As a fan of Bret's channel, and also a recent customer of ArcLite, I'll independently confirm that these glasses are awesome... so much better than what I was using. Lighter, thinner, stronger. Packaging was cool too if you care about "out-of-box" experiences (not my thing). I also had some follow-up with ArcLite's customer service after the sale and they were very responsive and very helpful. If you buy a pair and get additional lenses, I would recommend also buying extra nose pieces and just keeping them pre-installed on each lens. The frames are easy to swap out. The nose pieces are swappable too, but a little more difficult (for me at least). It was just easier for each of the lenses to have its own.

[xraydoc]

Got my pair with several lenses. They are excellent! Light, solid, great lens selection. Very customer friendly service! Would definitely recommend!

[oso_nomada]

I’ve spent just as much on sunglasses as I have on gloves in the 15+ years I’ve been riding. Although I can appreciate the Arclight features, $140+ for something I’m guaranteed to pull out of my tank bag and drop or rest on my tank, seat, jacket pocket and watch them slip off...I’m reluctant. Now one can argue, “Well take better care of your stuff..?”, I have an irresponsible amount (both dollar amount and quantity) of high end sunglasses and take very good care of them, so it’s not due to lack of trying. Long story short...For years now I rock 3M Virtua Safety glasses. Thin, ultralight weight, frameless, slip on perfectly with helmet on, UV/B protection, and ANZI/CSA rated...come in Clear and Smoked. Best of all...$3 brand new at your local Hardware store. Yes. $3. I keep a pair of clear and smoked in my tank bag...they’re fairly scratch resistant, so no need for a sunglasses pouch or box. I’m a Weld Supervisor and take eye protection very seriously...if they work in my industry, they’ll work on the ride home. Ride on!

[jbrunner]

Bret, how would you compare the yellow v. the vermillion in the package deals ... is either one better suited to motorcycling?

[norsefalconer]

Thanks for the info. I wear a MX style helmet in the summer and it's nice to see what eyewear options are available.

[AndreShoumatoff]

I am here in Utah and am a longtime dirtbike / adventure bike rider, and am also a shooter and own two sets of Arclite. They are local here so I know the founder and have owned both the Gen 1 (which were good but not magnificent). And now am exclusively on these gen 2 (Ethos VLD model) that are ***magnificent.*** The glasses are hands down, 100%, the best sunglasses I have ever owned. I swear to god. For example I was floored that they aren't polarized because they are **so** fu**King clear.

For real authenticity, I've been riding moto for 10 years and got my endorsement on a 950 Adventure. Today own a Husq 500 and a 950 Super enduro and mostly ride open desert after about a 1/2 dozen bikes, mostly KTM, and one Honda XR650R (the big red pig). For shooting I shoot PRS style with a Savage action, Proof barrel, on a XLR Element chassis in 6.5 Creedmoor, and a build Aero AR 308 platform in 308. Plus many many more of course. Just because there so many people saying "BS" I thought I'd offer these specifcs.


Just saying, wait until you try them. They are worth every cent.

[aaron]

I think it's useful to know that these are your favorite option, and I don't think there's anything bad about promoting a product you use and believe in, but I would like to hear about them in the context of a larger discussion of eye protection. How do you feel about flip down sun shades? What would you wear if you wore glasses? I think that larger discussion would be more useful to your audience, while still promoting what you think is the best choice.

[atastefortheroad]

Bret - interesting kit. Question - what is the MA-1 style jacket from Revit you're wearing in the video? Is that a liner? The jacket looks nice.

[bruced.]

Based on your review I decided to get a pair. As I wear prescription, I also had to get a UPLC insert. After wearing these, I can say that you were completely spot on. The prescription looks a little weird but works really well. This product is fantastic. Thank you!

[UTADV]

I’ve picked up a set based on this recommendation and I’m glad I did. For me the first indicator of great gear is forgetting about it while it’s doing its job. These go transparent while they’re protective, comfortable, and optically perfect. After detaching a retina from an impact I’m grateful to have these - more than sunglasses, certainly. And they’re based here in Utah in Park City.

[beachside]

Hi Bret, you mentioned you are coming to NZ in your winter. Just a holiday or are you doing anything special down under? If you are around in early February the Burt Munro challenge is on in Southland.

[tripleblackpieman]

When are you coming down to NZ and what are you doing while you’re here?

[iallso]

Excited to hear that you are heading to New Zealand, do you have any dates organised yet?

[DieTabbi]

Nice glasses. But I can´t find a seller who send it over to Germany :-(

[tmarkcc]

Thanks for the review Brett. I ordered a set!

[blacklion]

Interesting, how wide is nose saddle? ESS ICE was very recommended to me, but I can not wear it, because it is too narrow on nose for me :-(

[dangerdanadv]

What are each of the lenses purposes? Why do some kits have yellow and some red (vermillion)?

[bobs.]

Great glasses indeed BUT do not work with my Schuberth E1. Helmet pushes down on the lens creating extreme nose pressure. I tried cutting the top of the lenses down and trimming the temples. They still makes contact. Other helmets work better.