POC Propel Sunglasses review: Great visuals, and some free watts too

When Will Jones wrote about the best cycling sunglasses, he started by talking about how important the fashion aspect is. It’s a sentiment I couldn’t agree with more. The right glasses tie your whole look together. Keep reading though and Will also talked about how the best glasses have to be more; honestly, that last part is something I’ve struggled with a bit. 

It’s not that I disagree with the idea that great cycling sunglasses are more than pure fashion, it’s that there are so many fantastic choices. Oakley, Scicon, 100%, Bolle, POC, and even less expected brands like Rapha all have sunglasses that are incredible. The base level of performance is so high that it’s easy to forget to even think about quality when testing. The flip side of that is that it’s also hard to differentiate one brand of glasses from another. Everyone makes claims about performance and they are all true enough that it feels like noise. 

This year POC is looking to cut through all that noise. The POC Propel sunglasses are completely unique on the market as the only sunglasses sold today that claim to make you faster through aero optimisation. It’s the kind of claim I love and I have to admit I felt myself drawn like a moth to a flame. Still, despite my predilection for ridiculous aero claims, I’ve put the POC Propel sunglasses to the test. I’ve covered hundreds of miles and lots of hours and now I’m ready to talk about the details. If you are looking for a new pair of sunglasses for the summer riding season, keep reading to see if the POC Propel is going to be the right choice for you.