I’m pretty picky when it comes to motorcycle riding sunglasses. They have to fit just right and not cause my head to ache after hours of wearing them on my bike. With that in mind, I’m impressed with Bobster’s efforts at making female-oriented riding glasses, including the first convertible sunglasses for women riders.
WRN Editorial Assistant Amy models the Ava sunglasses in black with smoked lenses.
As I mention in the video above, “convertible” means the glasses convert to a goggle. Goggles are nice in that they stay on your head more securely than sunglasses do with the help of an elastic strap. Riders who don’t wear helmets find goggles work better for them. Bobster has done a fine job of making it easy and simple to detach and then reattach the temples when converting these sunglasses to a goggle.
With their temples removed and the elastic strap attached, the Ava sunglasses convert to a goggle.
Here you can see the foam insert attached to the frame. The rubber pieces in the nose area help prevent slipping.
The foam insert detached from the frame.
In goggle format, the glasses didn’t conform to my face as tightly as I would have wanted them tobecause the foam insert is more formed than soft. There was a little bit of extra space on the outer edges of the frames, but that could be just the way the frames fit my particular face shape. I’m used to goggles hugging around my eyes. That said, these are the most fashionable pair of goggles I’ve ever worn.
The Bobster brand name is on both sides of the sunglasses.
Bobster offers several different frame styles that are convertible, including the Ava, the most classic of the frame shapes and the type that I tested. The lenses on the Ava are made of polycarbonate material that offers UVA and UVB protection. They also have antifog coating to prevent the glasses from steaming up in humid conditions, such as when you get caught riding in the rain and the humidity levels increase.
The temples are a straight design with rubber on the tips. The rubber is good quality and helps the glasses stayonsecurely while “cushioning” the temples against your head. However, rubber tips always catch on my long hair, so I don’t actually like them.
The Ava sunglasses I tested have a gray smoke lens color. The lens color is not interchangeable between frame styles, so if you want an amber-colored lens, then youll need to purchase the Gradient Brown frame. For those who like polarized lenses, those are offered with a black frame.
The frame is lightweight and comfortable to wear. I think $49.98 is a fair, middle-of-the-road price for a functional piece of eyewear. I like that the Ava glasses also work as fashion sunglasseswhen I’m off the bike. A microfiber cloth bag and hard-sided case come with the glasses.
Visit Bobster.com and have fun shopping. There are a lot of styles to choose from, and you can buy online. However, I find that when buying sunglasses I must try them on. If youre like me, then check out the dealer locator on the website and then stop by a dealer near you to try on a pair.
Some of the Bobster styles are available in a prescription and a company representative indicated the AVA is one of those styles. Visit the company website, listed at the end of my article, for more information on that.
I am so glad to see goggles/sunglasses for woman with the removable padding. I often stop to hike and the padding is just too hot.
Can these be ordered with a prescription for those who wear glasses? (I don’t wear contacts).
Some of the Bobster styles are available in a prescription and a company representative indicated the AVA is one of those styles. Visit the company website, listed at the end of my article, for more information on that.