Fresh Produce | Heatwave Vector & Future Tech Sunglasses

Performance eyewear can be expensive; it’s easy to spend $300+ AUD on a set of specs for riding. Then there are those of us that are happy with $10 safety glasses from the hardware store. But what about the people in the middle? Those that want more than the Bunnings special, but not the most expensive bit of kit.

Heatwave has an offering for this middle order, in the form of their Vector ($129.95 AUD) and Future Tech ($159.95) sunglasses. These are a lightweight, performance based specs with anti-fog technology, and shatter resistant interchangeable lenses. All characteristics of a good pair of riding glasses, in our humble Flow opinion. 

Heatwave Vector & Future Tech Sunglasses key features: 

Lenses: 

The Vector and Future Tech glasses are available in a variety of lens options, which all include anti-fog and shatter-resistant technology, and are available in both fixed tint, photochromic and clear. 

When doing a side-by-side comparison with more expensive options, from popular brands like Smith, Oakley and 100%, there is a difference in visual optics. For example, technology like Smith’s ChromaPop is a filter that is tuned to block certain colour wavelengths, namely where the green, red and blue wavelengths cross over to help your eyes pick out details and create contrast. While it may sound like marketing mumbo jumbo, in our experience, you can ride these tinted lenses in surprisingly dark conditions before vision becomes poor — they also average about $300 AUD in price. Oakley’s Prizm and 100%’s HiPER are both versions of this type of colour filtering. 

The Heatwave Vector’s tinted lens doesn’t have this technology and will require you to reach for the clear lens a little sooner. On another note, the clear lens needs to be bought separately. We’d love to see this included, as we believe this would significantly add to their already decent value. 

Bright sunlight or moderate shade was where the tinted Vector performed really well. The contrast and clarity left nothing to be desired here. Another positive is that it’s easy to swap to a clear lens via their tool-free system if deep, dark woods are your jam.

The Photochromic lens we had fitted to the Future Tech glasses was a standout and is truly the jack-of-all-trades for lens tints. The lens varies its tint from 75% to 17% visual light transmission depending on the light intensity, which was excellent when transitioning from dark to lighter sections of the trail. They won’t adjust quite as dark as the brand’s traditional tinted lenses which have 9% visual light transmission, but we found them suitable on even the sunniest days. 

Heatwave Vector Frame Design

These are Heatwave’s lightest frames at 39g (with lens installed). Despite being their lightest, the Vector still feels robust and well-constructed. The low profile of the lens means that it fits close to your face. This is a benefit of any MTB eyewear, as it reduces the chance of debris slipping in behind the lens. The close profile also opens the peripheries and contributes to the overall range of view, which is something we were really pleased with during testing. We definitely didn’t feel any sort of tunnel vision. One of the ways these specs achieve such a close fit is through the Hytrel rubber nose piece, and a forward tilting frame that enables them to sit further back on the nose. We found the nose piece to be comfortable and provide the right amount of pressure to keep them snug but not digging in. 

Heatwave Future Tech Frame Design

Welcome to the future! The brand claims the Future Tech sunglasses are the future of high-speed performance, certainly a bold statement. Will they make you any faster on the bike? Probably not. Do they look fast? Hell yeah!

The Future Tech sunglasses adopt a more futuristic style, with a broad and square edge frame compared to the Vector. Along with the same frameless lower portion to the lens, which provides an excellent field of vision, they include integration side shields that prevent sun, wind or debris from inhibiting vision. Due to the squarer style, they sit slightly further from your face compared to the Vector, but we still found them to be very comfortable during longer rides. The arms of the glasses include a neat rubber moulding which was comfortable to wear and prevented any movement when wearing them, but also helped when storing the glasses on our helmet.

Flow’s Verdict:

For a mid-price product, the Heatwave Vector and Future Tech glasses are a great option. Particularly if you prefer running a clear lens when you ride. Whilst the tinted lenses didn’t perform as well as some of the more high end competitors, we feel this is fair considering the price difference, and the photochromic lenses were perfect for varied sunlight conditions. There are a variety of colourways in both the frames and lenses; so enjoy the freedom in dialling in your desired look!