100% Hypercraft sunglasses are only 23g

100% Hypercraft
The Hypercraft riding sunglasses are light, but robust (Image credit: 100%)

Hypercraft is the new offering from San Diego performance optics brand 100%.

For those mountain bikers seeking an exceptionally lightweight choice of riding eyewear, the Hypercraft has some very impressive specifications. It features UltraCarbon technology, which dramatically reduces weight without sacrificing structural integrity.

As with all cycling components, riding optics are a deft balance between reducing weight without delivering unusable fragility. Sunglasses which are terrifically light can also have weak lens security, as they flex too easily under glancing helmet strap strain or hand adjustment. Even worse: they can break when dropped.

The goal of having less mass resting on your nose bridge is ergonomically desirable. Although carbon-fibre has transformed nearly every facet of mountain biking, sunglass frames have lagged in the composite revolution cycle.

Engineers and industrial designers at 100% wished to reduce the volume of frame material in their new minimalist Hypercraft range. The risk of trimming frame material is that structural soundness can be compromised. 

What 100% has managed to deliver with the Hypercraft is a minimalist visor optic, that weighs only 23g. The crucial ingredient for these 100% Hypercraft sunglasses is UltraCarbon. Using a special polymer weaving technique, 100% blends carbon into traditional sunglass frame nylon to create its UltraCarbon structure, which has an amazing strength-to-weight ratio. 

The 100% Hypercraft has excellent breathability, with clearance in the frame and ports machined into the lens. This allows for mediating airflow and reduces the annoyance of fogging on those early morning forest rides.

Like all 100% cycling sunglasses, the new Hypercraft range is a combination of French lenses and Italian frame fabrication, ensuring the best possible European build quality. Cylindrical lenses offer a very generous field of vision and 100% use Hiper optics for the Hypercraft, which enhance contrast – a worthy feature when you are riding along and need to identify the shape and scale of a potential root or rock garden risk.  

The Hypercraft lenses are both hydrophobic and oleophobic, repelling all environmental contaminants you are likely to encounter on a ride: moisture, dirt and oil. A scratch-resistant coating ensures durability and your eyes are shielded from the full spectrum of radiation, encapsulating UVA, UBS and UV400 protection

With a choice of four frame colourways and retailing at $175, the 100% Hypercraft sunglasses will undoubtedly appeal to gram obsessed cross-country riders.

Lance Branquinho
Freelance writer

Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born journalist who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his trail running. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. As well as Bike Perfect, Lance has written for MBR.com, Off-Road.cc and Cycling News.