While Sweet Protection is best known for their excellent MTB helmets and MTB body armor, they’re also excelling in the eyewear department right now. We recently tested their Firewall MTB goggle which proved to be one of the best MTB goggles currently available, which gave us high hopes that their latest glasses will fair as well.
The Memento specs featured here are the most recent addition to Sweet Protection’s eyewear line up and they offer goggle comparable coverage with the additional functionality of glasses. The Memento ticks all the right boxes in terms of design, but does their on-trail performance compete with the best glasses for MTB?
Design and specifications
The Memento’s utilize a full-frame design which gives a striking vibe to their overall appearance. Similarly to the POC Devour glasses we tested a short while back, the Memento’s standout feature is their extra-large size, which is up there with some of the biggest I’ve used. The latest generation of large lensed glasses provide goggle like coverage with the flexibility and usability of glasses – a combination that in my opinion works really well for almost every genre of cycling.
The lens itself features a 1.8mm cylindrical design and gets high impact protection ratings. Both sides of the lens are treated with hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings to protect against fogging and scratching.
Some Memento options also feature Sweet Protection’s RIG lens technology which claims to offer superior contrast, minimum color distortion and lower eye fatigue while riding. But while the Menmentos are available with several lens tint shade options, I opted for the clear lens as I find it works best for the typically dank UK conditions I ride in most. Swapping lenses is a total cinch though thanks to Sweet Protection’s flexible and well thought out frame-to-lens interface.
The fit can be adjusted by switching between the different nose pieces which are included in the box. Each piece is designed to suit different nose bridge shapes to provide the most secure fit possible. I ended up settling with the ‘deep’ nose piece as this offered a notable improvement in comfort and stability. Credit to Sweet Protection for applying this level of customization to their product.
At $129.95 / £119.99, the Momentos were already competitively priced in the modern world of cycling glasses, but we’ve noticed several online retailers are offering them with healthy discounts, which means they’re a total bargain if you can strike lucky.
Included in the box is a well made hard case and a soft bag which doubles up as a lens wipe for mid-ride cleaning.
Performance
The Mementos fit is extremely comfortable and with no strange pressure points or rubbing I found them to be a dream to wear. It may sound cliche, but the fit is so dialled you don’t even notice you’ve got them on, even when you’ve been wearing them for several hours at a time. The fact they remain firmly in place when blasting down seriously rough tracks only boosts the overall comfort and usability further, too.
While I tried the Mementos with a variety of MTB helmets, I experienced no incompatibility issues. This quickly meant the Mementos became my go-to riding glasses for everything from big-terrain enduro riding to hearty days out on the gravel bike. They’re holding up remarkably well to the abuse so far too, and in my opinion the clear lens seems to be more durable and scratch resistant than most I’ve tried from other brands.
Throughout the testing process I had zero issues with the Memento’s fogging up, and even on colder days and sweat heavy climbs the well ventilated design ensured clear mist-free vision. It’s hard to say whether the hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings contribute to this or not, but the results really are there on the trail.
While there are a couple of potential issues that I can see being a hindrance for some riders, it’s worth stressing that neither of them affected me during testing . First off is the sheer size, as I imagine that if you have a smaller than average face there might be some compatibility issues with some lower fitting helmets. Also, while this again didn’t effect me, the straight arms might not be to everyone's tastes – especially if you like the feeling of hooked arms around the back of your ears. Again, neither of these point effected me personally, but I feel they are worth pointing out.
Verdict
The Memento’s large coverage is a real asset on the trail, pair this with the maximum comfort levels and zero sign of fogging and you get an impressive set of new-age riding specs. The fact they’re so reasonable on price makes them a totally obvious option for any rider looking for big protection – that's if they fit your face, of course.
Tech specs: Sweet Protection Memento RIG
- Price: $129.95 / £119.99
- Colors: Aquamarine/Matte Crystal Black, Malaia/Gloss Crystal Malaia, Topaz/Gloss White, Aquamarine/Matte Crystal Aqua, Obsidian/Matte Crystal Fluo, Obsidian/Matte Black, Bixbite/Matte Crystal Black Camo, Emerald/Matte Crystal Storm, Bixbite/Nardo Gray, Obsidian/Gloss Slate Gray Metallic/Fluo
