Thanks for tuning in today we're going to be reviewing the Roka Lockhart
lightweight sunglasses. For those looking for modern optics and frames without oversized
or over styled sunglasses then Roka has you covered. Their new Roka Lockhart are
available both in prescription non-prescription variations and offer a vintage silhouette.
It has a lot of modern features so packaging is pretty simple. You have a black sleeve that go
around that goes around a white cardboard box and simple Roka logos on there. Nice little motto on
here that says do you. If we take this out you can see I have a white cardboard box again very simple
with this little magnetic top. Lets go ahead and take out the box and go over specs.
Retail price on this is $170 it's also available with the polarized lens for 195. It has retro
styling but it uses a lot of modern features so you get a TR-90 nylon frame. You get their C3
lenses which is something Roka uses a lot of their performance sunglasses. While cycling sunglasses
you get the non-slip GEKO material. This is the rubber material on the temples as well as the nose
pads and these are replaceable nose pads you get multiple in the box. You get spring loaded temple
arms so it can conform to a variety of faces. You can see this nice thick cut frame design.
In terms of what comes in the box you get the sunglasses we have the gold mirror lens here with
the gloss black finish on the frame. You get a fabric carrying case with the Roka logo on there.
You also get the nose pads and this is pretty cool so it comes in this little plastic holder.
You get three different sizes it comes with size two by default you get the little tool
to pop it out and then a larger and a smaller one to try out. Also in the box you get a couple
other goodies you get the little decal for Roka a little instructional manual on how to do the
fit and change the nose pad pieces as well as another little pamphlet on the different
lenses and their filter categories. Now let's take a look at the weight of the sunglasses
so with the size 2 default nose pads it comes in at 24 grams so quite light.
Now let's go with the fit and finish of the Roka Lockhart sunglasses.
You can see they combine a vintage silhouette if you have a rectangular frame very thick cut.
You can see how thick it is on the corners a little angled nose bridge smooth corners
and then straight temple arms. It's very much a lifestyle design so you can see it has no
curvature where cycling sunglasses would have very high curvature so something that looks great when
you're driving around town and also good for performance sports because it's lightweight.
The C3 optic lens so these are a category three these are the gold mirror they look
very cool and provide a nice filtering to keep the sun out of your eyes and a nice base brown color.
We found it worked really well for cycling as well it doesn't have quite as much coverage
as an oversized lens but instead of that you have this more retro look and it's great for
commuting or just urban riding. We still prefer the larger lenses for cycling longer distances
as it keeps debris out of your eyes but it's a great intermediate for those shorter rides.
This is the gloss black frame they also offer four different options from clear tortoise as well as a
bourbon color one and those give it a much more vintage look while this is a more modern option.
There are two lens options we have the gold mirror lens and they also have a black variation as well.
Otherwise very simple construction straight temple arms you can see they're hinged
so it can actually hinge them outward and then they snap in place and hold themselves really well.
It feels very rigid despite being so light and with that nylon construction you can actually stretch
these out without worrying about cracking them or breaking them, something you can actually drop on
the ground and still use. Branding is limited to just a couple places you have Roka on the side
you have this nice little accent on the corner and then Roka again on the other temple arm. The other
feature is the GEKO non-slip material so you can see that here so this will prevent it from
sliding off your head on the sides and then the nose pads are made of that same rubber material.
Swapping the nose pads is actually interesting unlike a performance sunglass which would just
pop off these are actually attached so let's go ahead and take that off you have to take your tool.
Now unfortunately it's very easy to lose something like this and with no hard case
that means you really should keep the cardboard box handy and store the extra parts in there
so you don't lose anything. You can see this tool just has a little hook on there
so all you do is position that on the back side and then push down and you'll hear that click.
So it's just a plastic tab holding in place then to reinstall it you could switch it out
I'll just put the same one back again. You position it in the right orientation
and then push it in and it should click and there you go so you're ready to ride it's a
nice design unlike the Oakley ones which will tear this one's less likely to tear.
Now let's take a look at the Roka on the road really like these sunglasses for commuting or even
driving especially here in california with the sun. The gold mirror lenses really work well
they block out the harsh sun and they have the nice mirror finish
and with the vintage look of these they don't look out of place so even if you're running errands
this is a pair of sunglasses you can wear around town and thanks to lightweight and modern
optics something you can get a lot of value out of as well.
Now let's compare the Roka Lockhart and other sunglasses on the market.
One really nice comparison we have here is a pair of nike prescription sunglasses. Very similar
design you can see the Nike is a little sportier as it has a flat bridge and thinner frame and a little
more smoothness to it while the Lockhart is a little more vintage with the frame design.
Otherwise similar design the Lockhart obviously has a couple more features such as the spring
loaded hinges so this one won't flex out. It just flexes inward and this one has non
replaceable nose pads where the Lockhart does so you get a lot of the performance features.
Now the nice thing about the Lockhart is not over styled so other sunglasses like the Roka Matador
Air. You can see with the same gold mirror lens it's definitely in your face more of a cycling
style and you can see how curved this is. Much more of a visor fit so it really curves around
while the Lockhart is more the performance style which is just flat. So I personally ride
with the Matador Air when i'm cycling just because of that how wide it is and how
much additional vision you have but obviously this looks out of place when you're driving around town.
The other comparisons are other cycling sunglasses we have the POC Aim here again just
bigger frame more curvature they have replaceable interchangeable lenses for a lot of the models
where the Lockhart doesn't. Then if you want even something more unique looking there's stuff
like the Oakley Kato we have here and you can see it almost looks like a mask with the
single piece lens that actually goes over the nose so definitely more in your face ton more field of
view with the frameless designs they have but again something not you don't want to wear around
town. The Lockhart a good balance between them you get the high-tech lens from the more
performance orientated models with the lightweight TR-90 frame construction that these all use.
Now let's go over the score card for the Roka Lockhart we're going to grade on four
different categories: design, optics, comfort and value. For design we give an A- it has
a nice vintage design with thick cut frame. Optics also on A- while we really like the c3 lens
it is a limited selection of lenses currently with this model.
Comfort we'd give it an A, it has a nice featherweight feel so you won't even notice you're wearing them.
For value give it a B+ as it lacks a spare lens or even a hard case you only get the soft
case and the cardboard box. Thanks for watching this review don't forget to like and subscribe.
You can see more content from us on our website at thesweetcyclists.com as well as follow us
on Instagram at @TheSweetCyclists. This is The Sweet Cyclist reminding you to enjoy the ride!