Koo Demos Sunglasses Review

Presented during the 2020 Tour de France and worn by the Trek-Segafredo team riders, the Koo Demos offer all the features sought after in sports glasses: a very wide field of vision, excellent coverage, light weight, and excellent hold on the face. The new photochromic lenses also provide additional comfort.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: @3bikes.fr / Vincent Lyky

Still a relatively young brand in the world of cycling and sports in general, Koo was launched a few years ago by Kask, the now famous Italian helmet company. And as with Kask, Koo glasses are made in Italy, with the exception of the lenses, as the brand has chosen to work with Zeiss, a famous German company specializing in optics and optoelectronics.

Within the Koo range, there are four models of glasses dedicated to cycling (Supernova, Spectro, Open Cube, and Demos), with different types of polycarbonate lenses, from categories 1 to 3, in addition to the new photochromic lenses that we also had the opportunity to test for the Spectro and Demos.

For the Demos, prices range from €149 with category 1 lenses to €190 with photochromic lenses. In terms of frames, the Koo Demos are available in six different colors and ten options in total, including frame and lens combinations.

The four lenses offered and easily interchangeable thereafter (sold between €40 and €90) offer a light transmission of:

• 58% for category 1
• 23% for category 2
• 11% for category 3
• 12% to 69% for photochromic lenses

Weighing 30 g, the Demos come with adjustable nose pads in two positions, allowing them to be properly adapted to the face. Four ventilation ports on the lenses prevent any fogging. The hinge of the temples is quite firm, ensuring excellent support, especially since an adhesive rubberized part is placed at the end on the inner side, to limit the risk of the glasses slipping.

Comfortable glasses

On the road in full sun, category 3 lenses (the darkest) provide excellent visual comfort and protect very well from light. However, when passing into undergrowth or shaded areas, the contrast may seem too high. Category 2 lenses are surely more suitable, especially for off-road use with a less significant filter.

Photochromic lenses solve the problem and adapt at an impressive speed to changes in light. Riding in fog poses no visibility problem, with light transmission remaining quite natural, and when a clear spell appears, the lens adapts in a few seconds to avoid being dazzled by the sun.

On the face, the Koo Demos are quickly forgotten and do not move even with sudden movements. The field of vision is not at all altered by the frames, and there is never any fogging, for example during rides in the rain. The ventilation holes also do not cause an annoying draft on the eyes, as we can observe on rides with negative temperatures.

The temples are a bit long and barely fit with a Kask. For a good hold, it is necessary to slide them under the occipital adjustment frame. It holds without moving, but things get complicated with a skullcap, as the extra thickness makes it more difficult to hold the glasses. Note that the temples fit perfectly into the holes of a helmet, which allows the glasses to be removed without losing them, again thanks to the rubberized area.

Ultimately, the Koo Demos are modern and perfectly protective glasses, with well-designed ventilation channels to avoid an unpleasant cool draft on the eyes. They offer an ideal hold as long as nothing is worn under the helmet. As for the photochromic lenses, they offer an excellent compromise for riding in a wide range of conditions. The price is quite high, but these are high-end models that have absolutely nothing to envy the competition.

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