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Koo Supernova glasses are extremely lightweight, and their minimalist (frameless) construction offers a wide field of vision. But they are not ideal for all face shapes.
By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr
Koo is the eyewear brand of the famous Italian helmet manufacturer Kask. The range offers truly different models, to be chosen according to your aesthetic preferences and the shape and size of your face. The Supernova, the latest model presented at the end of 2021, is no exception to the rule, as it features high technicality and a very high-end finish, commensurate with its equally premium selling price of €179.
Koo offers six versions of the Supernova, with black, white, blue or neon yellow temples, and two types of mirrored lenses, which filter more or less light. Our test model is equipped with category 3 lenses, with a light transmission index of 12%, particularly suitable for sunny days. But in practice, even under spring clouds, the vision is not excessively darkened, even in wooded sections, which is rather a good thing.
With the Supernova, it’s best to choose the lens type precisely, as they are not interchangeable like on the Demos, Spectro, or Open Cube. Indeed, due to the absence of a frame, the temples are firmly attached to the lens, making any manipulation impossible. This is obviously a problem if you plan to use the glasses in all weather conditions and all year round, but especially if the lenses are damaged with large scratches, for example.
This absence of a frame makes the Supernova very light (22 g) and gives the glasses a certain flexibility, thanks to the material used for the Zeiss lenses (or rather THE lens): nylon. The temples are also relatively flexible, which gives the glasses a somewhat fragile appearance, but contrary to our first impression, they do not move over time, even when slipped a little quickly into a back pocket among other accessories.
Because this minimalist design comes with a fit that is not firm enough for our taste, whether on the helmet by sliding the temples into the ventilation holes, or on the face when you have a rather thin face. The temple tips are well equipped with an anti-slip material, but the Supernova still seem to float a little on the nose, especially when you lower your head while riding to check the gear used on the bike, for example. Finally, even when paired with a Kask, we find the temples a little too long, and they conflict with the helmet’s retention system.
However, in spring conditions, we never experienced any fogging, and despite the size of the lens, ventilation seems perfectly acceptable even during long climbs. The field of vision is very wide, and no element disturbs it. In terms of comfort, we note, of course, the minimalist aspect of the temples, which gives the sensation of wearing almost nothing, and the shape of the nose pad, which, in addition to not causing any irritation, allows the lenses to be kept at a distance from the face, so as to limit the deposit of sweat drops inside.
Ultimately, the Koo Supernova are among the lightest pairs of glasses on the market, and their frameless design provides excellent visual comfort. The quality lenses protect well from the sun, but they remain clear enough to be tolerable in shaded areas. However, they remain very flexible, which does not ensure the best fit on thin faces and even less when it comes to tucking the temples of the glasses into the helmet’s ventilation holes. Finally, the non-interchangeable lenses make them less attractive from our point of view than other models from the brand.
The KOO SUPERNOVA glasses in brief… Rating: * Pros: lightness, field of vision Unique frameless lenses – Toric nylon lenses by Zeiss® – Unbreakable, anti-reflective and 100% UV protection – Flexible and highly resistant temples – Extended field of vision – Interchangeable nose pad – Uniform multi-layer mirror coating – Hydrophobic anti-drip technology – Weight: 22 g – Price: €179 Contact: kooworld.cc |
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