Bolle’ Icarus/Volt Glasses & ECO React MIPS Helmet: Getting Rolling

Bolle’ Volt Glasses & ECO React MIPS Helmet: Getting Rolling – by Grannygear

At Sea Otter I was able to visit the Bolle booth and look at some of the newer items they had for 2022. Here are two things we have on review.

Better to see you by: Icarus sunglasses with the Volt+ lens. $170.00 : When it comes to lightweight, look no further. The ICARUS is Bollé’s new ultra light frameless model, 24 grams of pure performance. Great stability is ensured by the use of Thermogrip® rubber on both the S curved temples and the nose pad. This 6 base is available with Phantom, the most advanced photochromic lens on the market and Volt+, our revolutionary high contrast polarized lens.

Bolle' Icarus Sunglasses with Volt+ lenses
Icarus sunglasses with Volt+ lenses.

Boy, is the sunglasses world a crowded and competitive one! And costs range from China direct cheap to “We sponsor a famous cycling star” expensive.

So at a suggested retail of $170.00 these are not as much as some, but certainly premium. And Bolle makes a lot of noise about their lens, the Volt+. I have the Icarus frame in Matte Titanium with that lens.

My fist impressions are of a very bright and clear view of the world, and colors do seem to POP. We shall see as spring/summer will be the review period.

Eco React MIPS Helmet $200.00: The other item is a helmet that should ring true with many buyers that are interested in the wise use of materials, recycling, etc.

Bolle' Eco React helmet
Bolle’ Eco React Helmet

The Eco React MIPS helmet is aimed more at the casual rider, commuter, perhaps enthusiast, but that does not mean it is not a well done item. It looks very solid and the finish is quite nice with no odd edges or cheap looking pieces. It also is made with some care regarding the planet.

The same qualities that make our helmet lightweight, comfortable, and safe also make it eco-friendly. With the ECO REACT MIPS®, we are challenging the traditional way to make helmets, replacing some plastic and petroleum products by organic materials to reduce the environmental impact. We have added cork to the EPS, used recycled plastics for the shell, and natural fibers such as cotton webbing and bamboo fiber lining, It’s our first step to respond to the needs of cyclists who want to pursue an active lifestyle in the city while doing their part for the planet.

This version of the Eco React has the MIPS system where the internal parts allow for slip and rotation under impact, helping to reduce impacts to the brain. There is a click to fit dial system on the back of the helmet (normal these days) that feels decently solid and the helmet comes with a visor option if that is your vibe.

I weighed it at 326g. Just for a comparison, I weighed my Specialized Propero III with MIPS. It is a $150.00 helmet. It weighed in at 299g. So for the 200 dollars the Eco React costs, it is not focused on being 50 dollars lighter than the Propero III.

I have been in both of these for sometime now and will be following up soon with my thoughts.

Note: Bolle’ sent over the Icarus/Volt sunglasses and the ECO React Helmet for test and review by Riding Gravel at no charge. We were not paid, nor bribed for this post, and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout. Images used in this post courtesy of Bolle’

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Author: Grannygear

Grannygear hails from SoCal and spent most of his cycling days as a mountain biker from the formative years of mountain biking all the way up to the present day. His day job is in the tech sector, but he has spent time writing about off road 4X4’s, 29″ mountain bikes, and cycling in general. Grannygear and Guitar Ted have worked off and on together since 2009 after a chance meeting at Interbike. With gravel cycling on the rise, Grannygear has been exploring how this genre’ works in SoCal and now does guest pieces for RidingGravel.com in his spare time.

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