Over years of testing and wear, we still think the Sungait sunglasses fit more people better than similarly priced alternatives. They sat comfortably on our testers’ faces, thanks in part to their keyhole nose bridge, in contrast to other glasses we tried, which felt too tight or awkward. Kent Wang offers three frame colors to choose from—gold, gunmetal, and silver—and the lenses on each are the same dark shade.
Whereas the Sungait round sunglasses have plastic frames with metal arms, these Kent Wang sunglasses are made from cellulose acetate, which is more lightweight and flexible than basic plastic frames. Despite being bulkier than the Sungait pair, the Kent Wang sunglasses weigh about the same. The Keyhole glasses come in various shades of vibrant acetate or horn (though the latter costs $95 more), and both versions are distinct and striking. For our testers, the glasses have garnered compliments from friends and acquaintances, as well as “Where are those from? While some cheap kids bikes have hand brakes, they are typically hard to reach and very unreliable.
Often built with single-pivot calipers, budget hands brakes are almost impossible to properly adjust and should not be expected to stop a bike. Quickly and confidentially stopping a bike is essential to a child’s safety on a bike. The brakes on kids bikes, however, range vastly in quality and performance. The brakes on higher-end bikes stop faster and with much less effort required by the child. While all kids benefit from lightweight bikes, a few pounds makes an even bigger difference for young, timid, or beginning riders.
We have tested many “cheap kids bikes” over the years, and were surprised and impressed at the performance and quality of the Retrospec Koda 2 Plus kids bikes. With such a low price point, they should absolutely be on the list for price-conscious parents. For those looking for an amazing bike on a budget, we highly recommend first searching for a quality used bike locally. Unlike big-box store bikes, quality bikes are can be repaired with new components to make them almost as good as new!
I’m not sticking around to see if that guess is right, I’ll be long gone with my bike by the time you read this note. I’ve got to get on with my life, I suggest you do the same with yours. You are probably wondering how I tracked you down, where all this blood came from, and why there’s a severed deer head here instead of the bike you stole. I’ll explain, not because I owe you an explanation, but because I want you to think twice before you go out to steal another bike. Kent began a bike assembly program under the name Bicycle Corporation of America, which eventually morphed into a full-blown bicycle manufacturing facility. I reached the point where I had to spend some more money on this project so I rode my Allant over the bridge to Duluth.
Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first kent hybrid bike time). The Sunski Dipsea are made with recycled plastic, which we like; unfortunately, they were uncomfortable. The Sungait Oversized Vintage Polarized Cat Eye Sunglasses had a peculiar shape and were too big for serious consideration.
With steel frames, Cleary bikes weigh just a bit more than a brand like woom, but these bikes are made to take a beating and will keep on rolling for years to come. To aide in durability, the Cleary’s geared bikes are built with internally geared hubs, which eliminates the need for notoriously finicky derailleurs. Woom’s larger kent hybrid bike bikes have an evolved design that keeps riding simple and natural, but allows kids to get more adventurous and aggressive as they grow their skills. In addition to maintaining their light weight, the larger woom bikes feature a unique, adjustable-height stem to allow for kids to customize the height of the handlebars.
If you have difficulty finding sunglasses that are big enough, Goodr sells a variant of The OGs called BFGs. Although we didn’t test this version of The OGs, we still think it would be worth considering for someone who has a larger head and is looking for a Wayfarer-style pair. “They have a pretty, classic shape, and they weren’t overwhelmingly large,” said Wirecutter staff writer Dorie Chevlen, who also noted the glasses’ good-looking tortoiseshell pattern. At this writing, EyeBuyDirect offers the Cartel frames in clear brown, tortoiseshell, and navy, but the company seems to cycle colors regularly. The Nooz Optics Cruz sunglasses are more expensive than some others we recommend—nearly four times as much as the Sungait Vintage Round Sunglasses—but the price isn’t absurd, and we think they’re worth it. Despite their petite frame, they don’t look cramped or undersized on the face, and they fit all of our testers well.