Evil Eye: Size XS and E-Sports Filter
06.10.25 14:04 12025-10-06T14:04:00+02:00Text: NoMan (translated by AI)Photos: Erwin Haiden, Evil EyeThe popular Evil Eye models Roadsense, Trailsense, and Trailsense II are now also available for narrow faces - we tested the latter. Plus: new blue light filters for e-sports enthusiasts and screen aficionados.06.10.25 14:04 1742025-10-06T14:04:00+02:00Evil Eye: Size XS and E-Sports Filter
06.10.25 14:04 1742025-10-06T14:04:00+02:00 NoMan (translated by AI) Erwin Haiden, Evil EyeThe popular Evil Eye models Roadsense, Trailsense, and Trailsense II are now also available for narrow faces - we tested the latter. Plus: new blue light filters for e-sports enthusiasts and screen aficionados.06.10.25 14:04 1742025-10-06T14:04:00+02:00
With this announcement at the end of August, Evil Eye immediately captured my undivided attention, despite the overflowing inbox of the high season:
“The proven performance models roadsense, trailsense, and trailsense II are now also available in size XS. This closes a fit gap that particularly affects young athletes and sports enthusiasts with narrow faces.”
Why did it immediately catch my eye? “Obviously, the news factor of personal relevance,” came to mind, echoing the theories of the esteemed Mr. Winfried Schulz from long-past study days. With my head and face shape more shrew than otter, more pangolin than axolotl, it seemed like it was made just for me.
Less than three days later, the review sample arrived at the editorial office – a Trailsense II in Blackberry Transparent with, thank you very much, a Vario lens (LST® Vario blue-green) instead of the standard LST® grey silver.
Because I am not only narrow-faced, squinty-eyed, crooked-toothed, and old, but also lazy on top of it all. Rather than a pair of glasses with a category 3 filter (86% absorption, 14% transmission), which I personally find too dark even in slightly overcast skies and would therefore need to swap out for a lighter option more often, I prefer one that magically adapts to the respective lighting conditions (category 1-3; 50-91% absorption, 50-9% transmission) without me having to lift a finger.
Furthermore, I personally really like the warm, reddish-brown base tone of this variable filter (referring to the inner view, not the tint of the mirror coating). With these color nuances, it’s like with bicycles, shoes, and really everything that needs to fit the body: You have to try it at a specialist retailer before buying it for the first time (and then, to be fair, also purchase it there).
All well and good, but weren’t we supposed to talk about the size XS as the actual news? True, so: It fits. Period.
Fits. Period.
The four millimeters make the difference.
Fit meets functionality and style
The frame width in the new XS size measures 135 mm. That is 4 mm less, or 2 mm per side, than the Small counterpart and also two eyelash widths (aka 1 mm) less than my previous favorite model, the Vizor HR, which has unfortunately been discontinued.
It sounds like a negligible difference, but in practice, it makes all the difference between slightly sliding forward or staying reliably in place, between having to push them up frequently or being able to keep your hands on the handlebars, between an unwanted strong draft gradually drying out your eyes or ventilation that is just right.
Especially since, along with the frame—which, by the way, like all Evil Eye models since August, is made from the new environmentally friendly Eco PPX material—the lenses have also been slightly reduced. They are only minimally smaller in width and height, but together, the difference is significant.
Compared to the aforementioned Vizor HR, the Trailsense II, which is explicitly designed for trail biking, is significantly taller in terms of the main frame and filter and straighter in the curvature of these two components. This gives the newcomer significantly greater face coverage—great for protection and the current trend, where glasses lenses can’t seem to be dominant enough—while also sitting more flush, as they protrude less in the nose area.
Despite this, the Trailsense II doesn’t tend to fog up; the ventilation works. And there’s also sufficient space for eyelashes.
Speaking of the nose: The subtle, slim, and minimalist design of the nose bridge and pads is both visually and functionally top-notch. The fact that Evil Eye includes a second, more voluminous set of pads in addition to the already adjustable ones in two positions makes any fit concerns completely irrelevant.
In addition, the Trailsense II offers everything that Evil Eye customers have enjoyed and appreciated for years: very slim side arms that are likely compatible with many helmets and, thanks to their flexible, rubberized ends, never press uncomfortably but still ensure a good fit. Thanks to triple adjustment, the arms also provide plenty of room for individual customization. And under high stress, they detach from the frame due to the quick-release hinge instead of potentially breaking. They can then be easily and immediately clicked back into place.
The weight is low (the kitchen scale shows 28 g), so the glasses are barely noticeable even after hours of wear. Also significant are the replaceable filters, which in this model can be easily removed by pulling them out of or inserting them into the frame, as well as the fact that the Trailsense II can also be used with clip-ins for vision correction. And while a colleague occasionally criticizes bothersome color reflections in the upper area of the LST Varios, I personally could not complain about the optical quality or speed of these self-tinting lenses with LST technology. On the contrary: when occasionally comparing them with lenses of other origins without contrast enhancement or light intensity adjustment, I find myself much more helpless, especially during rapid light-shadow transitions in the forest.
Last but not least, also not unimportant: Regarding colors (ten are available) and filters (there are 14 interchangeable lenses starting at €66), there is an overwhelming choice. The complete package, depending on the filter quality ("only" LST or LST Vario), costs €215 or €282 respectively.
For teenagers, whose heads may still grow and broaden, this price might seem a bit high. However, for fully grown individuals who still have a narrow fit in the head area, trying on a Trailsense II (or even a Roadsense) in XS is highly recommended. After all, this is not only a modern but also a really stylish performance model that offers a lot - and thanks to the new size, now truly fits.
New: E-Sport Filter
Speaking of "fit" ... just in time for the upcoming indoor season, Evil Eye has recently introduced an innovation in filter technologies. During the colder months, training doesn’t just take place outdoors in nature but often indoors on the bike – and quite likely in front of a screen. However, as we know, spending hours focusing on high-resolution displays isn’t exactly healthy for the eyes. This is precisely where Evil Eye’s new e-sport filters come into play. They protect the eyes from the high-energy, short-wave blue light emitted by screens, displays, tablets, and artificial indoor lighting, to which people with a lot of screen time are frequently exposed.
Designed for ambitious athletes who want to maintain precise vision and long-term concentration during indoor training, the new lenses are intended to reduce eye fatigue and help maintain focus more effectively.
According to the manufacturer, previous users report an enhanced sense of contrast, reduced glare, and overall more relaxed vision, especially when viewing bright, rapidly changing content. Additionally, the filter supports the production of the body's natural sleep hormone melatonin, which is inhibited by blue light. This can be particularly beneficial for falling asleep after late training sessions.
The e-sport filter will soon be available in the performance models "elate.t" and "roadsense" as well as in the active models "vistair-x" and "seaside", optionally in a package with an additional LST®-Vario-purple-M replacement lens for outdoor training. It will be available at all partner opticians, in sports retail stores, and online at evileye.com.
