Review: Engo 2 smart sports glasses bring augmented reality to runners and cyclists
Essentially, they are sunglasses with a built-in heads-up display (HUD), like the kind you see being used by fighter pilots, delivering you information right into your eyeball. They are designed for runners, cyclists and triathletes who want real-time performance data without looking at a watch or bike computer.
I'm one of the former (although not a very good one), so was keen to try them out on my early morning runs. The Engo 2 is compatible with a bunch or wearables from the likes of Garmin, Apple, Suunto and Android. I've got an Apple Watch, and, while I found the set-up to be relatively straightforward, it did take me a couple of attempts to connect the two. Once over this hurdle the link between the two was very reliable and stable.
I was lucky enough to try out the photochromic version of the glasses, which means the lens dynamically adapts from clear to dark depending on the lighting conditions. The glasses themselves are good-looking, and make you feel like you're a sniper from the 23rd Century!
They come in two different sizes, but both are very lightweight, especially when compared to other smart glasses. The adjustable nose pads also adds to the comfort. Being designed for endurance sports, they are resistant to both water and sweat.
Once linked to the ActiveLook app on your watch, you're away. Starting a session on the app brings up the HUD, powered byt a micro-OLED projector, and useful info such as time, speed, power and heart rate just floats in front of you.
If this sounds a little weird. It is, but only for a bit. You soon get used to it, and the monochrome display doesn't get in the way of your larger field of view. So no more looking at my watch wondering how I was doing, or stopping to check my heart rate, everything I needed to know was right in front of me.
You get a handful of 'dashboards', each with different info you can toggle through by moving your hand in front of the glasses, which is pretty cool. You can create your own view, but this didn't seem to be a particularly user-friendly experience, and something I took one look at, and went 'nah'. Maybe something to fix in an app update.
There are a couple of other issues, as well. First off, Ii found the on/off button - which is just on the nose - pretty difficult to access. And then there's the swiping. I found this to be rather hit-and-miss. On some occasions, it didn't miss a beat. On others nothing was happening no matter how many times I swiped. Which must have made me look rather stupid to passers-by!
Battery life is a very decent 12 hours so more than good enough for a day's training. Charging through a USB-C cable is pretty fast as well.
The Ego 2 is a very cool pair of sunglasses, and while there are a few shortcomings, I'd definitely recommend them for the more serious athlete rather than the casual exercise fan.
The Engo 2 Photochromic are available for £310, while the non-photochromic version sells for £266.
What the reviewers say
Tech Radar: "More than a proof of concept, the Engo 2 provides exactly the right tech to give an athlete an edge. But it'll take some more polish to turn this raw material into a real gem."
Cycling Weekly: "The Engo 2 are the lightest, best value, and most refined cycling glasses with a HUD yet."
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