The magnetic glasses holder by StiQx is impressive on (almost) every level

Patrick Bardelli

10.4.2024

Translation: Elicia Payne

Pictures: Patrick Bardelli

The magnetic holder for cycling glasses comes from an inventor from Freiburg im Breisgau. It’s made by hand and in my experience ticks almost all the boxes.

Where do you put your cycling glasses when you take a short break at the side of the road or next to the trail? In your helmet, of course. The glasses are pushed into the helmet either at the front or the back through the ventilation openings. Like this:

At least, that’s the theory. In reality, this never works for me. It doesn’t matter which helmet model or which glasses, I somehow can’t manage to slot them in the helmet. It frustrates me every single time. The annoying fingerprints on the lenses after fiddling unsuccessfully are the least of my problems. The glasses often fall on the ground, get scratched, broken or even lost. And as I mentioned, it doesn’t matter whether I’m wearing a gravel helmet by Alpina, a Lazer MTB helmet or a road helmet by Giro.

The eyewear model has no influence on this either, be it a pair of; Rev or Optray by React, Bot 2 by Out of or S-Way by Alpina. The glasses just won’t stay put. Until now, I thought I was alone with my issue. Well, I was wrong.

Magnetic glasses holder by StiQx

An engineer from Freiburg im Breisgau had the same problem and developed a solution that’s both simple and ingenious. He makes magnetic glasses holders by hand under the brand name StiQx. SitQx consists of two magnets embedded in rubber and magnetic holders. Basically, these can be stuck to any smooth surface using 3M adhesive tape.

The coupling parts are available in sizes S, M and L and therefore cover very thin to extremely wide temples/arms. They come in various colours too. Black, white, grey and transparent are currently available at Galaxus. According to the manufacturer, the patented «floating» glasses holder (website in German) provides an extreme hold even in rough terrain and automatically centres the glasses in position. The following video demonstrates this in more detail:

Simple assembly

In principle, the magnetic glasses mount from StiQx should work on all bike helmets and with all standard models of glasses. The three helmets and glasses I tested worked seamlessly. Depending on the helmet model and the position of the ventilation openings, attaching the magnetic mounts can be a bit of a fiddle. But it fits all of them. Note – the glasses frame must rest on the front of the helmet to prevent it from swinging.

It gets a bit more complicated if you want your glasses to sit on the handlebars. It’s possible, but depends heavily on what else is going on with your handlebars. Do you use a bike computer? Do you have lights on the handlebars? Do you use an action cam? Do you have a bell and so on and so forth? Note – the frame of the glasses must rest on the handlebar stem to prevent swinging. Depending on the glasses and handlebar geometry, it may take a little patience to find the right position.

Works (almost) perfectly

During a break at the side of the road or next to the trail, put your glasses on your helmet or handlebars. My initial question of what to do with them has been answered. After practising a couple of times, it’s great. And what about during the ride? I’ve ridden with glasses on my helmet as well as on the handlebars. My observations on the helmet first: the magnets did a great job here. Whether on the road, gravel path or trail, the glasses withstood all the shocks and stayed on my head. Hats, or should I say, helmets off to them! Using the handlebars on the other hand, was not as straightforward.

Everything was fine on roads and gravel paths. However, I did knock the glasses off the handlebars of my gravel bike with my knee while pedalling once. At least I saw it happen and was able to collect them again. On my mountain bike trails, everything went well at first and I was honestly surprised that the glasses were still «stuck» to the handlebars after half an hour. Fifteen minutes later however, they were gone. They must have flown away without me realising. I’d wisely taken an old, broken model with me for the test. Lucky too, otherwise there would be 300 francs lying around in the forest somewhere.

In a nutshell

Magnetic glasses holder by StiQx is an almost perfect solution

All in all, a clever product that answers the question: where do I put my cycling glasses? Never find yourself asking this and you just slot them in your helmet? Then this product isn’t for you. For everyone else, the magnetic glasses holder by StiQx is an alternative worth considering.

Pro

• clever concept
• simple assembly
• handmade in Germany
• multifunctional

Contra

• Temperamental on handlebars

Glasses accessories

CHF29.60

StiQx Magnetic spectacle holder, black/transparent, size M (temple circumference 17-38mm)

2

Patrick Bardelli

Senior Editor

Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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