01 December 2023
For its limited-edition Elicit Ti cycling sunglasses, Swedish manufacturer POC is using titanium recovered from the medical field. Weighing just 22 grams, the goggles are being 3D-printed in a single piece for professional cyclists from Team EF Education-EasyPost.
To make these frames possible, the Stockholm-based company has developed a process that recovers and reprocesses unused titanium from the manufacture of surgical instruments. Its approach is based on the idea that "sustainable materials and performance can, and should, be able to live side by side," says Tilda Håll, eyewear product manager at POC. "If we challenge conventional thinking and methods, there is no need to compromise on performance or sustainability, or to choose one over the other."
The lightweight sunglasses, which sell for around 400 EUR, were already put through their paces by Team EF Education-EasyPost cyclists at the Giro d'Italia in May. One of the riders, Stefan de Bod, appreciates the fact that they are so incredibly light. “I hardly notice them.” he declares.
Images: POC Titan
The Elicit Ti feature a titanium construction along the temples that, according to POC, strikes a "perfect balance between stiffness and weight". Meanwhile, slide-in joints make it easy to change lenses and also allow the temples to break away from the lenses to minimize damage in the event of a fall.
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