Posts Tagged travel sunglasses
Serengeti Duccio Sunglasses for Traveling in Style
Sure, we like value-priced travel gear that’s practical, but when it comes to sunglasses, you’ve got to look great too, right? These Duccio shades from ultra-cool Serengeti will make you feel like you’re driving a Ferrari even if you’re just motoring along in a Camry.
Serengeti sunglasses ads generally show some chiseled man in a casually cool suit and some fashionable woman in an elegant dress, both with the confident look of people who don’t need to worry about the bills getting paid. When they wear sunglasses, they’re usually entering or exiting a nice car, or driving along somewhere like the Amalfi coast of Italy.
I can’t promise your life will match theirs if you put a pair of these Duccio sunglasses on, but you at least won’t feel like a schmuck who’s wearing $10 shades from a sidewalk vendor. These are quality, well-made glasses that match their cool looks with good technology. The lenses have Polar PHD polarized lenses that filter out glare off the water or snow and in my tests they held up to the other high-standard lenses I’ve reviewed here in the past in terms of clarity. With these on, colors look better than they do to the naked eye, with more clarity.
I like the metal earpieces of these because they’re very flat, but strong, and have hinges with plenty of give when you’re taking them on and off. They’re extremely comfortable, without the pressing behind my ears I’ve felt on many plastic frame pairs.
Naturally, they come with a quality case to put them into when they get stowed in your glove compartment or travel bag. It comes with a cleaning cloth to wipe off the fingerprints.
The Duccio sunglasses come in four lens varieties of different hue/darkness, or you can get prescription lenses from one of their retailers. Besides the gray option you see at the top, they come in black, brown, and dark brown.
See more on the Duccio sunglasses at the Serengeti website and buy them at at Amazon for a significant discount off the $239 to $249 list price.
Posted by Tim Leffel in Travel Light on May 2nd, 2013
Native Eyewear Itso Sunglasses
It’s easy to find sunglasses. They seem to be in every drugstore, souvenir shop and department store. When you’re looking for not just any sunglasses, but the ideal shades that protect your eyes whether you’re on land or water, take a look at Native Eyewear’s Itso sunglasses.
The Itso sunglasses have two interchangeable lenses. The N3 polarized lenses block 40 percent of infrared light, have UV protection and blue light filtering. The other SportFlex orange-yellow lenses have a mirror coating perfect for a range of low-light conditions from dusk to dawn, cloudy to merely overcast. When you’re traveling through a variety of conditions, or plan very different outdoor adventures, having two sets of lenses without having to pack two sets of sunglasses is just one more way to lighten the load.
When I’m hiking or trail running, I often run into the problem of my sunglasses fogging up. I haven’t had that issue occur since using my Itsos, which are constructed with venting in the frames.
Comfort is also important. The frames are lightweight and flexible, yet tough and durable, so you don’t have to worry about taking along a backup pair. The self-adjusting nosepads and ear stems use soft-feeling Cushinol, keeping your sunglasses in place with a nonslip grip. Aiding in that department, a mastoid temple grip design allows the temple ends to keep your shades securely on your face.
Style colors range from pink, iron, gunmetal and maple tortoiseshell. Lenses are either gray, brown, copper, or silver reflex. Two style of Native Eyewear Itso sunglasses lists for $129 at REI or Backcountry. At Moosejaw, more styles are available, ranging from $128.95 to $148.95, depending on whether you choose the higher-priced silver reflex lenses.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, General Gear on March 29th, 2013
Maui Jim Keanu Sunglasses
Who’s ready for Spring? Today is officially the first day of that season the northerners are so happy to see, so put on some shades and head outdoors.
Sunshine, warm weather…and Maui? Sounds like a good combination, so these Maui Jim sunglasses make you smile before you even put them on. The nice case they come in is textured to look like a woven basket. Pop it open and there’s felt inside with a Maui Jim logo in gold.
These are high-end sunglasses, so it doesn’t stop there. You also get a soft carrying pouch that doubles as a lens cleaner and it’s got a tropical Hawaii theme going with red flowers and palm trees.
My first impression when I put these on was that they weren’t dark enough to do the job. My go-to pair of sunglasses in Florida has been the polarized Costa del Mar Tag pair I’ve had for two years now. These Maui Jim ones have lighter lenses, but that’s kind of misleading for how well they work. Sure, you won’t trip over something when you walk indoors because you can still see, but they do block out an impressive amount of glare.
Turns out my pair came with Maui Jim’s Maui “High-Transmission” lenses, which work better for overcast days or the beginning/end of day instead of peak sun time. They offer sharper contrast and more vibrant color, so that “low light is perceived with new vibrancy.”
After I wore these around home on the morning school drop-off and then took them on a road trip across three states, they grew on me. They’re a good all-around pair for changing light conditions and for going in and out of buildings. Of course you can get them with another darker lens choice if you’ll be in very bright sunlight most of the time. There’s a cool lens comparison feature on their website with how the view changes here: see the difference.
These Keanu sunglasses are extremely comfortable, thanks to soft rubber nose grips, flexible ear stems, and a springy hinge where the stems connect to the frames. They’re made with quality in Italy.
As with every pair of Maui Jims you get their patented, color-infused polarized lens technology that reportedly wipes out 99.9% of glare and 100% of harmful UV rays.
This was my first experience with Maui Jim sunglasses and I have to admit the $279 list price gives me pause, but they do come with a two-year warranty—not a common thing for sunglasses. If you will be traveling in a climate with variable sun conditions, this Keanu pair with HT lenses would be worth packing in its nice case and taking along. Or if you live in the Pacific Northwest, they’ll probably do you all year long.
By the way, these are named after a Hawaiian word meaning “cool breeze over the mountains,” not the actor…
Get them direct from Maui Jim, at retail sunglasses stores, or online from Zappos.
Posted by Tim Leffel in General Gear on March 20th, 2013
Julbo Sunglasses for Women and Children
Most days of the year, I can’t go anywhere without sunglasses. My eyes are very sensitive, and I get a headache from squinting into the sunlight within minutes. I’ve long been on the search for a favorite pair of sunglasses. My kids share my sensitivity, and my youngest hates wearing hats, so we both tried a pair of Julbo sunglasses designed for activity, adventure, and travel.
I tried the Julbo Alagna, which is described as a model that combines vision technology and beauty. They certainly are stylish. They’re simple but sleek with curved lenses to avoid contact with eyelashes, and come in black, white, or ‘chocoblack’ frames…all colors that will go with almost anything. They’re designed to block side sunlight (making them great for driving) and their lenses are lightweight polycarbonite. I can wear them while dressed for an average day, or for a day of hiking, kayaking, or touring.
To add a little color to the frames, each Alagna model includes an accent stripe on the sides. The chocoblack (which is a dark brown, nearly black color as you might have presumed), has a lime stripe. The black has hot pink or white, and the white has ice blue. The tint colors vary as well: the chocoblack features a brown tint. Both are Spectron 3.
But how do they feel on? At first try, I wasn’t sure. They felt a little tight and restrictive. But as I wore them more, they began to have some give. In fact, the entire frame is quite ‘moldable’. You can bend the sides out or in a small amount to fit your face. I also like that the nose arch does not have any padding or plastic across it (while that’s sometimes comfortable, it inevitably tears or causes the glasses to slip when sweaty). I wore the Alagna glasses mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and just around town, and they preformed well in every situation. For a non-specialized pair of glasses that will see you through just about every activity, the Alagna is a quality bet.
Are they sturdy? Mine have suffered at my hands (I toss them into the car, stuff them in backpacks, etc) and they’ve held out just fine. The only ‘injury’: the lenses scratched easily when I dropped them in a hotel parking lot.
Pick up the Alagna for $76 at Julbo, or find a slightly lower price at Backcountry, Amazon or CampMor.
Now for the kids: my son Toby, age 8, tried the Julbo Piccolo, which were a home run. This kid hates things on his face, but the Piccolo is flexible, so the glasses are not uncomfortable. With polycarbonite category 3 lenses that eliminate all reflections, they’re designed for use on water and in the mountains. This was ideal, since we tried them out on a trip to Canada during which we’d be primarily on the water kayaking and in the mountains hiking. Toby wore his ice blue Piccolos with no complaint, and if I do say so myself, he looked good doing it.
For those needing the nitty gritty specs: A pair of Piccolo are designed for ages 8-12). The temple length is 115 mm, and frame width is 124 mm. (You probably don’t know your kid’s temple length though, so I don’t know if this information will be helpful.) The lens width is 50 mm and the weight is just .94 oz.
If you have younger kids, you might consider Julbo’s line of soft, looping sunglasses with Spectrum 4. Piccolos are sold for $40 at Julbo and are just a few cents less at Altrec and Amazon.
Posted by Amy in General Gear, Kids and Family on September 11th, 2012
Costa Las Olas Polarized Sunglasses for “The Waves”
It’s easy enough to tell yourself you don’t need polarized sunglasses if you’re on the baked plains of Texas or the amber waves of grain in the heartland. But one of the first things I noticed when my family moved to Tampa Bay was that seemingly every second person in my neighborhood had these two things: a boat and a pair of Costa del Mar sunglasses.
When you’re by a lake, ocean, or river, having quality polarized sunglasses can have a huge impact on how you see the world around you—literally. The glare disappears, the colors pop, and the world is a beautiful place even when the sun is blazing full-on.
These Las Olas sunglasses have become permanently attached to my wife’s head since she started sporting them in February and now she looks like a real Floridian. If you’re up for a quick Spanish lesson, the name means “the waves,” from a company that translates to “coast of the sea.” So if you’re heading for a playa or a lago, you’ll be ready to go with these and will look quite bonita at the same time.
The reasons to invest in a pair of quality shades like this are twofold: better construction and a strikingly better outlook. On the first count, these have hinges that give when you need them too and they’re rust-free so you don’t have to worry about the splashing water. The frame also has built-in give to it, but eases back into place so the glasses stay put even if you’ve got sweat running down your nose. You don’t feel the little rubber nubs on the end of the earpiece stem, but these also help hold the glasses in place. (Great for biking by the water or running on the beach.)
On the outlook side, there’s a good reason Costa sunglasses are the top choice for people who love boating and fishing. You’d have a really tough time finding polarized lenses that feel better on the eyes and cut down the glare off the water better than these. “Wow, it’s like night and day!” is the usual reaction when you hand someone a pair of these to try on instead of the mall kiosk ones they’re wearing. In a basic sense, the polarization filters out a lot of yellow, enhances the dark, and brings a sunny world into sharp focus. With 100% UV protection, they’re better for your eyes as well.
Like many of Costa’s styles the Las Olas sunglasses come with a polycarbonate lens that you can drop often without worrying, or a 580 glass lens that costs a fair bit more: a list price of $250 instead of $170. They come in three colors and as these are aimed at women, are sized to fit smaller heads.
Go to Backcountry.com for the Las Olas glass lens or polycarbonate lens or check prices for glass and polycarbonate at Amazon.
See more reviews of Costa del Mar sunglasses
Posted by Tim Leffel in Adventure Gear, General Gear on May 31st, 2012
