Hi, and welcome to The Running Channel. I'm Anna and today, along with Andy,
we're going to be running through the best running sunglasses on the market
right now, no matter what your budget.
Yes, whether you're looking for style, the ultimate in protection,
or just something light enough that you don't even notice them when you're on
your run, then we've got you covered.
We split them up into three price categories.
We're going to start with the cheapest, which is under 50 pounds,
then 50 to 100 pounds, and then 100 pounds plus. We're going to dive in,
but before we do, if you're new around here,
please do hit subscribe and tap the bell icon to be notified when we upload new
videos, all about running, which we do every week.
So we'll look at the sunglasses in just a sec, but first of all,
we wanted to run through a few key features and what the terms mean when it
comes to choosing the right sunglasses for you. So first off is polarization.
So polarized sunglasses are most effective at reducing glare.
Some cheaper ones will potentially use a layer of laminate over one side of the
lens, which is effective,
but can sometimes scratch off. More expensive polarized lenses though tend to
have a separate film encased within the lens itself.
And therefore it's less likely to get damaged.
There are 5 categories of lenses,
which broadly speaking indicate how much light they let through ranging from
category 0, where they let through almost all light,
and that's basically used for things like safety glasses, right
the way up to category 4,
which will let through less than 10% of light and actually might be too dark for
things like driving.
So that means that most of the lenses we're going to look at in this roundup are
category 3.
You can also look at it the other way round using something called VLT,
which is visible light transmission,
where 1% would mean that you let almost no light through at all -
they'd be very dark glasses - right the way up to 100% percent,
which would be completely clear lenses.
One final thing to consider when looking at buying sunglasses is the amount of UV
protection that they offer.
So those are the harmful UVA and UVB rays.
If sunglasses come with a rating of UV400,
it means that they block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and
UVB rays.
It's also worth noting that unlike with the cheaper polarization of some
sunglasses,
that UV protection is built into the lens and therefore doesn't
degrade over time. Right, let's check out some sunnies. I need them.
These are the Goodr OGs.
Now there's no denying that Goodr's sunglasses are incredibly good value. At 25
pounds these are the cheapest on test,
but I don't think they suffer for it either in performance or style.
There are a number of different frame styles that you can choose from.
These are the OGs or 'original glasses'.
You can also get things like the Mach Gs and Circle Gs so slightly different
stylized versions of very similar glasses.
One thing I really like about Goodr is that they have a lot of fun with their
brand and the names of their different frames and combination of lens and frame
colours always have some kind of crazy names.
So these are the Swedish Meatball Hangover. So make of that
what you will. all of Goodr's sunglasses come with polarized lenses,
but you can also opt for gradient lenses where they're slightly darker at the
top. They're also all UV400 rated,
which means they protect you from 100% of the harmful UVA and UVB rays.
So Goodr claim that they're no-slip and no-bounce, and I'd have to agree.
I've done quite a lot of runs in these,
and I've never had any trouble with that.
They're coated in a sort of slightly rubberized finish all over,
which means that they don't move on your nose and they don't move against your
temple either. So a really nice fit. And to add to that,
they fit slightly far enough away from your face
that there's enough air flow that they don't fog up either.
So a bonus on both counts.
They do also have a bigger version for people with wider or larger faces.
So worth bearing that in mind as well.
And a top tip for wearing this style of sunglasses or actually any style of
sunglasses, really - if you head into a dark area,
so maybe you go from the bright sunlight into some- the shade of some woods,
popping them up on the top of your head can feel like they're gonna fall off and
you might lose them and damage the frames in some way or the lenses.
But actually if you just turn them around, put them on.
When you had this way round, you might feel a bit silly,
but they'll fit a lot closer to your head and won't fall off.
You could easily get away with wearing dhb's Clark Revo lens for
casual wear rather than just running.
So these sunglasses come in a hard-ish case, uh,
with a cleaning cloth in as well. So for the price that these ones are,
I was really pleasantly surprised at how nicely they fit.
They don't bounce around or move around too much,
but there's nothing fancy to them.
There's no adjustable nose pieces or side grips that we'll get
on to on some of the more expensive models later on in this review.
If you're anything like me and tend to lose or break lots of pairs of sunglasses
whilst out running, then the cheaper,
the better for me and for dhb's price point and the way that they
look, the way that they feel when you run in them,
I was really overall pleasantly surprised by dhb's Clark Revo glasses.
These are the Proviz Classic Tour.
Now Proviz is known for their bright and colorful cycling and running gear.
That's reflective as well.
And these are no different in their bright yellow colorway,
but if you're looking for something slightly more understated,
they do also come in plain black.
They come in a lightweight polycarbonate frame along with adjustable nose pads
and grippers along the sides to keep them firmly attached to your head
when you're running. The smoke lenses are great on really bright sunny days,
and they also have an anti-fog treatment to stop them steaming up. Additionally,
they have a hydrophobic treatment as well, so if you do get caught in a shower,
then hopefully the water should just bead right off. Styling-wise,
compared to some of the other models on test, these are unashamedly sports-focused,
and probably something you want to take into account depending on where you
might want to wear them outside of running or cycling. And actually, if you
are interested in cycling,
these do have the option of interchangeable lenses,
so if you wanted to take out the darker lenses and pop in a clearer lens for
lower light days to protect you from flies and so on -
you might want that for a run to - then consider these.
Sunski is a brand that I hadn't heard of before this video,
but having looked in to the company for the purposes of this video,
I've been really impressed by their ethos.
They have five main priorities when it comes to their sunglasses and a lot of
them are factored around sustainability.
So Sunski's sunglasses come with a lifetime guarantee. So if you break them,
you can send them back to be fixed. Their packaging as well is lovely.
It comes in recycled cardboard and they use clever origami folds so that they
don't use any glue on them as well, making them completely recyclable.
I absolutely love the style of these sunglasses.
They could be another pair that I would happily wear to the beach out with
friends or on a dog walk and not feel like I was wearing specific sporty
glasses, like some designs can be. Sunski
also have a pretty cool virtual try-on on their website,
which means that you can have a look to see if they suit you before ordering
them. It is worth noting with these
that this company is based in San Francisco,
so if you live anywhere else in the world that isn't the US,
then they do come with a pretty hefty delivery charge. That said, it
is something that they're looking to work on with other suppliers,
so watch this space
If Sunski takes your fancy and you're not based in The States.
These are the third iteration of the SunGod Classics,
and every element of the custom Classics is chosen by you.
So that's the color of the frame, the lens and the icon,
as well as the opacity of the lens and whether they're polarized or not.
All of the lenses offer 100% UV protection,
and as part of the customization process
you're given advice on the suitability of the different types of lens for
different light conditions. It's also worth noting that all of
the customization options are completely free of charge,
which is a massive bonus.
One of the best things about the Sungod brand - something I'm really excited
about - is the lifetime guarantee that they offer against breakage.
Obviously some T's and C's apply, but ultimately it's a great thing,
particularly in the current throwaway culture to try and come away from that.
We've had some really good reports from our community as well about SunGod
honouring that lifetime guarantee.
The classics are marketed as 'adventure-proof', made of something called a
TR90 polymer,
which provides a good deal of flex and rebound as tested, genuinely, by my
4-year-old son, so I can attest to that being true.
I've run into these quite a few times.
And whilst they made of what feels like a slightly slippery material compared to
something like the Goodr, which is slightly rubberized,
I didn't have any issue at all with them moving around.
So that, combined with the styling,
the choice of colors and customization and the lifetime guarantee make these
really good value in my opinion.
Vallon is another brand that I hadn't heard of 'til now.
It's a family-owned business that was founded by two Swedish brothers who wanted
to make some cool sunglasses, mostly for ski touring.
So this is a bit of a curveball option because they haven't actually made any
sunglasses specific for running. That said, this particular model
does do well when you're running. So the
that I liked the most about these sunglasses is that they come with an
adjustable elasticated strap that goes behind your head,
which means when you have them on your head, they don't fall off.
It does get sweaty, but the strap is detachable. So you can wash it separately.
They also come in a really stylish case too.
So these do look like your general pair of sunglasses,
but they are built for performance.
The rectangular Aviator-style design means that they're more curved at the
edges, which stops light coming in at the side.
Now I tried these out on an interval session on a pretty chilly but bright day
and one thing that I will note is that they did fog up a little bit.
So perhaps not ideal for colder sessions when you're going to get
very hot and sweaty, if you want to see where you're going.
Although, with a handy strap you can just put them on your head out of the way.
So overall you might've already gathered by now from some of the sunglasses that
I've been running through,
I do like my sunglasses to look stylish and something that I can wear
both out and about and on my runs. I
don't want to look like I'm an extra in Star Trek,
so these ones really hit the spot.
These are another offering from Sungod: the Velans or the 'Velans'
If I'm going to take a stab at the French pronunciation,
because they're based in the French Alps.
And I know that these are going to be a little bit more divisive style-wise,
but personally, I love them. They provide so much protection from the sun,
but they are obviously in a slightly more expensive price bracket.
There's no denying that with the styling and the amount of face coverage,
these are firmly aimed at cyclists,
but they're increasingly becoming more popular with runners too.
And I'm a convert to running with something with this much protection.
They come with four different sizes of nose pads,
so basically can swap those out until you get the perfect fit. And those nose
pads and the ear socks are made from something called hydrophilic rubber,
which basically means they stay put and don't move when on your face.
The lenses have a triple layer of scratch protection to help avoid against
those scratches, and like all,
SunGod models they come with that lifetime guarantee
we mentioned earlier - something to give you that extra little bit of peace of
mind.
You've also got the option of a top frame only where the lenses are suspended
beneath the top frame or a full frame version like we've got here,
but the full frame version is slightly more expensive.
I appreciate the styling is not going to be to everybody's taste,
but if you're looking for something
that's going to be pretty much bulletproof in a sporting context,
then these are worth considering.
Over the past decade, the Oakley Radar has been favoured by cyclists,
but it is now becoming even more popular with runners too. The EV
in their name stands for 'expanded view',
and that's actually something for cyclists to bear in mind because it means that
when you've got your head in the down position, when you're cycling,
you have a little bit of extra protection higher up on the lens to stop the sun
from coming through. There are 25 different color options with these and
the types of lens is interchangeable too.
So you can pick whatever kind of lens that you want for the conditions that
you're going to be out in. These particular ones are polarized,
but there are tonnes of different options on the Oakley website to choose from.
I was quite surprised that the Oakleys, given their price, only come with a soft
sleeve to keep them in and not a hard case to protect them.
And they're not particularly my style personally,
but I know plenty of people who do prefer their sports sunglasses to look
sporty.
These are the Roka Phantom Titanium.
Now Roka are better known for their wetsuits in the triathlon world,
but they also make some pretty stylish - in my opinion - sports sunglasses too.
Now the Aviator style of the Phantoms looks quite fragile,
but I don't have any concerns at all about the durability of these. In fact,
this particular model is a titanium version and they do feel really solid.
There's no disputing the fact that these do come at a pretty hefty price though.
And there is a cheaper version, the Phantom Alloy, which doesn't use titanium.
They have what Roka call their patented Gecko Fit technology inspired by the
sticky feet of the gecko,
and that's on the temple pads and on the nose pads as well.
And so whilst these aren't a particularly tight fit,
they do feel really snug, they don't move around at all when you're running.
So that's quite a nice way of staying comfortable,
but having the confidence that even as you get sweaty,
they're not going to move around.
They're incredibly lightweight too at only 19 grams.
And actually in the titanium version,
there are a combination of 4 different types of lenses or frames that you can
go for. There's even more of a choice in the cheaper alloy version too.
Now I definitely don't know whether I'm cool enough to pull off the Aviator look
on a run, but I really love these. They're incredibly light,
I didn't even notice them when I was out on a run,
but there is no getting away from that pretty hefty price tag.
So perhaps you might want to take into account the fact that you can wear them
in almost any setting,
whether that's casual, down to the pub, on holiday, or ultimately out on a run,
which is what you're buying them for in the first place.
District Vision lenses are engineered in Japan and the company's done a lot of
research based on eyestrain caused by physical exertion.
So they've based their lens technology around what they found.
These glasses are super lightweight,
they're as light as a feather, and although they are incredibly
light, they are pretty indestructible as well.
So the company itself does a lot of research into eye health using athletes in
New York and basing their technology in Japan.
It's a really fascinating story behind the company.
So during a really sweaty run,
the stayef in place with the help of the nose and side grips and they didn't fog
up at all. They are super duper light. In fact, with them on my head,
I can't actually feel that they're there right now.
They come in a microfiber pouch and actually I really quite like the
style of these ones.
So if you're looking for a slightly pricier pair of sunglasses,
then District Vision might be the ones for you.
So, which would be my favorite pair of sunglasses
if you push me to make a choice and put my money where my mouth is?
Well, in the past
I was really focused on technical performance sunglasses when I was racing and competing at
a serious level. And from this roundup,
my pick of those would probably be the SunGod Velans,
but ultimately right now I prefer a more versatile pair of sunglasses.
And so for me, it's a toss up between the Goodr OGs and the SunGod Classics.
Now the SunGods are more expensive,
but you do get that lifetime guarantee,
and I really liked the fact that you could customise them,
so I think they would be my choice.
So my favourite pair is the Vallon, uh, Howlin'.
I absolutely loved the style of these. I think they look really, really classy.
They're definitely something that I can see myself out on dog walks wearing,
or going and meeting friends in the park, as well as them staying put,
I think it's the elastic band, which seems so simple,
but it's so effective, that's what, what really does it for me with these ones.
I like to be able to keep them in place.
If you're running on the trails and you need to pop your glasses up because it's
too dark in the shade and you want to see where you're going, then, you know,
these aren't going to budge, and I've lost many
a pair of sunglasses when they have fallen off my head. So for me,
it's Vallon Howlin' all the way.
Are there any of the glasses that we've reviewed that take your fancy,
or maybe have a favorite pair already that you're dying to let the community know
about?
Let us know in the comments below and we'll see you next time on The Running Channel.