2 min readWe’ve had many pairs of sunglasses on the faces of our wear testers over the last several weeks. This is a sampling of what we’ve been trying out.
Through testing, we have found some models that are dedicated to the fashion side of things, models that are strictly performance shades, and then there are sunglasses that bridge the two points for all runners. Here’s a look at six pairs that have stood out so far.
Julbo Aerolite with Zebra Light Red Lens ($190, backcountry.com)
These lightweight, sports-oriented performance sunglasses have some really neat features. There’s an adjustable nose piece as well as a rubberized temple tip that flexes a little bit and keeps comfort right across the top of your ears. The lenses darken, so you’re going to get the protection you need when you go out of the shade and into bright sunlight.
Nike Bandit ($145, amazon.com)
Don’t let the chunky looking frames fool you—this is not a heavy pair at all. The lightweight frame has little vents built in along the top of the lenses and in the nose piece to reduce fogging.
District Vision Kaishiro with Gray/District Black Rose Lens ($199, districtvision.com)
We found a dose of style with these rounded glasses. There are rubberized tips on the ends and an adjustable nose pad. The ends have titanium pieces, so you can actually bend these to get a perfectly snug fit against the back of your head—there’s no bounce at all. The black rose lens has a red tint, and it will adjust as you go in and out of sunlight.
Sunski Makani ($55, backcountry.com)
These polarized, tortoise-framed mirrored lenses are a great bargain. The Sunski Makani are going to work whether you’re going for a five-mile run around town or are going to meet some friends. Our testers really liked the taller height for eye coverage and the stylish design. They also found it didn’t fog up for them.
Native Penrose ($149, amazon.com)
The ladies on staff really loved this stylish pair, especially the ventilation. There’s some performance features in a rubberized nose pad and rubber at the end of the temple arms; they’ll get a little sticky when you start sweating, preventing the glasses from bouncing around. These are going to be best suited for shorter distances and wearing around town.
Goodr ($25, playgoodr.com)
We’ve seen Goodr sunglasses before. They’re still $25, but now there are 27 different colors. They still have a lightweight, snug fit. The news with these is they’ve made them a little bit lighter and have increased the scratch resistance on the lenses. Don’t confuse that with scratch proof—they can still get scuffed up if you throw them in a bag.
So these are just a few of the sunglasses we’ve been testing for our summer sunglasses review, so be sure to check back with runnersworldblog.com for more reviews later this year.
Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner’s World and the director of product testing. He has tested and reviewed running shoes, GPS watches, headphones, apparel, and more for nearly two decades. He regularly tests more than 100 pairs of shoes each year, and once had a 257-day streak running in different models. Jeff can usually be found on the roads, racing anything from the mile to a marathon, but he also enjoys racing up mountains and on snowshoes. When he’s not running, you’ll probably find him hanging from a ladder making repairs and renovations to his house (he’s also director of product testing for Popular Mechanics).
