Everybody has a unique objective when shopping for a brand new pair of sun shades. For some, sun shades are a trend assertion, and the only real function of their shades is fashion. For others, efficiency is paramount, and so they’re looking for one thing safe and comfy for athletics. Others could also be looking for a pair of sun shades that may supply the very best safety and defend their eyes from the solar’s dangerous glare.
After I’m looking for a brand new pair of shades, I’m in search of all the above. After testing the Smith Wander on the water, within the mountains, and round city for months, I’ve lastly discovered a pair that may do all of it. Learn on to study why the Smith Optics Wander Sun shades ($205-215) tick all my containers.
Briefly: Smith Optics has efficiently bridged the hole between fashion and efficiency with the Wander sun shades. These polarized shades aren’t solely fashionable, however they’re additionally light-weight, sturdy, secure, and supply a stellar view of the world round you.
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Body materials
Evolve bio-based body, chrome steel temples -
Polarized
Sure -
Lens shade examined
ChromaPop Brown -
Lens peak
47 mm -
Bridge width
18 mm -
Temple size
140 mm
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Trendy and excessive efficiency -
ChromaPop polarized lenses have wonderful optics -
Six lens choices -
Nostril pads assist forestall the glasses from slipping
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Don’t include a tough journey case -
Would possibly match small on bigger faces -
Costly
Smith Optics Wander Sun shades Evaluate
In my expertise, it may be difficult to discover a pair of girls’s sun shades that look good and carry out nicely. After testing a lot of completely different sun shades, I can confidently say that the Smith Optics Wander efficiently bridge that hole and have change into one in all my absolute favorites. These sun shades can transition from a morning hike to a day out in town with out skipping a beat or trying misplaced.
After I’m out on a hike or paddling, I don’t at all times wish to put on a pair of sporty sun shades, however I do need high quality optics and good protection. Certain, some sports activities sun shades look fairly cool, however they don’t essentially look very fashionable and infrequently don’t actually slot in whenever you’ve completed your outside exercise.
That’s the place the Wander Sun shades come into play. By combining a cultured and considerably female aesthetic, a light-weight body, and Smith’s high quality ChromaPop polarized lenses, the Wander is a superb all-arounder.
The Wander sun shades sport skinny, stainless-steel temple arms coupled with a slim plastic body. The frames have a “traditional spherical keyhole form” for a timeless look, whereas the metal arms add a little bit of distinction. The Wander glasses at the moment are available six completely different body and lens shade mixtures — I opted for the tortoise frames with polarized brown lenses — all of which have minimal branding within the type of a small Smith brand etched within the temple close to the hinge.
Though the frames look pretty run-of-the-mill, they’re constructed from Smith’s Evolve bio-based materials. Smith claims that the Evolve body materials makes use of 53% bio-based materials with the objective of constructing its product extra eco-friendly. If you happen to’re unsure what bio-based is, don’t fear — I needed to Google it myself.
Primarily, bio-based merchandise are partially or totally constructed from supplies from residing and/or once-living organisms (e.g., vegetation). Whereas it’s exhausting to quantify how a lot this reduces the carbon footprint of those sun shades, it’s refreshing to see main manufacturers taking steps to be extra sustainable.
By way of match, I’d say my face is on the medium to small aspect, and the Wander’s medium match and protection match the form of my face properly and felt safe with out being too tight. That stated, they may match a bit small for these with bigger faces or wider heads.
Due to the slim body and temples of the Wander sun shades, they’ve a light-weight really feel, and the grippy Megol rubber nostril pads preserve them secure and safe for many actions. By means of my testing, I’ve worn them on quite a few hikes, runs, and paddles, and so they by no means moved round excessively.
Nonetheless, they aren’t fairly as safe as a slim pair of wraparound sports activities glasses, and I discovered they have been higher suited to walks, hikes, standup paddling, and seashore days versus high-intensity or higher-impact actions like working.
One of many Wander’s largest promoting factors is the standard lenses. The lenses are polarized and use Smith Optics’ signature ChromaPop know-how, which reinforces shade and distinction whereas concurrently slicing glare. I felt that they delivered, and the Wanders offered a crisp view each on and off the water.
Polarized lenses are usually the most suitable option for fishing, and I appreciated hem whereas out on the water close to my dwelling in Hawaii, the place they dealt with the tough reflection of the mid-summer solar off the ocean. Not solely did I discover the optical readability to be wonderful, however the brown lens tint offered a cheery heat that made the world round me look much more nice.
Smith sells the Wander sun shades with each mirrored and non-mirrored lenses. The usual non-mirrored lens fashions retail for $205, whereas the mirrored choices price a bit extra at $215. I examined the ChromaPop Polarized Brown lens, which has minimal reflectivity for a barely extra refined look in comparison with the flashier mirrored choices.
Many of the lenses fall between 14% and 18% VLT (Seen Gentle Transmission), making them well-suited for full solar to combined gentle situations. I discovered them to work simply as nicely on vivid however cloudy days and when mountain climbing via shady forests as they did when there wasn’t a cloud within the sky.
The Wander sun shades include a microfiber cleansing and storage bag. On the $200+ worth level, it’s slightly disappointing that they don’t include a tough case for cover like high-end shades from another manufacturers.
If you happen to’re susceptible to breaking your sun shades otherwise you’ll be stuffing them right into a backpack or suitcase for journey, we’d undoubtedly suggest buying a extra strong case to guard your funding. Whereas they really feel well-made and sturdy, I can’t think about they’d fare nicely being by chance sat on or tossed round by a baggage handler within the storage bag alone.
Conclusion
As an avid outdoorsperson residing in Hawaii, my way of life calls for that I put on sun shades just about all the time. Till lately, I’ve struggled to seek out the proper pair of shades that carry out nicely and look good it doesn’t matter what I’m doing.
After testing various the finest ladies’s sun shades available on the market, the Smith Optics Wander sun shades sit on the high of my checklist due to their light-weight really feel, wonderful optics, and classy aesthetic. At $205-215, the Wander sun shades aren’t low-cost, however they’re comfy, impressively versatile, and transition seamlessly from the path or water to life in town. If you happen to worth each fashion and efficiency, the Smith Optics Wander is certainly value a glance.
The Wander Sun shades are bought on the Smith Optics web site and main on-line retailers like evo.com.
