Zeal Optics Range Review

Zeal Optics was started in 1997 in Moab, Utah.  They moved their business to Boulder, Colorado shortly thereafter, which is where they still reside.  They believe in being stewards of the environment.  Their frames and lenses are made from plant based materials and their prescription lens lab produces zero waste, either recycling or repurposing the leftover materials.  In fact, they are the only company in the world that uses 100% plant based materials to make their sunglasses, which is pretty cool.

The frames are made from the oil of the castor bean instead of from crude oil like most companies use to make their frames and lenses.  The Castor plant is the perfect resource because it is an efficient, fast-growing perennial that is not only drought-tolerant, but can thrive in less than ideal conditions.  Zeal Optics calls this the Z Resin Process. 

The lenses are made using what Zeal Optics calls the E-llume process.  It uses a plant based bonding agent instead of petroleum-based materials.  They can produce great clarity using this process while still being eco conscious.  They can do all of this and still provide complete protection from UVA, UVB, UVC, and HEV light.  The polarized lenses cut 99% of the glare and use the best polarizing film on the market from Japan.  Their sunglasses not only meet, but exceed the tough ANSI Impact Resistance Standards.

The Range comes with mirrored lenses that look great.  The lenses have a hydrophobic lens coating that repels water, oil and dust and an oleophobic lens coating to reduce fingerprints.  The nose bridge and arms are injected with what Zeal Optics calls Pro Flex, which provides a soft comfortable hold.  These are made for people with average sized faces.  I love the way that they fit and look. 

Zeal Optics offers a 30 day money back warranty as long as the sunglasses are in resellable shape when they receive them.  That is the only thing that surprised me.  These are such great sunglasses and all of the other sunglasses companies that that provided sunglasses to test give at least a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects.  I also did notice that when I was driving and the sun was shining on the tail light of the car in front of me, there were three halos that appeared.  It seemed like the sun had to be in a specific position because I didn’t notice this other than a few times.  Not a big issue for me.

Pros:

Very light weight material

Great fit, doesn’t bounce around while running

Great peripheral coverage

Mirrored lenses look great

Made from plant based materials, better for the environment

Cons:

The warranty is not as good as other sunglass companies

On very rare occasion, I noticed red halos when looking at a cars tail light.

The Range is a great pair of sunglasses.  I not only use these for running, but they have become my everyday sunglasses as well.  That is saying a lot because there were several amazing sunglasses that I tested.  While they were the most expensive sunglasses I tested (at $139.00) they are well worth the price.

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

Tifosi Seek FC Review

I have known about Tifosi for years.  They sell them at Performance Bicycle and I have tried on a few pairs, but never pulled the trigger.  Tifosi is the Italian word for “super-fan” or an avid sports enthusiast.  Tifosi designs, tests, and completely tortures their products to make sure that their products perform flawlessly under the most extreme conditions.  That is probably why they are the #1 selling brand of sunglasses in specialty cycling and running stores.  Tifosi strives to provide sports optics products that fit well, look great, and offer a high level of value to their customers. 

Tifosi sent me the Seek FC, which is a single lens sunglass that comes with their Fototec (photocromatic) lenses. Photochromatic lenses change the tinting in response to changing light conditions.  In bright sunlight, the lenses get darker and in lighter conditions, the lenses lighten.  It takes about 10 seconds for the sunglasses to fully transition, but I never even notice the change.  The Seek FC that I tested came with the Smoke Fototec lens, which let 47.4%-15.2% of the light through.  They are perfect for running around dawn or dusk, which is when I do my long runs.  I was able to leave the house when it was sunny and get back when it was fairly dark and never had to take the sunglasses off.  They might not be quite dark enough for the brightest of conditions. 

The frames are made with TR90, which is an extremely durable nylon resin that prevents breaking and stretching.  The ear pads are adjustable and so are the nose pads.  The sunglasses in general are extremely light weight and do not bounce when you run.  They are made to fit people with small to large sized faces.  The one thing I didn’t like was that I could not put the sunglasses on top of my head without feeling like they would fall off.

The Seek FC comes with both a hard case as well as a soft microfiber bag.  All Tifosi products come with a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects. 

Pros:

Very light weight material

The Fototec lenses are great for running in variable lighting conditions

Great fit, doesn’t bounce around

Great price $69.95 on Amazon

Lifetime Warranty

Cons:

I wish they would stay on top of my head

These are some awesome shades and the price is excellent.  I read reviews that some people have had issues with these glasses breaking at the nose bridge when they were cleaning them.  I have not had any issues and when I talked to Tifosi, they said that they have addressed that issue.  If they break, you can send them back for a replacement as well.  I would recommend getting these sunglasses, especially if you tend to run in the morning or evening when lighting might change throughout your run.

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

XX2i Optics France 2 Review

XX2i Optics is committed to producing the best possible eyewear for outdoor enthusiasts and stand behind each product they produce with integrity and pride.  They want to insure that you are completely satisfied, no matter what.   XX2i Optics sunglasses are not available in stores from what I could find, but they offer the best warranty that I have seen, anywhere.  You can try them for 365 days and if you don’t like them, you can return them and get your money back.  Also, they have a “no questions asked” lifetime warranty, even if you scratch or break the glasses.

I was given the France 2 sunglasses, which were the cheapest glasses that I tested, but I couldn’t tell that when I put them on.  I got the single lens kit, which costs $59.99, but you could choose to purchase the France 2 with two additional sets of lenses for $99.99.  They showed up with a hard case, soft microfiber bag, additional (a set of blue and set of red) nose and temple pads, a mini screwdriver to change them, and a sunglass cord.  The hard case had spots for the sunglasses and separate spots for the lenses as well.  Not bad for the price. 

XX2i Optics calls their lenses 4k ultra high definition, a marketing term that refers to Advanced Chromatic Filtering, High Scratch Resistance, Impact Resilience, and Lifetime Warranty.  The lenses were great; clear and did not distort anything.  You can get polarized lenses as well.

Pros:

Very light weight material

Best Value (Starting at $59.99)

Great fit, doesn’t move around or bounce while running

Unbeatable warranty

Cons:

Not available in stores

From the moment I put them on, they just felt right.  The France 2 sunglasses were awarded the Killer Value Award from Outside Magazine, which could be because these awesome sunglasses only cost $59.99, but are worth so much more.  I really like these sunglasses and would definitely purchase these if anything ever happened to the ones I have, although with the best warranty in the business (I don’t know how it could get any better) I wouldn’t have to.

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

Optic Nerve Omnium PM and Vahstro Review

Optic Nerve Omnium

The OmnuimPM has a photocromatic lens that adjust the tint according to various light conditions.  It comes with a hydrophobic lens coating that repels water, oil and dust.  The lens is called Rose to Smoke, meaning that it has a reddish tint which provides accurate colors, contrast and definition.  They darken in brighter conditions and the transition only takes 7-11 seconds, which happens without you even noticing. 

These are extremely light weight, weighing in at just over an ounce.    They come with dual injected an adjustable nose bridge and temples to keep the Omnium PM in place.  These didn’t move or bounce around and were so comfortable that I didn’t even realize I was wearing them after a while.  They are made for people with slightly narrow faces.  The one complaint that I had is that it just didn’t work with the shape of my face, it rode too high.  It is nothing against the sunglasses, they just didn’t fit my funky shaped head very well (this is a common thing for me).

Optic Nerve offers a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects.  The Omnium PM was picked as the 2012 Runner’s World Gear of the Year and is an excellent pair of sunglasses, if they fit you.  They are a great value too at $89.00. 

Pros:

Very light weight

Can use in variable light conditions

Great fit, doesn’t bounce or move around

Lifetime warranty against manufactures defects.

Great value ($89.99)

Cons:

Just not right for my face (but it will probably work for most people)

Optic Nerve Vahstro

The Vahstro (pronounced Va-Strow) is a great all-purpose sunglass kit.  It comes with four lenses, polarized smoke, copper, orange, and clear.  The clear lens lets 100% of the light through and is for extreme low light situations.  The orange lens lets 64% of the light through and is good for variable light conditions.  The copper lens lets 27% of the light through and is for general or variable light conditions.  The polarized smoke lens let 15% of the light through.  This is the lens I used most of the time and provides accurate color and definition in sunny conditions. 

The Vahstro also comes with the hydrophobic lens coating and the frame is made from TR90, which is an extremely durable nylon resin that prevents breaking and stretching.  This is the first of OpticNerve’s sunglasses to offer their “sideswipe” technology, which makes it simple to change the lenses.  These are the easiest sunglasses to swap lenses and I have tried quite a few in my days. 

The Vahstro has triple injected rubber at the temple tips and nose bridge, which does a great job of keeping them in place and deters bouncing while running.  They are made for people with average sized faces and I feel that they were a great fit for me. 

The only thing that I didn’t like is that the sunglasses come with a hard case and a bag with separators for the lenses.  While this works, you have two separate things to carry and I think that it would be better if there was a spot in the case for the lenses to be held along with the sunglasses.  Not a big deal, but it would be nice.

Pros:

Very light weight

Can use in variable light conditions

Great fit, doesn’t bounce or move around

Lifetime warranty against manufactures defects.

Great Value ($109.00)

Cons:

I wish the hard case had separate spots for the lenses. 

As with all Optic Nerve sunglasses, you get a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects.  These are great sunglasses that you can use in all different light conditions.  They were very easy to swap out the lenses and I would recommend these if you are looking for a great pair of sunglasses with a lot of features. 

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.