Winter is the Worst Time to Skimp on Eye Protection

Welcome to Talking Points, a series that looks at what makes certain products worth talking about, brought to you by Gear Patrol Studios.

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Sunglasses are rarely anyone’s favorite piece of gear, but they’re perpetually essential. This is especially true in the winter, when snow and ice reflects the sun right back at you. So if you’re a skier, snowboarder or even sledder, winter is the most important time to worry about protecting your eyes from flying flakes.

It’s easy to grab the cheapest pair of glasses from any gas station, but you’ll probably end up alternating between squinting and pushing them off your head depending on the weather. Plus, when they don’t fit right, don’t be surprised when you inevitably lose them. Julbo has the technology to anticipate – and eliminate – all of these pain points.

Julbo

The Backstory

Julbo Is on the Cutting Edge of Lens Technology

For over 130 years, Julbo has remained at the forefront of performance eyewear. In that time, the brand has thoroughly experimented and tested its products to ensure every single piece can keep up in even the most demanding conditions. Now, the brand’s most top-of-the-line technology arrives in the REACTIV Photochromatic.

REACTIV Photochromatic lenses offer incredible vision quality while adapting to any weather, and quickly transition from light to dark depending on the conditions. This saves fans from fiddling with their glasses all day and instead allows them to perform their best outdoors. While this technology is available in multiple combinations of light to dark awareness, the newest iteration of REACTIV is 0-3 High Contrast. The new lenses are designed to seamlessly switch from translucent in dark conditions to a mere 15 percent visual light transmission in direct sunlight.

Each pair of REACTIV lenses takes 20 hours to make – and is constructed from the same material as helicopter windshields. After the initial build, Julbo carefully applies a scratch and fog resistant coating to each pair of glasses. Best of all, every product is backed by a lifetime warranty, so you can be sure they’ll be ready to perform when you are.

The Gist

So How Do I Choose A Pair?

At over $200 on average per pair, these are not your usual sunglasses. However, with the lifetime warranty and exceptional performance, they’re easily worth the investment.

Julbo offers the REACTIV treatment on over 20 different styles, to ensure that there’s a pair for every lifestyle. To make shopping even easier, the brand’s outdoor performance styles are split into High Protection, Fast & Light and All Terrain collections.

The Shield is a great example of a High Protection style. Its design reads familiar, but adds sun shields at the side and top of the glasses to block additional rays and reflections on snowy, high altitude mountains. The nose grip and temple grip arms are comfortable but extremely secure, and the frame has been designed to allow ample airflow (to prevent fogging).

The Rush comes from Julbo’s Fast and Light collection, designed for downhill athletes like skiers or mountain bikers. With adjustable temples, a 3D nose bridge and panoramic vision, these glasses will fit comfortably under a helmet and give you maximum protection from any projectiles you kick up while shredding on the descent.

Finally, for those looking for a more everyday pair that will still keep up athletically, the Renegade has a comfortable fit, will stay secure during most activities and can quickly take you from the slopes to the aprés-ski.

Our POV

REACTIV Technology Glasses Are More Than Splurge-Worthy

I personally put the Renegade to the test for three years, taking them up mountains, on rivers and along for every drive and walk. As someone who had never spent more than $50 on sunglasses, I instantly noticed the difference in quality. The Renegade glasses quickly became one of my favorite pieces of gear, and made it so much easier to protect – and prioritize – my eyes when doing the activities I love.

Recently, I had the opportunity to put the Rush and Shield to the test as well. On the mountain, it was easy to almost forget I was wearing sunglasses because they were truly that comfortable and adjusted quickly to all light conditions. That’s the REACTIV difference.

This winter, it’s worth it to get serious about your eye protection. Once you switch to Julbo REACTIV lenses you’ll never go back.

Price: $80 – $220

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