There are two types of sunglass people that I know of: 1) the ones who lose them and break them every season, have numerous pairs because they’re always misplaced, and don’t spend more than $20 on a pair because it’s futile; 2) those who have had the same trusty pair for years and have a sentimental bond with these special eye protectors. Weirdly enough, both of these types of people may be prime candidates for sunglasses from Tifosi Optics.
I have been pretty picky with my sunglasses over the years, mostly because I am a non-contacts wearing runner with bad eyesight. Therefore, I necessitate a combination of both fit, function, and style. Tifosi Optics let us pick out a pair to our choosing and we were very impressed.
I will also mention up front that that Tifosi glasses, while great for prescription wearers like myself, their glasses can be purchased sans-prescription, so don’t feel this is only for us near-sighters. A standard pair can run as little as $25 – which is shockingly low for such quality. And while they have a full running category, there are also other options like fishing, tennis, golf, and lifestyle. You can even go way off the board and completely customize an entire pair from lens, to frame, to arms, with any color combo you desire!
Style: First and foremost, let me just say that it is great to have a mobile and web-based site that allows for virtual try-ons. There were a few pairs I was initially considering, but after using this feature quickly and thankfully realized that they wouldn’t be ideal on my head shape. It sure saved a lot of heartache upon their arrival.
I opted for the “Swick“, complete with prescription lenses, a pair that is in their running collection.
Sporting a fit made for those who take full advantage of life, Swick is vying to be your part of your adventure. Call it sweet. Call it sick. It’s Swick.
It was great that I got to do some minor customization on these and weren’t limited to just one or two color options. In an effort to diversify things a bit, I combined a Brown Fade Frame, which starts as a dark creamy brown on the top and fades into a wood-grain at the bottom, with a Brown Tint ideal for full-sun conditions. I have never really had this color of glasses before and really thought the combination was both unique and visually awesome.
Fit: Even with cool looks, fit is the most important thing when it comes to glasses. As not every Tifosi pair is identical, I am only able to speak on this specific style – so keep that in mind. However, if other pairs are similar to this one, I think you will enjoy these.
First off, the arms provide a solid, yet not constricting snugness around the head. This provides a really nice fit especially with the jostling motion of running. There’s nothing worse than having to push your glasses up constantly on a run because the fit is too loose. I also think that the fit is aided by some embedded rubber on the bottom of the arms – assisting to both keep them in place and provide a little bit of cushion on the top of the ears. Killing a bird with two stone there.
Speaking of padding, most all sunglasses seem either have no nose pads or the pads that sit on those little arms. I really liked the fact that Tifosi, or at least my pair, had rubber nose guards embedded into the frame. They are still changeable, but actually creates a nice little cushion that isn’t annoying and has kept my glasses in place while running.
As someone with long eyelashes, I always am concerned about the fit over my eyes as there is NO WAY I am going to stand for a pair that annoys me with every blink. I am thankful to stay that there was enough room in the Swicks to have this not be a problem. W00t!
Speaking of lenses, Tifosi Lenses are different than a lot out there. They are 2mm thick, generally double size of standard glasses, and constructed from a polycarbonate instead of acrylic. As someone who has a tendency to be rough on his glasses, they are also strong and durable, as this video showcases:
Function: It is impossible to overstate just how functional Tifosi glasses appear to be. As I mentioned initially, they have pairs to meet whatever outdoor (and indoor) need you desire. Their brown lenses, my first venture into this color, are definitely unique and provide a huge change in the visuals you see. I have lucked out with a few non-cloudy, full sun (and dang cold) winter days and these were quite amazing – and still took some getting used to. I absolutely know that these will be even more handy in the summer.
My glasses have held up to the rigors of exercise thus far and I have no reason to believe this won’t continue. At the same time, many of their pairs (the Swick included) look amazing as casual sunglasses as well. Sometimes more “sporty” sunglasses can only be utilized within sport itself, making it so another pair is needed for more leisure activities. I’m thrilled that one pair can take care of both.
The customization options are also great. After selecting a frame, there were a variety of options available to upgrade them.
- Frame
- Prescription Type
- Lens Type
- Standard
- Polarized (+$75)
- Fototec (+$75)
- Tint
- Lens Coating
- Blue Light Filter (+$75)
- Anti-Reflective (+$50)
- Anti-Fog (+$50)
- Anti-Reflective & Anti-Fog (+$75)
Shoot, if you don’t have prescription needs like me, you could stock up on a handful of pairs – each designed to match your various running and closet outfits – and still not spend an arm and a leg!
Tifosi really seems to have thought of it all. They have a whole page that allows for Small Parts replacements for each pair. Basically, if you order from them and your nose pads break (as has happened with other pairs I have owned), instead of frustratingly scouring Amazon for knockoff versions that may or may not be durable, or even the right size, you can just head to this page to find and order exactly what you need for the pair you have. In addition to nose pads, this can include ear pads, lenses, bars (in a few unique pairs). Super smart.
Company: Tifosi Optics
Products and Price:
- Swick ($25 + extras for RX and upgrades) – reviewed Brown Fade9 color options in this style – many more when including other pairs
- Other styles start at just $25!
Thank you to Tifosi Optics for providing us with a sample. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
