The best glacier glasses combine excellent protection from the harsh light, along with durable and classic aesthetic for all day comfort.
Written by Jessie Leong
Guiding everyday on Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull, I have been curious about wearing glacier sunglasses that have Cat 4 protection to offer greater comfort and support for long days in exposed weather conditions. Working on the glacier in May in Iceland means there’s nearly 20 hours of daylight, which is a LOT of direct sunlight to be exposed to, from both directly working in the sun and the string UV light that’s refracted light coming off from the glacier. I noticed my eyes were suffering from wearing normal cat 3 eye protection. I noticed that Vallon had classic, retro-inspired sunglasses with side shields aimed especially at those who are into mountaineering and ski-touring. So would the Vallon heron glacier sunglasses be a practical and comfortable fit?
Pros
Lightweight frame
Anti-reflective mirror coating looks very appealing
Leather centre piece and nose piece can be combined for even more protection
Cons
Slightly narrow on my face
Adjustable arms on the glasses have no padding on
Case is very stylish but not dust/ water resistant
Goto pair of sunglasses, perhaps best for narrower faces but decent protection from the elements
Features
Price : £110 / €130 / $151
Dimensions: 139mm w ( frame width) x 48mm (lens height) x 24mm (bridge width) x 48mm (lens width) and Fully adjustable temple length (arm length)
5.47244 inches w x 1.88976 inches (lens height) x 1.88976 inches (lens width) x0.944882 ( bridge width)
Colours: Black/ Black, Grey Orange/ Brown yellow/ Yellow/ Off White/ Grey / Off White Green /Brown
Lens
- Category 4
- Anti-reflective mirror coating
- Polycarbonate (2mm shatterproof)
- 100% UV400 protection
- Brown tint – 5-7% VLT
Frame
- TR90® Grilamid
- Fully adjustable temples
- Genuine leather side shields
- Detachable leather centerpiece
- 25g (lightweight)
Included:VALLON faux-leather hardcase & Microfiber cleaning cloth
I was super excited to test the Vallon glacier sunglasses on Fláajökull and wear them on a bright sunny day.
Photo by Paulina Gajewska
Size/Fit
I was super excited to test the Vallon glacier sunglasses on Fláajökull and wear them on a bright sunny day. Trying on glacier glasses can be problematic if you work in the remote countryside of Iceland, far away from any shops, let alone outdoor retailers. For an internet only sunglasses supplier, it’s great to have the option to have a virtual try on to see if the sunglasses suit my face shape. This can be done with a webcam – no app installation required so it was easy to see if the sunglasses fitted my face. I usually wear a large sunglasses frame due to having a round face, so I could see that the sunglasses would fit, but I would have loved to have had the option of a ‘XL’ option that has an exaggerated lens and frame shape for even more coverage. The virtual try-on lets you scroll through different colour ways to sample what colour might best suit your complexion. When the sunglasses arrived, in a smart white presentation box, I was pleasantly surprised with the fit – they sat well on my face thanks to the adjustable arms that curl over my ears.
Design wise, I opted for the black frames with orange lenses as I wanted something that had a bright reflective coating. They have the option to remove the centre piece, and for an extra £13 a leather nose piece can be bought to attach to the sunglasses to protect the nose from burning which can make you look even cooler ( it’s recommended for higher altitude mountaineering) . I just went for the leather centre piece and the sport retainer as I wanted the option to not lose them in more exposed environments .
Photo by Paulina Gajewska
Comfort
The glasses sit on the ear using the two mouldable metal arms, which I think could have been improved with more padding. The padded nose bridge fits ok, but I think adjustable nose piece would be good, as the glasses very much only fit if you have the correct face shape. My eyes felt more comfortable as the 5% VLT tnt prevented a lot of light from entering into my eyes, and I noticed the side protectors give ample protection, preventing fatigue and soreness from wearing conventional Cat 3 sunglasses.
Material
The lenses are made of a shatterproof, 2mm polycarbonate, with an anti-reflective mirror coating. They have a brown tint when you look through them, and 5-7% visual light transmission, which means they don’t let much light in, making them more stable and better for sunny bluebird days, whilst for low light days a higher vlt percentage would be more appropriate. The frames are made of R90® Grilamid, a thermoplastic polyamide, which has been chosen for its maximum possible weathering stability, superb stress crack resistance, toughness and stiffness, good chemical resistance and ability to cope with a high flexural fatigue strength. It’s also a very light material, meaning the frames weigh 25g, meaning they’re not heavy to wear on the face and cause minimal discomfort..
Durability
The Vallon sunglasses came in a matte tan leather case with a microfibre cloth. They felt premium but when it comes to durability it would be great to have the option of protection against water e.g. a dry bag as they are intended for wear in glaciated terrain, where there is a lot of getting them in and out of bag in snow, wind, rain and grit. It would also be good for them to come with a microfibre lens case to protect them from getting knocked about in the case.
Verdict
Overall, the Vallon sunglasses are a great set of glacier glasses, being both protective against strong sun and offer full adjustability which helps them sit on the face correctly. I was impressed with the colour choice available and the overall build quality. I’m hoping they will last the length of the season, and be able to withstand daily use , hopefully avoiding lasting damage to the lenses. They would be a super premium product if they came with a frame pouch made out of microfibre cloth so they could be easily cleaned after use, as well as some additional lens cloths.
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