If you’ve ever tried to run a marathon wearing aviator sunglasses, you know the value of eyewear that’s suited for specific uses. There’s a pair of shades for almost every sport you can think of — from riding a century or climbing a mountain to sitting around on a beach with a Corona.
The Swappers
Switch Vision aims to make switching lenses a simple affair with the magnetically attached lenses inside its new Lycan sunglasses ($150). The interior side of the lens slips into a groove in the frames while strong magnets located near the temple hinges hold everything in place. The system works really well — when you want to swap tints or treatments, the lenses pop right out when you push on them, and the new lenses snap right in. I was even able to swap lenses one-handed while driving (not recommended) without ending up rolling across the sidewalk. The lenses stay in place if you take a tumble, too. It took a lot of effort to knock the lenses out of the frames — more of an impact than you’re ever likely to encounter. The Lycans come with a set of polarized (shown above) and rose-tinted lenses, with a slew of other lens options available for between $50 and $120 each.
WIRED The Triguard polycarbonate lenses are just about scratch-proof. If you hit something hard enough to knock one of these things out, your sunglasses will be the least of your problems.
TIRED Sunglass case doesn’t fit both sunglasses and the extra lens case. No rubber grip on earpieces.
Photo courtesy of Switch Vision