Chad Oliver has been running the Julbo Run photochromatic glasses for quite awhile now and here is what he had so say about them…
The Julbo “Run” Sunglasses Review
Review: Julbo “Run” Sunglasses
Lenses: Zebra Photochromic Ultra Reactive NXT
Price: $160
I’ve been bobbing and weaving through the woods on a mountain bike long enough to know that wearing a good set of glasses is pretty smart. Glasses can be a bit of a pain to deal with while trail riding. Trying not to forget them on the side of the trail is one thing. Then there is the fogging issue. On top of that is the helmet/glasses fit. All this considered, if you find the right pair its well worth it.
Riding shades are all about lens quality and fit. On the fit side of things, Runs fit snugly and grip the nose and ears well using soft ‘n sticky rubber accents. I have a medium face and they provide me with plenty of coverage. I can hardly see the frames when I’m wearing them. Something I immediately noticed is that the lenses do not sit as close to my eyes which I like. My eyelashes tend to hit most lenses, not these. This added space also helps mitigate fogging. The frames position the lenses very well with respect to wind flow and eye protection without obstructing any of the view.
Two of the Run models come with Zebra Photochromic anti-fog lenses which darken or lighten depending on light intensity. Julbo claims a light transmission range of 40.7% to 6.6%. For whatever reason, I feel as though the pair of Runs that I have do not achieve this wide of a light transmission range on the darker side. They do however work well and react to the light changes as fast as Julbo states. At first I was skeptical about a Photochromic lens being too dark in the woods. Even in the lowest light, the lenses remain slightly tinted but they actually are not too dark for riding in low light conditions. When the light really cranks up, they darken to a claimed 6.6% light transmission level but the ones I have do not seem to reach that level. If you plan on using them in an extremely sunny environment you almost need a darker pair of shades but as far as trail riding they get plenty dark enough.
Another bonus of the Zebra lenses is the anti-fog coating integrated via laser. I had grown used to my last pair of glasses fogging up and was pretty surprised when it didn’t happen with these. So far the coating is holding up fine and continues to work. The tint of the Zebra lens is a slightly mirrored yellowish/mild-bronze color which accents colors and provides good contrast and clarity.
The Good News – Julbo Run Sunglasses
- Solid fit and coverage
- Lens changes tint with light intensity
- Anti-fog coating
- Durable frame
The Bad News – Julbo Run Sunglasses
- Expensive
- Lenses will not darken in cars with UV blocking windshields
At $160 Julbo’s Run is not cheap and neither is using a laser that shoots anti-fog coatings I guess. Some may find them expensive for glasses that are to be subjected to the rigors of mountain biking but if you are willing to drop the coin on a nice pair of riding shades, the Run will stay on your face, change tint with the light and not fog up.
Where can you pick up your own set of Julbo Run’s?
Julbo Run Sunglasses (w/ Zebra Antilog Lenses)
P.S…Be On The Lookout…
Julbo also sent over a set of their Dirt sunglasses that I will be reviewing shortly.
