When I’m on the road, a pair of sunglasses is one of my essential gear items. That’s why when I learned about Sunski, a sustainable, superlight, polarized glasses company that uses recycled plastics and donates 1% to environmental causes, it made my list of gear to consider.
Launched in 2012 on Kickstarter, Sunski takes a seriously different approach to sunglasses by designing them to be classic and timeless, not to chase fashion trends. They’re dedicated to style, customer satisfaction, and sustainability and it shows. Their Dispea polarized shades beautifully blend style and performance, with a frame design that will never look outdated. They’re lightweight and comfortable to wear, while the polarization covers 100% of UVA, UVB, and UV400 rays.
Sunski’s sunglasses are made with their own superlight SuperLight recycled polycarbonate resin, which rescues post-industrial scrap from landfill and transforms it into a durable, flexible, and ultralight material. They’re also carbon neutral and a member of 1% for the Planet, supporting environmental non-profits year after year. Their innovative packaging is plastic free, using innovative folding techniques instead of glue to hold the sunglasses together.
Aside from being incredibly light and durable, sunskies lenses are some of the best I’ve ever tested. They have a specialized color-filtering layer to cut glare from water and snow, and the colored lenses have a varying tint that helps balance light transmission. They’re a solid pick for outdoor adventures and come with a lifetime warranty.
My only quibble is that the Sunski Headlands, which I wore on a beach day and while hiking and backpacking, provide a bit too much coverage for people who like a more skimpy set of shades. I’d also love to see them offer a stronger lens tint for brighter conditions.
All in all, Sunski offers a well-rounded product for a reasonable price. They feel great, are simple and effective, work for a lot of outdoors scenarios, and make it easy to get a new pair of sunglasses without further damaging the environment. And with a lifetime warranty, you can’t really go wrong. I’m definitely going to add a pair to my collection!
