1. HOW DO THEY FIT?
Secure and comfortable sunglasses will stay in place and blend into the background while you’re in the mountains. The sunglasses in Julbo’s Mountain category offer a host of features to create a perfect fit.
ADJUSTABLE TEMPLES AND NOSE PIECES: Shapeable parts allow you to customize your fit, keeping the sunglasses secure to your face during long days in the mountains. For an adjustable fit, check out: the Vermont Classic, Cham and Ultimate Cover.
SLIM TEMPLES: Low-profile temples easily slip under a cap, hat or helmet, providing security and comfort. For lower profile, slim temples check out: the Camino, Ultimate Cover and Cham.
GRIP: Strategically placed rubber provides a secure fit, preventing unwanted movement. For superior temple and nose grip check out: the Cham, Shield, and Explorer 2.0.
ACCESSORY STRAPS: Removable straps that attach to temple arms help reduce the chances of losing your sunglasses and provide maximum retention. Interested in styles with an attachment cord check out: the Ultimate Cover, Shield, and Camino.
2. WHAT IS THE FRAME MATERIAL?
Julbo’s Mountain sunglasses are available with polycarbonate and metal frames, each of which has its own benefits.
POLYCARBONATE FRAMES: These frames are lightweight and come in various shapes and styles to fit any face. Polycarbonate can be more brittle than metal, which means they may break more easily if dropped, but Julbo offers replacement parts for every style, ensuring broken sunglasses won’t stay that way for long.
METAL FRAMES: These frames tend to be slightly heavier but will bend instead of breaking in the event of an accident. Julbo carries fewer metal frame designs and shapes than polycarbonate options, but their durability and iconic style make them essential for any mountaineer.
3. HOW MUCH COVERAGE DO THEY PROVIDE?
In addition to protecting your eyes against harmful sunlight, mountaineering sunglasses must defend against the wind, cold and snow. The sunglasses in Julbo’s Mountain category feature side and nose shields and large frames with wrap-around coverage.
THE LARGER STYLES with the most coverage in Julbo’s Mountain category are the Ultimate Cover, Shield, Montebianco 2, Explorer 2.0 and Cham.
THE SMALLER AND MEDIUM STYLES in Julbo’s Mountain category include the Shield M, Monterosa 2, Camino and Vermont Classic.
All of the styles in Julbo’s Mountain category feature side shields, which are removable to increase versatility. The Ultimate Cover also features a removable nose shield.
4. HOW MUCH LIGHT TRANSMISSION DO THE LENSES OFFER?
Julbo recommends utilizing lenses with the lowest visible light transmission (VLT) for the best protection in high mountain environments. VLT corresponds to the numbers 0-4 that Julbo associates with its lenses—the higher the number, the darker the lens, the greater the protection.
The sunglasses in the Mountain category are available with three different types of lenses—Reactiv, Spectron and Alti Arc—each featuring its own unique benefits and characteristics.
REACTIV LENSES: Photochromic lenses will change from light to dark, depending on ambient UV light levels. Julbo’s photochromic lenses are made from Trivex, an ultra-durable material with superior optical quality that’s used in helicopter windshields. The technology is built into each lens, making it non-temperature sensitive and impossible to scratch off or wear off over time. Certain Reactiv lenses are polarized, too, meaning they’ll eliminate glare off reflective surfaces, including snow and ice, and improve contrast.
SPECTRON LENSES: These lightweight and durable polycarbonate lenses are designed to offer powerful protection for mountain trekking and mountaineering. They are equipped with an anti-reflective coating to improve visual comfort and a flash finish that improves the filtration of visible light. Although highly durable, Spectron lenses are less scratch-resistant than mineral lenses and they do not adjust to different light like Reactiv lenses. They are, however, more affordable.
ALTI ARC MINERAL LENSES: Alti Arc lenses provide excellent scratch resistance and superior optical quality that sets an industry benchmark for glacier glasses. They’re the only mineral lenses that Julbo offers and have an external anti-reflective coating to improve visual comfort by eliminating stray reflections and a flash finish that improves filtration of visible light by applying a mirror effect to the lens. Unfortunately, mineral lenses are more fragile than Spectron or Reactiv lenses.
EXPLORE THE MOUNTAINS
Mountaineering, despite its challenges, is a beautiful experience, and the sunglasses in Julbo’s Mountain collection can help you explore safely and comfortably.
