Review of Julbo Nomad Sunglasses - Zebra Anti-fog Photochromic Lens

Julbo Nomad Sunglasses - Zebra Anti-fog Photochromic Lens
By: Julbo Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 1
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Julbo Nomad Sunglasses - Zebra Anti-fog Photochromic Lens

On: 2008-02-17

I recently purchased Julbo Nomad Sunglasses (Zebra Anti-fog Photochromic Lens) and have been pleased overall with the acquisition. They are the first "serious" pair of sunglasses Ive purchased, and I acquired them at the recommendation of the outfitter who will soon lead our group up Mt. Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania).

Because all of my prior sunglass purchases involved casual and inexpensive sunglasses, these take a bit of adjustment. They fit quite firmly on my head (and are designed to do so, because its important that they remain in place during a climb). However, they initially feel as if they pinch a bit -- that the fit is a little TOO firm -- and I find myself taking them off with some frequency.

The "anti-fog" lenses seem to be fog-resistant rather than fog-proof in an odd way: the left lens (always the left) fogs up when I put them on and I need either to remove the glasses or lightly wipe the lens to clear it. Also, the shape of the glasses requires the case to be fairly large so its tough to pack in a small space.

Finally, the case itself (a good case, relatively durable) has a loop of cloth on the zipper to which I could conceivably attach a clip or carabiner to hold the case. But the cloth in the loop does not appear very strong (largely cosmetic, not functional), so I suspect that the case could easily get snagged on a rock or other obstacle in a climb. For this reason, the case needs to be inside a pack for safety, which complicates putting the glasses away when needed. I therefore just loop them on a shirt or strap, but then theyre exposed to damage.

The glasses come with removable/replaceable side-shields (small pieces of plastic that clip into openings at the sides of the sunglasses to block sun). They are fairly effective, but I neither I nor a hiking buddy can figure out how to remove them. Its probably easy, but its not obvious. And neither of us want to inadvertently break these expensive glasses.

The glasses did not come with instructions on how to remove these side-shields nor any guidance on cleaning or treatment of the lenses. They did, however, come with a soft cleaning cloth.

On the other hand, the photochromic aspect of the sunglasses works VERY well, cutting the glare and adjusting to changing light conditions quickly and effectively. Also, lens quality appears to be good, and I see objects -- both near and far -- without apparent distortion.

I paid $[...], which seemed to be a fixed price everywhere I looked on the web. Although purchased via Amazon, they actually came from Backcountry.com, which did a good job of delivering them quickly and without incident.

Overall, I am pleased (not thrilled) with the purchase.