SunGod Tempests sunglasses review: a clear choice for dazzling hikes

SunGod Tempests sunglasses: first impressions

SunGod’s Tempests (available to buy direct from SunGod) are a high-performing pair of hiking sunglasses built for people who like to spend a lot of time on the trail, but they won’t look out of place worn at a sunny sidewalk cafe or at the beach either.

For hiking on bright days, a lightweight comfortable fit means you won’t end up pushing these up on your head every 20 minutes, while a slightly grippy nose pad ensures there’s no danger of these slipping off and crashing to the ground when you’re scrambling or rooting through your hiking backpack. The 8KO lenses deliver full protection on brilliant days and perfect clarity of vision, even if you’re hiking near water or on snow, plus the frames offer good coverage from above your eyebrows to mid-cheekbone. 

Priced reasonably compared to similar hiking sunglasses, these sunglasses boast resistance to scratching as well as oil and water, and they don’t seem to fog up no matter how sweaty you get. Soft, flexible frames with screwless hinges are made from recycled materials and won’t easily break if you accidentally squash them into your backpack or drop them on a rocky trail. They come with a soft, microfiber pouch to carry and clean them, although with a lifetime warranty you can expect to run with these for a long time. Customize the lens and frames to suit your vibe and you’ll love the comfort and visibility.

SunGod Tempests sunglasses: in the field

I can’t say that there’s been an abundance of bluebird days in Scotland lately to test out these sunglasses properly, so I recently packed them up and took them to Spain, where I never saw a cloud in the sky all week. This is my second pair of SunGod sunglasses and in terms of comfort and performance, I’m as impressed as ever.

Here’s how they performed:

Comfort

Being in non-stop sunshine, I basically wore these all day whether I was hiking or lounging at the beach and I didn't once recall removing them to give the bridge of my nose or my ears a breather. They feel great and are super lightweight so I barely notice them on my face.

Staying power

These sunglasses aren’t at all tight on my head, but the grippy nose pads and flexible arms mean that whether I was gazing up at the sky or had my head down rummaging through my backpack for water, they never slid off and met the same fate as many sunglasses before them. For running, however, they did slide down a bit when I have sunscreen on my face.

Visibility

I wore these on a hike up a mountain that rises straight out of the ocean so there was some serious glare going on and my vision wasn’t affected at all. I don’t understand the inner workings of SunGod’s 8KO lens technology, but it offers pristine vision, and they never seem to fog up when I get sweaty. The slightly larger frame size offers good visibility too. 

Cleaning and maintenance

The only thing I don't love is that it is a little harder to totally clean the lenses of sunscreen smudge, even using the pouch. It didn’t make much difference to my vision, fortunately, but they do look a little more smudged than I’d like after a week of wear. 

Durability

Rather than being made using stiff plastic, these sunglasses are made using a nylon that’s actually quite soft and pliable. Not only does this help them fit comfortably on your face, it means they feel less brittle and stand up better to being dropped. I was recently wearing them on a super windy day up Ben Arthur in the Arrochar Alps when they were blown clean off my head and under a rock. I thought the hinge had broken but in fact the leg had just come out slightly and I was able to easily pop it back in.

Style

Unlike the last pair of SunGods I tested, I absolutely love the way these sunglasses look. The bigger frame is flattering, and I chose the navy frames with gold lenses which gives mine a classic look, while the plastic frames don’t look cheap at all. These are definitely my go-to sunglasses for everyday wear as well as hiking now.

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