SunGod Ultras sunglasses review: enjoy uninterrupted views on sunny runs

SunGod Ultras sunglasses: first impressions

The SunGod Ultras trail running sunglasses are built with fast-paced and long distance adventures in mind, when the last thing you want to worry about is your eye health on clear days. These sunglasses are so light you’ll barely notice them on your face, and the frameless design means no annoying blind spots; just clear, uninterrupted views. A slightly grippy nose pad means these sunglasses don’t bounce when you’re bounding down the trail and they’ll stay put all day long.

The SunGod Pace Series lenses are not polarized, instead featuring SunGod's 8KO™ lens technology. Priced reasonably compared to similar trail running 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 are made from recycled materials and won’t easily break if you accidentally squash them into your backpack. They come with a soft, microfiber pouch to protect them as well as extra nose pads to prolong their life, although with a lifetime warranty you can expect to run with these for a long time. The look of these sunglasses may not be for everybody, and with only one size available you might find them too large for a smaller face, but if they fit, you’ll love the comfort and visibility.

SunGod Ultras sunglasses: in the field

Sun has been in scarce supply this winter in Scotland, so it took me a while to test these sunglasses out, but a week of extremely cold and crisp weather early in the new year gave me a good opportunity to take them for a few runs along the West Highland Way, where the low light and cold temperatures allowed me to really put these through their paces.

Here’s how they performed:

Comfort

I wore these for about an hour at a time, so not all day, but long enough to be sure that they don’t hurt either of the spots where I sometimes have issues with glasses – the tops of my ears or the bridge of my nose. In fact, I’d say I barely noticed them on my face at all. When I took them off, I did feel a brief pinch on my nose so I had my bigger-nosed boyfriend try them on and he said he thought they might get a bit sore for him after a while, but for me these feel really great.

Staying power

These sunglasses don’t feel snug at all on my face, so I expected them to bounce around and fall off, but the nose piece and ear pieces seem to be made from some kind of grippy nylon that simply stays put, no matter what.

Visibility

Obviously, I want to be able to see when I’m wearing sunglasses and the frameless design means you basically have panoramic views. It was early January so the sun was really low, which is when you need shades the most, and I found these took care of that glare and I didn’t feel like I had strained eyes at all afterwards. I don’t understand the inner workings of SunGod’s 8KO lens technology, but it offers pristine vision. Plus, as I mentioned the air temperature was really cold but I was sweating and breathing hard – perfect conditions for foggy glasses, but these didn’t fog up.

Weight

When I say featherlight, I mean it. These sunglasses tipped my kitchen scale at half an ounce, which adds to that barely there feel.

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. They’re definitely the priciest sunglasses I’ve ever owned, so I won't be shoving them in my backpack any time soon, but I do think they’ll hold up better against a little accidental abuse from time to time.

Style

Personally, the look of these sunglasses is not for me. They look a bit like the safety goggles you’d wear in a lab or working the line at a meat processing plant. Now, do I care how I like on the trail if it means my eyes are protected, I can see and I’m not worried about them falling off when I’m leaping over boulders? Absolutely not. But I wouldn’t also wear these to the beach or for everyday wear. I look mad in them. However, I don’t necessarily see that as a downside, because it means that I’ll keep them for trail running and won’t end up breaking them at après.

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