Tifosi Swank Single Lens Sunglasses review: uncomplicated, comfortable protection at a good price

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

Tifosi Swank Single Lens Sunglasses: first impressions 

We really rate these sunglasses for hiking, cycling, light running and water sports as well as hanging out around town at the beach due to their all-day comfort and robustness, not to mention very reasonable pricing.

The classic design isn't too showy and should suit most faces (a larger size is available), while we found the fit to be really secure, even when sweat and sunscreen were involved. That's helped by the hydrophilic nose pads, which increase grip as you sweat, so there's no chance that you'll have to stop midway through a scrambling session to push them back up your nose.

They are really lightweight and it's easy to forget you're wearing them, thanks in part to hair-friendly hinges that don't snag on your bangs, and we've dropped them enough times to declare the polycarbonate lenses to be pretty sturdy, and so far scratch-free.

Most importantly, with full protection against UVA and UVB rays, these shades are good for bright days when you're doing most things outdoors, be it hiking, jogging, paddling or lounging. They only come with a microfiber cleaning pouch, no hard case, but for the price you'll have a little money left over to get one.

Tifosi Swank Single Lens Sunglasses: in the field

Saying yes to testing a pair of sunglasses when you live in Scotland is always a gamble. Will you ever see the sun? Fortunately for me, I've had a couple of hiking trips to Corsica and Gran Canaria recently where I got to see that great big ball of fire in the sky and test these out.

Here’s how they performed:

Comfort and staying power

As I mentioned, I've been able to test these out on a couple of trips over the last couple of months, and I kept forgetting to write them up. That's mostly due to the fact that they're really comfortable, so I'd forget I was wearing them and therefore meant to be testing them. 

The description says these are sized for small and medium-sized heads, with an XL version available for a slightly higher price. I think my head is medium and they're a perfect fit, with no discomfort on my ears even when I wear them all day. One problem I sometimes have with glasses is that my eyelashes rub up against the lenses, which is insanely annoying, but no such issue here.

Even though the classic look doesn't appear at first glance to be super technical, I'm surprised at how well these stay in place even when I've been jogging or have greasy sunscreen on my sweaty face. I don't think I've had to stop and push them up once.

Visibility and cleaning

The lenses shield my eyes from a bright sun, even when I've been at the beach looking out at the water, and because they're not polarized, I can also stop to check AllTrails on my phone without having to take them off. They might be a little dark for some cyclists and the thicker frame is noticeable as compared to something like my SunGods Ultras, but no more so than any regular pair of shades.

Some of my more expensive sunglasses are difficult to clean once smudged, but the microfiber pouch works well on these so I haven't found myself constantly wiping them.

Durability and style

We all know that more expensive sunglasses tend to break or disappear within minutes while a cheaper pair will be with you for life. These are on the quite affordable side and even though I've dropped them several times, they're holding up nicely. I'm also pretty sure I've absent-mindedly wiped them on my shirt, a big no-no in the world of sunglasses, but the lens don't have a scratch on them.

However, my main issue is that they don't come with a hard case, and when I'm traveling they usually go in one of the small pockets of my backpack, which then gets shoved in an overhead locker or under the seat in front of me on a plane, and I think there's a good chance they'll end up broken eventually if I don't get myself a case.

As for style, the best way I can describe these is classic. There's nothing about the design that wouldn't suit most faces or go out of style any time soon, and they've quickly become my everyday sunglasses as a result.

Tifosi Swank Single Lens Sunglasses: the bottom line

These sunglasses are versatile enough to be worn across different sports and in town, but offer excellent grip and staying power if you do decide to up the ante while wearing them. We found them to be lightweight and comfortable and we love the price tag, though if you find they don't suit your face it's worth checking out the Tifosi Swick which share many of the same features as these.

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