Backpacker Magazine – Fall Gear Guide 2009

Gear Review: Tifosi Tyrant Sunglasses

With transition lenses, these sunglasses are great for winter low light.

by: Testers Kelly Bastone, Shannon Davis, Jonathan Dorn, Ben Russell

Tags:
• Gear
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• Sunglasses
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Winter-Ready
The sun is weaker in fall and winter, producing more dim days and low-light hours that don't match up well with very dark sunglass tints. But even in flat light, you still need eye protection from the bouncing UV rays, and our testers appreciated the balance struck by Tifosi's Light Night Fototec lenses. The photochromic technology adjusts from 25 to 75 percent light transmission, depending on the day's brightness: The lens darkened to smoke-gray during a sunny morning hike in Maine's Mahoosuc Mountains, but faded to almost clear at dusk.

"I could wear them from sunrise to sunset," says our tester, who notes that their minimalist weight also made them unobtrusive after hours of wear. More kudos: The vented lenses kept our crew from fogging during climbs, and the sticky nose and earpieces held the Tyrants in place during fast-moving activities. $60; .9 oz.; tifosioptics.com

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