The Ombraz Refugio sunglasses get rid of an unfortunate necessity for Chris Townsend.
I’ve always regarded sunglasses as an unfortunate necessity, to be avoided if possible. They’re just something else to get in the way, get lost, break, and generally be an irritant. The arms work loose or break off, you have to keep pushing the glasses up on your nose, there’s nowhere convenient to put them when you take them off. Push them up on your head and they catch your breath and steam up or else fall off. Put them down and they’re easy to forget or sit or tread on. Many do come with neck cords. If not, I attach these. With a cord I can dangle the glasses round my neck and hope the arms don’t get tangled up in clothing. The Ombraz Refugio has solved all this by simply removing the arms and just having an adjustable cord.
Chris Townsend highly recommends
I think this design is brilliant. I want it for my reading glasses!- durable
- lightweight
- extremely comfortable
- expensive
| Quick Specs |
|---|
| RRP: US$195 | £154.99 (available from Ultralight Outdoor Gear) Weight: 29g (Reg) Materials: Zeiss lens, TR-90 frame, woven cord made of recycled fishing nets Features: 100% UVA/UVB protection, scratch-resistant, smudge-resistant www.ombraz.com |
This works amazingly well. The glasses stay in place without slipping down and the cord can be slipped over your ears so the glasses rest just below your chin when you take them off. I find the system very comfortable and very efficient. Sunglasses are no longer a nuisance! Ombraz sunglasses are made in Italy, the name coming from Ombra, which means shade in Italian. The Refugio is the first from Ombraz with a curved wraparound lens. This is big, which I like, as it cuts out most stray light creeping in at the edges. The lens is a top-quality Zeiss one and is scratch and smudge resistant. The frame is thermoplastic and described by Ombraz as indestructible. I haven’t fully tested this!
The cord is made from recycled fishing nets and also seems pretty tough. If it does break it can be replaced. There are two sliders for adjusting the length at the back. It does take two hands to do this but I’ve rarely needed to alter it. The Refugios come with a neoprene case with built-in microfibre cloth, As there are no arms they pack smaller than regular sunglasses. For extra protection ventilated side shields and a nose shield are available as add-ons.
Last summer gave plenty of bright sunny days for trying the Refugios and I’ve also worn them a few times on bright days in the first snow of the winter. I’ve enjoyed wearing them. They really are much less hassle than sunglasses with arms. They’re very light and almost unnoticeable. There’s a built-in rubber nose pad that lifts the glasses a little off the face to increase ventilation. This works well.
So far they show no signs of wear. The model I tested has a brown lens that filters out 86.5% of light. Ombraz says it’s “ideal for everyday conditions” and gives “enhanced contrast, improved depth perception and colour saturation”. I’ve found it cuts glare and brightens colours without distorting them. There’s also a version with a grey lens, designed for very bright conditions, especially on snow. I think this design is brilliant. I want it for my reading glasses! The cost is high though.
How we tested
Chris used from late summer into early winter, in sunshine and on snow.
