Wednesday 6 January 2010

Sunglasses for Winter Sport


It's that time of year once again - festivities over, many (most!) of us have over-indulged with food an drink over the holiday season and New Year resolutions kick in. Interestingly, according to Proactive Change, the majority of these resolutions won't be maintained for more than a month. According to them:
  • 75% of resolutions will be broken in the first week;
  • 71% won't make it past two weeks;
  • 64% will be broken by the end of January and
  • After six months only 46 percent will still be active.
So what does all that have to do with sunglasses for winter sport I hear you ask? Well, it's quite simple.

A lot of us will involve and include exercise in our resolutions and that will quite likely involve running, cycling or some other form of outdoor pursuit. In order to ensure that we don't become one of the statistics detailed by Proactive Change, one of the most important things is to ensure you have the correct gear for the outdoor activity you have chosen to pursue, and eyewear to a vital aspect of that gear!

There is a lot of glare that comes off of the snow that can cause severe eye strain by the end of the day - especially if you are on a long run or cycle. There is also the concern of keeping the eyes sheltered from the cold air, rain and any other particles that can fly up at any time.

On the 2nd of January I decided to take my first run of 2010. A relatively easy going 10K but the frost was set hard on the ground, there was a strong reflection from the bright sun and I wanted a lightweight, close fitting pair of sunglasses to wear.

I plumped for these yellow lens pair of Chopper wraparounds - which at first sight may look more like motorcycle sunglasses than running sunglasses but they worked a treat. The sodium yellow lens, which is anti-fog coated as well as shatterproof gave excellent protection from the sun's rays. The close fitting wraparound meant that none of the surrounding eye area was exposed to the elements and they fitted nicely on the face feeling secure.

So, in-order to ensure you can't use your eyewear as an excuse to fall by the wayside and into the stats above, ensure you get a good quality pair of winter sunglasses for your outdoor activity of choice.

The particular Chopper sunglasses referenced in this article can be sourced from FunSpex by clicking here.

The full range of FunSpex winter eyewear can be viewed here...