Girl Gear Review: Tifosi Women’s Envy Sunglasses

Inside Triathlon assistant editor Susan Grant reviews the Envy sunglasses from Tifosi in this week’s edition of Girl Gear.

Have you ever headed out for an early morning ride, only to find overcast skies that would make wearing sunglasses akin to cycling blindfolded? But yet you know that within the hour, the sun will be bearing down on your poor little pupils? This sunglass conundrum is where Tifosi’s Envy sunglasses save the day. Their frames come with interchangeable lenses, so that you can stick with one pair for sunny/rainy/hazy/foggy/overcast skies.

Just slip one of the other lenses in your jersey pocket and you are good to go. They’re also perfect for little faces, are 100 percent UVA/UVB protected, and stay put whether you’re mountain biking or just going for a stroll.

The sunglasses dilemma is a constant concern in San Diego. While known for its year-round mile temperatures, what many people who have never lived here don’t realize is that the coast is most often smothered in a marine layer, which often doesn’t burn off before 10 a.m. Last weekend, I headed out on a long run along the coast of Encinitas. I usually run on dirt trails behind my house, and if you don’t have the right sunglass protection, it’s easy to trip on the tree stumps and rocks buried into the path. I started out with my clear lenses (with 98 percent light reflection to help me see every nook and cranny through the heavy marine layer), but by mile 10 the sun was in its full glory, so I popped out the clear lenses and clipped in the polarized smoke lens. This lens had only 17 percent light transmission, which meant my eyeballs didn’t absorb any more sun than they needed in order to easily see the trail. This helps keep your eyes sharp and prevents fatigue. It may sound like eye fatigue wouldn’t affect your whole body, but when you’re getting into the double-digits in your long runs or you’re at the end of a race, any fatigue is noticed—a lot. If you’re iffy about switching out lenses halfway through a workout, don’t worry. The Envy also comes with an all-condition red-tinted lens, which offers superior visibility and sun protection no matter what the sky looks like.