Smith Pursuit Sunglasses Eyewear Review

The Pursuit killed it on my current snowmobile journey, offering nice solar, wind, and snow safety for the higher half of my face. I didn’t want to modify from cumbersome goggles to venting sun shades, or vice versa. However, whereas they work for snowmobiling, these are really designed for backcountry snowboarding and high-exertion mountain adventures. The glacier-style glasses, as Smith dubs them, work equally effectively on lengthy ascents in addition to steep and deep descents. 

Smith athlete and backcountry skier Cody Townsend — who wants no introduction — had a hand in serving to design the Pursuit. Which is sensible, contemplating the truth that Townsend made Smith’s Wildcat sun shades a staple within the backcountry amongst skiers years in the past.

The Pursuit builds on the Wildcat’s oversize windshield protection with a mix of goggle-like protection mixed with the texture of sun shades. It features a nostril cowl adaptor, goggle-inspired strap attachment, an additional clear lens, and a carrying case. 

In brief: The Pursuit ($269-299) is the perfect one-quiver eyewear for backcountry adventures. With ample protection, solar safety, and airflow, skiers can modify the body to suit virtually any alpine situation. In my sun-filled days on the snow testing these glasses, I used to be in a position to ditch my goggles and Wildcat sun shades, in flip utilizing the Pursuit for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and snowboarding. The versatile body lined all of it. That being mentioned, except you’re actually getting after it on big-mountain ski excursions, and doing it incessantly, these sun shades could also be greater than you want.

Smith Pursuit Sunglasses Review

Protection From Sun & Snow, ChromaPop Technology

Smith’s signature ChromaPop Glacier Photochromic lens is the center of those sun shades. The lens will change to match the assorted gentle situations on the mountain.  

These lenses have much less sensitivity to temperature modifications in comparison with different adaptable lenses. And the ChromaPop gives a wide range of lenses you possibly can swap out and in which have nice distinction and coloration enhancement all through the tint vary.

Smith gives 5 totally different coloration lens choices (of various VLTs) for the Pursuit for numerous lighting situations. Plus, every pair of sun shades comes with a transparent lens you possibly can pop in for lowlight conditions. 

While ChromaPop lenses improve distinction and pure coloration to reinforce particulars, they differ from customary polarized sun shades. Polarized lenses block horizontal mirrored gentle beams thus eliminating glare off of water or snow. ChromaPop lenses have coloration filtration, which mixes coloration know-how with polarization. 

I examined out the Matte Slate + ChromaPop Glacier Photochromic Copper Red Mirror lens. This has a Variable Light Transmission (VLT) of seven% to 45%. The VLT is a share of how a lot daylight penetrates the lens and hits your eyes. A normal sun shades lens is round 15% to 25% VLT. 

This signifies that my Copper Red Mirror lens works effectively in excessive daylight situations, which I encounter fairly a bit within the Rocky Mountains. For cloudy or lowlight situations I can use the clear lens and for very sunny days there may be the Matte Black + ChromaPop Black Lens with a ten% VLT.

Testing within the North and the West

I’ve spent numerous this wintertime on snow within the the Wind River Range in Wyoming to snowboarding in Banff, Canada. And regardless of the place I used to be, whether or not I used to be within the backcountry, facet, or entrance, the Pursuit carried out nice. 

While snowmobiling isn’t precisely what they’re meant for, if you find yourself zipping across the backcountry on a sled (particularly to get to a ski locale), they are going to work nice. They protected in opposition to the solar, wind, and flying snow kicked up by the snowmobiles in deep powder on Togwotee Pass.

On the opposite hand, I used these on a visit snowboarding and snowshoeing in Banff and so they stood as much as the high-altitude brilliant solar and snow.

Comfort and Fit

The sun shades sat comfortably on my face whereas providing full, wraparound safety. The giant frames match properly, however I’ve a bigger head. Male and feminine pals who tried them on thought that additionally they match properly and mentioned they’re fairly snug.

Overall suggestions from myself and others on the arms, nostril, and goggle straps is that the match is extraordinarily good, making an already safe match much more stable. Everyone who slipped these on had a constructive response. The facet shields are snug. At instances they did press in opposition to my temple, however the arms alter to customise the match.

Removable Extras: Goggle Strap & More

The Megol nostril pads nosepiece is malleable rubber and detachable however not adjustable. It’s a pleasant addition and straightforward to connect to the body for further solar safety on an excellent sunny day. The goggle-inspired strap can be easy to connect to the arms of the Pursuit and ensures it stays on for extra bumpy rides down the mountain. Even with the nosepiece hooked up, I had loads of air flow and no fogging or sweat points.

I particularly just like the magnetic facet shields that supplied some extra solar and snow safety for the facet of my eyes and face. All in all, these sun shades really feel like a windshield is defending your face. At the identical time, they’re very snug and lightweight, whereas providing ample airflow to stop any fogging.

Final Takeaways

The solely downside right here is that the lenses I already personal for my Wildcat sun shades won’t work within the Pursuit. Same goes for anybody else with present Smith sun shades. I must begin the gathering of varied shades of ChromaPop lenses over once more, because the Pursuit has its particular match. 

The case that comes with these is a stable hardcase, however it’s just a little difficult to nest the sun shades, nose-pad adaptor, and goggle strap in it. 

Finally, the value. For some, these sun shades will likely be overkill and never well worth the value when you don’t want all of the solar/snow safety. Still, the Pursuit is a fairly aggressive value in comparison with different higher-end photochromic sun shades on market and aggressive with a number of different glacier glasses (from the likes of ROKA and Revo and Julbo), although not all. The bonus of the Pursuit’s shields, nosepiece, and goggle strap solely provides to the deal.

While I’ve solely used these for snowsports this winter (their meant use), I think about they are going to work effectively for climbing, mountain biking (the goggle strap will come in useful!), and even fishing to guard from glare. The Pursuit is setting as much as be a really versatile piece of eye safety.