Last fall, we gathered a crew of Lake Tahoe, California-based testers with a range of interests—trail running, cycling, fly-fishing, climbing, nordic skiing, and more—gave each several pairs of sunglasses, and told them to play hard. They broke frames, fogged up lenses, and put the more than five dozen shades to the test on trails, roads, and water. This collection of sunglasses stood out from the crowd.
At a Glance
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Best Everyday Shade
Smith Mono Lake
Lens: ChromaPop Polarized, comes in four lens tint options
Frame shape: Classically oversized
Fit: Large
Pros and Cons
⊕ Durable, smudge-resistant lenses
⊕ Excellent glare protection on bright days
⊕ Surprisingly light for their size
⊗ Too large for small faces
Testers used the Mono Lake on bright, bluebird days and found the polarized lens offered the best contrast in full sun of any glasses in the test. Their timeless style…
