GoPro is Making Sunglasses! | Photo Jim O”Leary Mountain Weekly News
As part of a new line of sunglasses and “goods”, the GoPro Poolside Sunglasses sit right between the slightly smaller GoPro Mezcal and slightly larger GoPro Magnum sunglasses as the Goldilocks option in this new offering from the action cam juggernaut.
Shape
And as far as aesthetics go, they did a pretty solid job. The shape is classic without being derivative, if you’re buying for looks they fit into the “Wayfarer” spot in your lineup without being another Wayfarer knockoff.
Available in a more traditional matte black, the reviewed pair is the matte brown that manages to be a bit more of a decision than the black, without fully embracing the ostentatiousness of tortoiseshell. The GoPro branding is printed on the temples of glasses with only slight contrast, managing to look neither like a billboard nor an embarrassed admission. In other words- they look like normal sunglasses with enough of a difference to make them a conscious decision without drawing unwanted attention.
But if aesthetics were all that mattered the pictures of this review, or at your favorite online retailer, would be all that would be necessary to know about the GoPro Poolside sunglasses. So obviously there are questions that need answering. Are they good? Are they comfortable? What makes them “GoPro”?
Lens Options
The beauty of a changeable lens sunglass is that you can swap out the optics depending on the conditions, much like a pair of snow goggles. A darker tint provides higher protection on brighter days, while a lighter tint maintains eye protection without compromising vision on partly cloudy or overcast days.
Obviously that protection isn’t necessary if you only wear your sunnies when it’s sunny; but for cyclists, fishers, and anyone else who needs a bit of protection and or polarization no matter the weather it’s an important consideration.
Right off the bat the GoPro Poolside Sunglasses make an unnecessary mistake when it comes to lens options.
By including three lens choices the GoPro Poolside has potential for greater range than the competition like the Smith Parallel 2 Sunglasses that only give you a choice of two. However while Smith includes a low-light and bright-light option with every colorway, GoPro’s selections are essentially all in the same class.
Depending on colorway you get a non-mirrored grey or amber lens, in addition to blue-mirror amber and bronze-mirror amber lenses in both colorways. There are nuanced differences between the three, but ultimately they’re all designed for full sun protection.
It would have cost nothing to pack the GoPro Poolside Sunglasses with a bright sun lens, a low light lens, and something in between. The third lens, whatever it wound up being, would just be icing on the cake. You’d be able to fine-tune your vision for what you were doing and the weather you were doing it in. But instead you’re merely customizing aesthetics or keeping a spare handy in case you loose or scratch a lens.
The Good
So the GoPro Poolside Sunglasses are just a shameless moneygrab from a company that’s looking for new revenue streams now that they’ve reached the limits of what any civilian needs an action cam to be?
No.
They’re actually a high-quality option offered at a surprisingly competitive price point that moves it into direct competition with the “big names” in the action sunglasses world.
Whether they’re the right tint or not, three lenses is more than you get with most sunglasses. The included softshell case not only keeps the extra lenses secure and scratch-free, but they make it easy to throw the Poolsides in your bag on the way out the door without worrying about damaging them or taking up too much space.
GoPro Poolside Polarized Sunglasses Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Classic shape without being derivative
- Three lens options for different conditions
- High-quality at competitive price point
Cons:
- Limited range of lens options
- Lack of complete wrap-around coverage
- Light leakage at the sides
Overall Impression
Ultimately fit, and therefore comfort, is what decides whether or not you’re going to like a pair of sunglasses. The GoPro Poolside Sunglasses ($99.00) are a medium fit, suitable for most medium to large faces. They stay put extremely well, even when wet, despite not having any buzzword-worthy technology in the bridge. They’re just shaped in a way that stays put, and that’s all that’s necessary.
If they have one shortcoming it’s the lack of wrap. Despite the generous coverage, they still let in a lot of light at the sides. Nothing catastrophic, and it does allow for effortless ventilation and therefore fog-free wear. But they fall short of the complete coverage one would be looking for in a dedicated pair of active sunglasses.
Which ultimately isn’t a flaw so much as the point. The GoPro Poolside sunglasses feature a lot of action-ready features. Replaceable polarized lenses. The frames float. A secure fit. Convenient storage and transportation. But they come in a package that doesn’t make you look like you fell off the back of the Tour de France, so you can wear them even when you’re not trying to impress your Strava friends.
If you’re looking for a specialist, a set of shades that do one thing and do it well, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for one pair that can work in multiple settings, whether because you can only pack one pair or because you don’t know what kind of adventure you’ll wind up in every time you step out the door, the GoPro Poolside Sunglasses are exactly what you need on your face.
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