Ryan Ariano Testing the Vuranet Glacier Glasses on Teton Pass | Photo Mountain Weekly News
Few things I review impact your health, your day, hell even your life like a pair of sunglasses, especially a pair like Vuarnet’s Glacier Glasses. But you can’t ignore snowblindness. I’m referring to when UV light from sun burns your eyes until you’re temporarily blind (I’ve gotten pretty close before, wasn’t fun). I’m also referring to the longterm effects of exposure to sunny snow which leads to cataracts and vision degradation (you’ll get these bloodspots in your eye that only get worse). And I’m also referring to when it’s snowing and blowing and the foggy lowlight makes it hard to see details with the naked eye, whether you’re hiking in the backcountry or playing “dodge the snowdrift” in your car. Days when a wrong move could land you in a ditch, on the ugly side of a tree, or worse.
The struggle’s real for us mountain folks. Luckily, to save the windows to your soul from the ravages of the elements, I’ve found one unbeatable weapon: Vuarnet Glacier Glasses (#1315).
Vuarnet Glacier Glasses Sun Protection
I’m going to start with a big admission: I’ve always wanted a good pair of glacier glasses, ever since I first saw some climbing geek wearing them in the formative years of my youth. Vuarnet’s Glacier Glasses deliver that rare-air, timeless explorer vibe. The frames without the leather side shields also bring that French “movie star from the 70s” look everybody’s been emulating since the nouvelle vague (and let’s be honest, the 70s would have been the best time to have been a movie star).
More important than echoing the steeze of somebody way more badass than me, I’ve got blue eyes, which according to my eye doctor tend to be more sensitive to the sun. So I couldn’t keep rocking those $20 specials and expect to be able to see properly in a decade or two, if not sooner. Plus, cheap glasses really do nothing for the snowy-blowy driving days I get living in the middle of Teton Valley, Idaho, where the wind whips snow into a blinding frenzy without trees or buttes to stop it and you can’t tell where drift ends and ditch begins.
Vuarnet Glacier Glass Frame
While the Vuarnet Glacier Glasses would fit in hanging out with movie stars at Sundance or Italian nobility in Zermatt, they’re actually practical. Frames made of acetate and steel to keep up with even the rowdiest crashes and drops. Leather removable side shields of the glasses and on the bridge block out the sun from the flank or top but aren’t rigid against your face. Allowing for added sun protection.
Skilynx Lenses
These sunglasses feature mineral glass lenses, delivering next-level clarity and great peripheral vision. I have the Skilynx lenses, made to increase contrast on low vis and foggy days, yet still bringing 100% UV protection while absorbing 90% of visible light transmission (so you can see on those blindingly bright bluebird pow days). These are unquestionably the best-engineered eye protectors you’ve ever hung off your ears unless you’re a scientist. So I put the Vuarnet Glacier Glasses through the ringer.
Ski Touring Sunglasses
The first time I wore the Vuarnet Glacier Glasses, I was touring up the south Tetons. On a day that started off sunny and then turned into heavy snow, I saw clearly all day. They held on as I splitskied down to the uptrack, helping rein in a grill on the descent that I then helped drag up for mountaintop food and drink. And as I snowboarded back down from said party peak, rolling around in early-season snow and timber with the glasses in my pack, they didn’t get so much as a scratch, thanks to their scratch-resistant properties.
Since then I’ve worn them almost exclusively through the wind-drifted boulevards of Teton Valley. Conditions when you can hardly see the road with bare eyes, I could make out the road edge and the ditches and the difference between gauzy sky and cottony ground when wearing the Glacier Glasses. These Skilynx lenses bring the orange light of clarity to the sketchiest days. But unlike other glasses, I haven’t once worried about their durability regardless of what spills I took, even when rolling over early season barely-submerged deadfall.
Vuarnet Glacier Glasses Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Timeless explorer vibe
- Skilynx lenses for clarity
- Practical and durable frames
Cons:
- Expensive at $755
- May not suit all fashion styles
- Fogging in certain conditions
Overall Impression
The Vuarnet Glacier Glasses ($755) are a gift from the Zephyrs for all those who like to explore the high alpine but also like to rock classic style that turns eyes up the hill, on the street, at the apres, or mugging for your Insta on vaunted peaks.
Bring in technology guaranteed to protect your eyes when used on snow and ice, elucidate the world, and withstand even the roughest days and you’re unable to find a better pair of high-performance sunglasses for all your winter alpine adventures than the Vuarnet Glacier Glasses. These glasses are especially great for touring in bright conditions or even when light conditions are less than ideal.
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Amazon US$705.00Buy NowAmazon.com Price: $705.00 (as of 04/06/2025 16:34 MDT) Details
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Nice review. Thank you. Not many reviews for the Vuarnet Glacier online. I too love the classic rugged look of glacier glasses and the romance of the Vuarnet brand. I just bought a pair of limited edition (Aspenx) round Vuarnet Glaciers online. I gotta say that I absolutely love the brown Skilynx lenses, they’re just perfect. The glasses look pretty sharp on at a glance, but the quality of materials is a major concern.
Upon receiving them I was a bit surprised/disappointed to find out every bit of the “leather” (nose bridge wrap piece, neck strap and side shields) appears to be plastic. Not even a convincing facsimile of leather. Pleather-like cheap plastic. The neck strap material looks and feels like it came from the clearance bin at the .99 cents store. How much did Vuarnet pocket by not using leather on this tiny little strap? Could not have been more than a few bucks. Very disappointing. Just curious, did your 2021 Glaciers come with real leather side shields or neck strap? IMHO sunglasses at this price point ($738 MSRP, I picked them up on sale thankfully) should be able to differentiate themselves in both optical performance and build quality. Plasticy, imitation leather is not befitting of a $700+ price point, nor does it bode well for the longevity of these glasses. There’s no reason a mineral lens sun glass that doesn’t see frequent use couldn’t be a treasured heirloom, but sadly the synthetic leather on these Glaciers look like they’ll be lucky to survive a a year or two before cracking/delaminating. I guess only time will tell??? Buyer beware. Try before you buy maybe?
It’s a minor gripe, but I’m also unhappy with the very soft, flimsy case that came with the Glaciers. An expensive pair of sunglasses designed for alpine adventure should come with a case that can protect your sunglasses from being crushed when shoved into an overloaded backpack with sharp and heavy equipment. I haven’t bought a new pair of sunglasses since before the pandemic and the ensuing years of high inflation, but just a few years ago spending more than $200 on glass lens sunglasses guaranteed a sturdy hardshell case to protect your eye glass investment. The last three pairs of sunglasses I purchased cost half the price of these Vuarnet Glaciers, or even less, and they all came with sturdy hardshell cases.
On a positive note, I read a few reviews calling Vuarnet Glacier sunglasses heavy. I would like to say I strongly disagree. I was pleasantly surprised at their how light they were. At first I was alarmed and worried I had been duped into buying polycarbonate lenses. I normally wear glass lens sunglasses and my current daily driver sunglasses are very large, thick and heavy, natural acetate and glass, so the Vuarnet Glaciers with their relatively thin lenses and titanium frames feel super lightweight to me. Light is always nice for outdoor pursuits that involve me carrying lots of stuff up steep inclines.
Hmm, I’m surprised as to your point about the leather appearing to be plastic. Mine is definitely leather given its flex and material-feel, though it does seem to have a coating on it, probably to waterproof the leather a bit better. Yours are plastic?
I wouldn’t want leather on my neck strap because in my experience leather necklaces, etc… will rot and snap. I don’t think I’d trust leather on any winter strap but maybe the palms of my gloves. I also eventually took the strap off because it became a bit of a pain to put on and take off under my beanie in the winter.
As for the durability, I’ve had these glasses now for 4 seasons, used them in every condition imaginable, from single-day 10-hour pushes to yurt trips and even lent them to a friend for a month of backcountry in AK and nothing has failed, delammed, etc…. I haven’t had anything puncture the case either, though I usually throw them in a small top pocket of a pack instead of the main chamber with crampons, poles, etc…. They still look brand new.
Nope… not a trace of leather on my 2023 Glaciers, but *maybe* the side shields have a leather veneer bonded to hard plastic? The Vuarnet marketing materials were quite ambiguous and slippery referring to the material as “vegan leather” and just plain “leather” at other times without explanation. I think “vegan” is new marketing term for “synthetic” or “fake”. I personally always prefer real leather (over synthetic) and find it more durable in the long run, but admittedly it does fade/wear/stain unevenly and does require periodic conditioning to survive extreme conditions and regular human sweat. It occurred to me after writing my mini-review the side shield material was most likely chosen to preserve the perfect shape and look of the side shields without any creases, wrinkles or deformities that could affect the performance or aesthetics. Perhaps a worthwhile trade off? Again, only time will tell.
Happy to hear your Glaciers are still in mint condition, going four seasons strong! Hopefully mine are as lucky. I’m going to buy a hard shell case just to be safe because I can be a clumsy brute and I foresee myself crushing my Vuarnets in my pack due to frequent unintended impacts while participating in snow sports. Thanks for the feedback.
I see a lot of info for splitboarders, but how are they for telemark touring?
I’ve been eyeing these after I thrifted a vintage pair of Vuarnets, and I want a pair, but are they worth the price of a new paur of skis?
I lent them to a skier friend for a month he spent touring in AK and he loved them. Literally went out and bought a pair when he got home and I asked for mine back. The combo of protection, durability, and performance means that for me (and the add-on of my friend’s month in AK) they lasted longer than a pair of skis. Plus their timeless style has never stopped getting compliments.