Why I Love My Ombraz Armless Sunglasses
by Dave Malwitz
Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a bike ride and try to take off your sunglasses? I never quite figured out how to quickly stash them like a pro through the front vents in my helmet. After poking my head a few times unsuccessfully I often resort to sliding one sidearm behind my neck collar, leaving a $200 piece of gear held in place by only a jersey or loose-fitting technical tee. More than once I’ve dropped a pair of sunglasses in the dirt as this is no good way to secure optics, especially during movement. Perhaps I should practice my helmet stashing technique in the mirror, or maybe sunglasses could be improved with a more adventure-friendly design.
I first caught wind of Ombraz in 2021 when the brand reached out to see if I’d like to test out a pair of their innovative armless sunglasses. I was skeptical for sure, as the concept seemed a little far-reaching and I had a hard time imagining a comfortable fit. I ordered the Leggero with a tortoise frame and grey polarized lenses. My preconceived hesitations were immediately crushed the first time I placed the lightweight frame on my nose, guided the cord over my ears, and intuitively adjusted the sliders to take out the right amount of slack to give them a secure fit. How has no one thought of this before!?
Besides my inability to easily store traditional sunglasses in my POC Octal, there are a few other common disadvantages I’ve found with traditional sunglasses. Most notably, I’ve experienced unwanted pressure and discomfort behind the ears as the fit is rarely perfect, and I never liked the need for bulky cases to secure my investment. The Ombraz armless sunglasses manage to address all three of these complaints. The novel design eliminates the need to quickly stash them somewhere they don’t belong. With a quick pull on the frame and lift of the cord over my ears, I can simply drop the Ombraz around my neck without worrying about drops. This is especially helpful on gravel, where taking your hands off the bars is far less safe than when on the road. The cord is barely noticeable over the ears, and doesn’t squeeze my head or tenderize my ears like regular sunglasses. With no sidearms, screws, or hinges, Ombraz are far more durable as well with its flat design and fewer parts to break or come loose.
Two years later and I’m still enjoying my pair of Leggero’s. The polarized grey lenses do a superb job of providing true color perception, minimizing glare and filtering out light. Brown and yellow tinted polarized lenses are also available, as well as two non-polarized options at a lower pricepoint. In addition, Ombraz now offers a blue blocking Zeiss Polyamide lens for reducing eye fatigue if you spend a lot of time on screens (which is why I just purchased a pair of blue blocking Teton’s for the office). The lenses have held up extremely well, although do show some minor scratches after 2 years of solid use. The accompanying neoprene case with a stitched-in microfiber cloth that comes with every pair is one of my favorite things about the Ombraz experience. The purpose-built case is all you need to keep the sunglasses protected and clean. It’s slim and lightweight, with the built-in cloth that’s always there when you need it.
In terms of downsides, there is only one that I’d consider significant enough to mention to potential armless converts. Given the way that the product is designed, the frame does rest gently on my forehead. As there is no rigid hinge at a 90° degree angle, the frame is free to tilt forward or back while resting on the nose. Typically the top of the Leggero frame does touch my brow, collecting sweat more easily than a frame that is completely free from the forehead. I always wear a cycling cap with a sweatband that does a good job managing moisture, but if your someone that experiences a lot of face sweating while riding, the design may not be for you.
Ombraz currently comes in 5 styles including Classic, Dolomite, Leggero, Viale, and Teton. They all look great and you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a style that fits your preference. Ombraz styles with polarized lenses go for $160, and $145 for non-polarized.
Reviewed: Ombraz Leggero Polarized Grey | $160
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