Ombraz Sunglasses Review
Wildland Trekking guides, Carmelina and Tolman, share their experiences after testing Ombraz sunglasses in the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park
Welcome hikers and adventurers! Two of our professional hiking guides recently tested unique armless sunglasses from Ombraz. Tolman tackled the heat and sun during his Grand Canyon hiking tours while Carmelina led her guests through Yosemite National Park. Two different environments and experiences, and now it’s time for them to share their insights and test results in this complete Ombraz sunglasses review.
We’ll cover the technical details of Ombraz sunglasses, the company’s background, and then dive into the specific test results. So, whether you’re joining us at Wildland for one of our USA hiking vacations or are simply interested in learning about new gear, let’s take a look at what these sunglasses have to offer!
Award Winning Trekking Adventures
Since 2005, Wildland Trekking has been providing all-inclusive, guided hiking and backpacking trips across the USA and the world. Explore your world with the hiking experts!
Ombraz Sunglasses Quick Look
Ombraz sunglasses come in several frame styles, but every option shares the same core details. We’ll review those specifications below.
- Price: $160
- Style: Armless Sunglasses
- Material Information: TR-90 Polymer Frame w/ 100% recycled Nylon Cord
- Polarized?: Yes
- Sun Protection: 100% UVA/UVB Protection
- Sizing: Regular and Narrow
- Frame Style: Multiple options available
Intended Use
Ombraz states that their sunglasses perfectly blend lifestyle and performance. Meaning they’re designed to look sharp while still offering practical performance in the outdoors. From biking to hiking to climbing to rafting (and the list goes on), these glasses are intended to provide excellent durability and protection from the sun combined with a snazzy and comfortable design.
In fact, Ombraz explicitly claims that their glasses are “indestructible.” Now, perhaps that’s an overstatement, but the implication is crystal clear. These glasses are intended to take on absolutely any adventure or scenario you can think of and look great while doing it.
Notable Features
Ombraz sunglasses differ from traditional sunglasses in several key ways. We’ll take a look at these important features below. All combined, these traits make Ombraz an incredibly unique choice for adventure sunglasses.
Armless Design: Has no fragile arms and no minuscule screws to fiddle with. These sunglasses use a comfortable nylon cord to keep the lenses in just the right spot without pinching or compressing your head.
Polarized Lenses: Reduce glare from reflective surfaces, such as water, snow, and glass.
TR-90 Frame: Is exceptionally durable and comfortable.
Ombraz Company Background
Ombraz was created by two friends, Nikolai and Jenson, in 2018. However, the idea behind these frameless sunglasses was hatched several years earlier when Jenson experienced the classic misfortune of breaking his sunglasses on a camel safari in India. With a little problem-solving and some string, he was able to fix his sunglasses and, at the same time, create the first Ombraz prototype.
Since its launch, Ombraz has won numerous gear awards from Backpacker, Wirecutter, Popular Mechanics, and more. It also keeps its business carbon-neutral by planting twenty mangrove trees for every pair of sunglasses sold. Ombraz partners with Eden Reforestation Projects for this tree-planting effort and is certified by 1% For the Planet as one of the most carbon-negative products ever.
THE TEST – QUICK OVERVIEW
Carmelina tested her Ombraz sunglasses while guiding a Glacier Point Traverse hike through Yosemite National Park. Her test experienced all day sun at moderate elevations in classic mountain conditions.
Meanwhile, Tolman put his sunglasses to the test during a Best of Northern Arizona tour in the Grand Canyon. His test experienced significant, all day sun along with high winds and sand.
The Review
Now, the time has come to review these Ombraz sunglasses in detail. We will cover all the important criteria for sunglasses below and assign a score from 1 to 5, where 5/5 is the best. The score will be averaged from Tolman’s and Carmelina’s ratings, and we’ll provide their individual feedback and observations for each category to shed some light on how the sunglasses earned each score. Let’s see how they did!
Comfort – 4.5/5
From Tolman – 5/5
The armless design is remarkably (and surprisingly) comfortable! Drastic new designs always make me a little cautious about trying them out, but the nylon cord is super comfortable – much more so than regular sunglasses. With no rigid plastic to dig into your head or squeeze your cranium during long days outside, these Ombraz sunglasses definitely nail the comfort category in my opinion.
Additionally, I found it very easy to just wear them around my neck when I didn’t need them with zero chaffing or discomfort.
From Carmelina – 4/5
Overall, the sunglasses were extremely comfortable! The nylon cord did its job well and kept the glasses in place without pinching or indenting my nose. However, I’ll add the caveat that the cord can’t be too tight or sit too high on the back of the head, or else the glasses might feel a little uncomfortable. So follow Ombraz’s suggestion to keep the cord slightly loose, and these glasses are extremely easy to wear for hours and hours on end in the backcountry.
However, folks with long hair should keep in mind that these sunglasses are most comfortable and stylish when your hair is up. Wrapping the cord over your head with your hair down results in a high school science goggles effect and isn’t very flattering, especially if you want to wear these sunglasses around town. This slight restriction isn’t a dealbreaker for me since I don’t mind hiking with my hair up, but it is something to consider if you often like to wear your hair down.
Bringing it Together
Ombraz sunglasses have proven themselves to be exceptionally comfortable overall. They don’t have rigid, unforgiving plastic arms that dig into your ears or head. Instead, the nylon cord allows the glasses to sit perfectly on your nose with very minimal pinching or discomfort. However, it’s important to keep the cord in the right position around your head. Too high or too tight, and you’ll definitely feel irritation or pinching. So it may take some practice to find just the right positioning, but once you get there, they are oh-so comfortable!
Durability – 5/5
Ombraz often touts their sunglasses as indestructible, so we did our best to put that to the test on these guiding trips. After weeks in the rough backcountry, we can definitely say that we’re impressed.
From Carmelina – 5/5
These sunglasses seem remarkably durable! Like countless other hikers or adventurers out there, I’ve so often had to deal with broken frames, arms, or cracked lenses. Well, Ombraz sunglasses don’t have arms, so there’s one problem fixed right from the get go. As for the frame, the material seems incredibly sturdy, and I never once worried that I might break it. In fact, I could throw these sunglasses in my pack without worrying about them snapping, which is shocking when I think about how meticulous and careful I used to be with my old sunglasses. Lastly, the lenses appear super durable and perfectly embedded in the frame; my testing yielded no scratches or hints of a lens popping out of the frame.
From Tolman – 5/5
I’ve only had them for a short time so far, but they appear extremely durable. I’ve dropped them in the sand and shoved them into pack pockets without a case, and (shockingly) they show no scratches or signs of wear. I’m very optimistic about their long-term durability, and I definitely keep using them!
Bringing It Together:
So all in all, we found these Ombraz sunglasses incredibly durable – zero critiques or drawbacks in this category. Since we only tested these glasses for about a month, we can’t yet vouch for their long-term durability, but we’re extremely optimistic and fully expect them to last for years and years!
Additionally, Ombraz includes a protective case with some good cushioning to provide a safe storage pouch that will (hopefully) keep these sunglasses performing flawlessly season after season.
FIT – 4/5
From Tolman – 5/5
The fit was perfect. They stayed put on windy days and during active pursuits. I very rarely had to reach up and adjust how they were sitting. As for the cord, I never ever had to adjust the cord again after I initially set it at the right position on my head.
From Carmelina – 3/5
On the positives, the narrow frames fit my small face really well! I’m glad they make a narrow option, as many sunglasses companies don’t offer that luxury. Ombraz also has very easy instructions on its website for determining your sizing for its glasses, which is also a convenient tool to offer folks who may be unsure.
But I do have one qualm relating to the fit and the fogginess it can cause. This is a classic problem in the sunglasses industry, so Ombraz is definitely not alone in this issue. Specifically, the sunglasses sit very close to my face (which you want to provide maximum protection from the sun and field of view), but they’re so close that they often fog up, especially when I am working hard. Wearing a hat also seemed to exacerbate this issue. I tried loosening the cord to create more space between my face and the sunglasses, but I still found myself often having to wipe off the fog from the lenses. Now, everyone has different facial shapes which may affect ventilation, but it’s definitely an issue to be aware of.
Bringing it Together:
The activity-focused fit proved to be perfect for our hiking guides, with great stability and minimal adjustments. Tolman hiked through high winds in the Grand Canyon and never had to adjust his glasses or worry about them shifting, while Carmelina was very pleased with how well the narrow design fits her. However, we deducted a point from the overall score due to Carmelina’s battle with fog in her glasses – springing from a combination of how close they sit, the heat from working hard, and wearing a hat, which further reduces ventilation. So overall, we’re a big fan of the stable and comfortable fit, but we hope Ombraz finds a way to improve ventilation or lens material to reduce fog.
Weight/Bulk – 5/5
From Carmelina – 5/5
For me, these sunglasses really strike the perfect balance between feeling lightweight and sleek while also being sturdy for the backcountry – a rare feat for a pair of sunglasses! Not having arms on my sunglasses also helps to lighten the weight on my face while making them compact and easy to pack up in a backpack.
From Tolman – 5/5
The glasses are extremely lightweight without traditional arms. They are also less bulky and take up less space in the pack or pants pocket. I could easily shove them in a back pocket or into my pack without worrying about them breaking – something I would never do with traditional sunglasses because I wouldn’t want to snap the arms.
Bringing it Together
Our guides enormously appreciated the Ombraz sunglasses’ sleek profile and low weight. Hiking guides are constantly looking for ways to trim weight and bulk from their kit, and these Ombraz sunglasses offered a small yet important way to do that with our eyewear. Specifically, the armless design eliminated the most common failure point (few things are worse than snapping your sunglasses arm while in the backcountry) while lowering the weight and bulk at the same time. So full points in this category!
Sun Protection – 5/5
Carmelina – 5/5
These sunglasses feel really protective. They’re good quality, polarized lenses, and my eyes felt completely protected during long days in full sun. There are also removable side shields for added sun protection. But even without side shields, my eyes felt very shaded and comfortable.
From Tolman – 5/5
These Ombraz shades have great coverage for my eyes. The lenses are bigger than most glasses I have used in the past and cover a larger area of my face. The larger lenses may be an adjustment or acquired taste for some folks, but they offer superior sun protection.
Bringing it Together
Ombraz lenses are slightly larger than other, more traditional sunglasses and offer outstanding sun protection for your eyes. Both Carmelina and Tolman appreciated this protection, and the polarized UVA/UVB lenses did their jobs very well. Additionally, Ombraz offers detachable side shields for their glasses to further boost their effectiveness, an addition that could be very helpful for mountaineering or water sports.
Overall Quality – 4.5/5
From Tolman – 5/5
Price – 4/5
From Tolman – 4/5
These shades are a bit pricey, but I think it’s fair for the durability and style. They have several advantages over traditional shades, such as the ability to pull them down and hang them around the neck or store them without worrying about snapping delicate arms. Also, the weight and space savings compared to regular shades are excellent.
From Carmelina – 4/5
These sunglasses are much more expensive than what I normally pay for polarized sunglasses. However, they provide great quality for the price. Also, because they don’t have arms that can (and often do) snap, I feel like these will last me a really long time. That part alone makes them a good value.
Bringing it Together:
Ombraz sunglasses are a significant investment in your eyewear; there’s no sugar-coating that fact. However, we gave them a high score for price because these sunglasses offer exceptional performance and value that we believe is on par with the price you pay. Additionally, the price includes a limited warranty covering most types of damage or failures to the cord, adjustment system, and frames.
Quick Summary
We’ve covered several aspects of Ombraz sunglasses during this review, so let’s take a look at the main takeaways from our testing here.
Pros:
- Exceptionally durable
- Great sun protection
- Very comfortable armless design
- Easy to adjust and stays in place
- Warrantied
Cons:
- Very expensive
- Tends to fog up
Why armless Sunglasses?
What’s the big deal with armless sunglasses? Don’t they look weird, and what’s wrong with traditional sunglasses anyway? Let’s take a closer look at Ombraz’s most distinctive feature.
The armless design is intended to eliminate most sunglasses’ weakest points. Traditional sunglass arms tend to be brittle and delicate plastic that are, by and large, the most likely thing to break and ruin your sunglasses. What’s more, even if the arms don’t break, those fiddly little screws love to get lost, and you’re still stuck with a now unusable pair of sunglasses until you get them repaired.
The armless design solves those two failure points by eliminating them altogether. With this design, the idea is that these sunglasses should have superior long-term durability compared to traditional sunglasses, and our testing backs up this idea. Sure, the aesthetics of the nylon cord wrapped around your head may seem odd or off-putting, but it may be worth trying something new to reap the benefits of a near-indestructible pair of sunglasses.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Ombraz sunglasses performed very well for our testers, Tolman and Carmelina. Specifically, the sunglasses’ extreme durability, paired with excellent comfort and sun protection, allowed them to excel in our testing.
Tolman especially liked that he could stash these sunglasses anywhere, from his back pocket to his pack, without worrying about breaking them. Their great durability, lightweight feel, and secure fit all worked together to make these sunglasses a favorite for Tolman, but he did miss the ability to put on and take off his glasses with just one hand. The adjustable cord that goes up and over the head requires two hands to operate, and this can be a little limiting in some scenarios.
Meanwhile, Carmelina was pleasantly surprised that Ombraz produces a narrow frame style option. With a little trial and error to find the right fit and positioning for the cord, she found these glasses very comfortable and the larger lenses offered exceptional protection from the sun during long days in the mountains. The one main drawback for Carmelina, however, was some persistent fogging up that would occur when she worked hard.
Therefore, Ombraz sunglasses offer a comfortable and secure fit with great sun protection and durability that (we think) will allow them to perform and last season after season. However, we discovered a couple of drawbacks centering around how the lenses are prone to fogging up, and the armless design is a little more hands-on for adjusting than typical sunglasses. But all in all, these glasses offer exceptional value and quality in the backcountry.