Wraparound sunglasses are great for protecting the sides of the eyes, making those leather side pieces found on old-style glacier glasses unnecessary. However until I tried the Salomon Fury sunglasses I hadn’t found a wraparound model I really liked as they all seemed quite shallow, allowing too much light in around the bottom of the lenses. These sunglasses have much deeper lenses that give much better protection. The lenses are grey in colour and so don’t alter colours, just darken them. Ones with orange lenses are also available if you prefer the hills to look more psychedelic or for use in mist and flat light when they give better definition. The Furys fit me well and feel very comfortable. I particularly like the arms, which are rubberised on the inside so they grip the head well. I’ve used them for ski touring, including the occasional fall, and they’ve stayed firmly in place.
I’ve been using the Fury sunglasses for the last few months, including on sunny snow-covered mountains where good sunglasses were essential, and they’ve protected my eyes well. Worn below the snowline they’re not too dark and so suitable for year round use. They’re made of plastic and the weight is very low so they’re excellent for backpacking. The test pair have black frames. If that sounds too dull there are also grey/black and white/black frames available.
A soft bag is provided with them but not a hard case, which is a pity as, like other wraparound sunglasses, they don’t fold flat and so could be broken in the rucksack without solid protection. I’d recommend getting a hard case.
The lack of a case seems particularly poor given the high price. However they do seem to be available at much lower prices much of the time. At the time of writing they are available from Glasgow online eyewear store pret a voir, who supplied the test pair, for £49.90. At that price they’re excellent value for money.
I like the Fury sunglasses and they’ve replaced the pair of traditional-style sunglasses I’ve been using for many years. Now I just need to find a hard case for them.
