This summer, Francesca Donovan loses her head over a pair of lightweight, armless sunglasses – the Ombraz Viales – even she can’t misplace.
Armless sunglasses are the Marmite of outdoor kit. I was somewhat dubious, but after years of headaches caused by shades that pinch, I tested the narrow-fit Ombraz Viales, the smallest frames of six styles on offer over the course of a Great British Summer.
Ombraz Viale Polarised Armless Sunglasses
- Rating: 4/5 stars
- Pros: durable, lightweight, packable, extremely comfortable
- Cons: two-handed adjustment, expensive
- Weight: 22g (tester’s own digital scales)
- RRP: £144.99 (available from Ultralight Outdoor Gear)
Materials: TR-90 Aerospace-grade nylon frames, 100% recycled marine-grade Japanese nylon cord | Features: armless design, 100% UVA & UVB protection, built-in mini side visors (compatible side visors available for an extra $65/£51) | Sizes: regular and narrow frame widths | Wo/men’s version?: unisex
Ombraz claims its armless design ‘eliminates pressure points’. After months of wear, the claim holds up. The nylon cord (made from recycled fishing nets), which replaces a traditional arm, sits comfortably atop the ears with no rubbing; and the silky finish feels unobtrusive next to the skin. The cord doubled as a means of hanging the Viales around my neck when not in use. At full extension the cord is not as long as most lanyards. For me, this was a benefit as the frames hang above my backpack’s chest strap, preventing annoying tangles. If you’re squeamish about things around your neck, it may be too short for you. The cord is absorbent and I would like to see a faster- drying material used. Ombraz says it’s antimicrobial, and I’ve found it doesn’t retain smells after sweating.
Viales: the most secure thing on this paddleboard! Credit: Francesca Donovan
The cord’s adjusters are pretty slick. It only takes a few seconds to fit the shades to your head once you’ve got the hang of it. Unexpectedly, you don’t have to pull the cord too tight to get a secure fit. The adjusters are quite small and without grip, so adjusting can be a bit fiddly in gloves. The process also requires two hands and the cord did occasionally get tangled with helmet straps. Still, the lack of screws is welcome: no creaky hinges, which hold on to debris and are near-impossible to maintain!
The Viales are so lightweight, I barely noticed them on my face – and yet the frames didn’t budge whilst running, paddling, cycling or hillwalking. It was liberating to enjoy the full range of head and neck movement without having to push sunglasses up my nose every few minutes.
There’s good flex in the frames, which pack flat, too. I dumped the Viales in the bottom of my pack, squeezed them into tight compartments and stashed them in my back pockets. No breakage so far – even after the obligatory ‘accidentally-sat-on-my-sunnies’ testing! The shades come with a neoprene case that has a stitched-in lens cloth.
In use, the Carl Zeiss lenses meant no squinting in strong mountain sun. I found the mini side-visors were ample for summer mountain use when paired with the yellow polarised lenses. There are two further lens options (grey and brown), which filter out more light, but I chose the former as they are recommended for the variable light conditions our maritime climate serves. I expect these will take me comfortably into autumn and winter before the snow falls.
Occasionally, I suffered some minimal fogging at the very top of the bridge, but it never prevented me from seeing. The lenses resisted saltwater stains incredibly well.
I wore the Viales over and under beanies, caps and helmets and with ponytails or hair clips. They barely shifted. For general outdoor use, the benefits of barely-there comfort and security, light weight and packability far outweigh my momentary faff with a helmet.
