Quick Overview:
Usual Retail Price: $130-250 depending on the lens
Weight: 34g only!
Lens we tested: Zebra Light lens – category 1-3 photochromic lens
Pros: very light, transition lens (category 1-3), anti-fogging, fit
Cons: didn’t really find any
Bottom Line:
Thanks to their fit and transition lenses Julbo Aero sunglasses work very well for a variety of outdoor sports. Their “airy” design helps the lens to stay ventilated which makes the sunglasses especially suitable for high output but low speed activities such as breaking trail in the winter or trail running.
Product Description and How We Tested It:
I started using the Aero sunglasses last spring for ski touring and a bit of xc skiing. As the seasons went by I have been using them also for cycling, hiking, running, mountaineering.
I would say that the best features of the Aeros are their anti-fogging capability, the transition lens and fit, so I will focus mainly on these three aspects in this review.
We all know that when sunglasses fog up too often then their other features don’t matter much because the whole point of sport sunglasses is to enhance our sight in challenging conditions, and of course, to protect our eyes.
Julbo Aero combines anti-fogging coating on its lens and ventilation-friendly design to keep the lenses clear even while I was breaking trail on skis in warmer and humid conditions.
While you can choose from a variety of lenses for these glasses, I recommend to go with a type that provides transition from category 1 (very light) to category 3 (medium dark). My Aeros have the Zebra photochromic lens with the category 1-3 transition which I found to be super useful for everything I do.
Of course, for bright days on snow or on a glacier the Julbo Montebianco offer better eye protection – find our review here – with their lenses transitioning from category 2 to 4.
The Aeros design features light weight construction using only top frame. This makes for a wide viewing range, which I find essential for ski touring, and also saves on weight.
The stems are quite long and have lots of rubber coating. This makes them hold in place even during running and while keeping them on my ski toque or head when I am not using them. Width-adjustable nose pads help to customize and fine-tune the fit even more.
Overall, I recommend these sunglasses for any sport. Their look is very sporty so if you are looking for something more stylish then check out the our review of the Julbo Montebianco model.
What We Think Could Be Improved:
There is not much I found that should be improved on these sunglasses as they work very well for the purposes and environments they were designed for. So it’s just about individual preferences and fit – I would say they probably fit better medium-to-larger faces.
Buying Julbo Aero online:
- at Backcountry.com
- at CampSaver.com
- directly from Julbo.com
Brian Harder says
I love Julbo glasses but found these to be almost too light. Without a little mass, they simply do not stay where I put them on my face. Now, this may be more an effect of my face shape than the glasses, I’ll admit. They also lack wire in the arms which prevents me from bending them and making them more secure. The lenses are awesome for winter light in AK and the photochomics are top notch. But I use other models more commonly and save these for cycling.