Native Eyewear “Kodiak” Sunglasses

Native Eyewear offers a nice selection of sunglasses and goggles for your outdoor adventure needs. Featuring a lifetime warranty, and use of impressive technology, they are definitely worth taking a look at when shopping for a quality pair of sunglasses. New in 2013 is the style “Kodiak”, which I recently tried out.

Native Eyewear Technology

I recently read an outdoor blogger’s article about her experience attempting to climb a Colorado 14er, still sporting snow cover, on a sunny day… in cheap, gas station sunglasses.  She burned her corneas, and learned a very painful lesson.  Turns out ‘cheap’ sunglasses can actually do more harm, than good.

It really does pay to protect your eyes with quality lenses, and even more so if your adventures will be taking you to higher altitudes.

You also want your glasses to stay put, not fog up, and be comfortable for active use.   Here are some of the nice technology features that Native Eyewear includes (with descriptions taken from their website):

• N3™ Polarized Lenses – the most innovative and advanced polarized lens on the market
• Venting Systems – Exhaust vents incorporated into the design framework enhance airflow to virtually eliminate fog and condensation
• Rhyno-Tuff® Air Frames – Proprietary, high performance material is extremely lightweight, yet durable
• Cushionol™ Temple boots – Proprietary composition creates a non-slip grip that keeps your sunglasses in place during activity

… and many more – those were just some of my favorites.  Check out their Eyegear Technology page for more details.

Native Eyewear “Kodiak” Sunglasses

Personally, I think it’s tough to try and pick a pair of sunglasses without trying them on first.    You need to make your style selection based not just on how they look, but also things like the size of your nose, shape of your face, fit preference, and what you intend to use the glasses for.

I swung by my local REI to try on some Native Eyewear styles, and decided I really liked the feel of the Kodiak.  I was hoping to find a pair of sunglasses that would work nicely for both athletic use and driving.

I’ve had a pair of polarized lenses before, and didn’t care for them.  For me, they seem to reflect weirdly off of other people’s windshields… making me feel like I can’t see the people inside other vehicles.   Why does that bother me?  I don’t know.  It just leaves me with a generally uneasy feeling of inhibited vision.

So I was leery that the Native Eyewear Kodaik’s had polarized lenses.  Not to fret.  Native Eyewear’s lenses are fantastic, and I did not experience that issue.  I wore them on a 14 hour solo road trip to South Dakota and back, and they were amazing.

I’ve also worn them on numerous hot weather hikes, and am very impressed with the venting system.  This design feature slyly incorporated into the frames makes a noticeable difference in preventing any lens fogging or condensation, and is a huge benefit of wearing Native Eyewear.

The Kodiaks fit very tight to my face.  Not quite so tight that they brush my eyelashes when I blink (that’s where I draw the line, I hate that).  And the fit would be obviously different on each person, but I mention it because I suspect it’s by design and I’ve grown to appreciate it.   You can get away with it because of that great venting system in the frames, and it really does block all extraneous light from creeping in the sides.

The temple grip is tight, and designed to hug the mastoid bone (behind your ears) securely, so you don’t lose your sunglasses when you go flying off that boulder on your mountain bike.  (Ok, that didn’t really happen… but in my dreams, I do that sort of thing…)

On my long road trip, I did get a little sore behind the ears from this snug fit.  BUT – again, the Kodiak is so perfectly designed for athletic use, it’s a good thing to have them fit that way, and is a trade off I’m willing to make.

The Kodiak style does feature a “Single Snap-Back™ Interchangeable Lens System“,  which I suspect means you can add different lenses, and swap them out as needed.   I don’t know any details about that option, but it’s nice to have that alternative.

The Native Eyewear Kodiak comes with a cleaning cloth, and nice zipped hard case.    Overall, I’m extremely pleased with them and feel they are one of the best quality sports sunglasses options out there.

In addition to their website, you can find Native Eyewear here:

Facebook:  Native Eyewear

Twitter: @nativeyewear

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I received a pair of Native Eyewear Kodiak sunglasses at no cost, for the purposes of performing this review.  All opinions are my own.