Tifosi Sanctum sun shades. All images: iRunFar/Kristin Zosel
Are you on the hunt for a brand new pair of one-and-done sun shades which are on the super-affordable finish of the bell curve, but nonetheless present 100% UVA/UVB safety? Are you interested by the protect sun shades expertise, however undecided you wish to go full ship on the look?
The unisex Tifosi Sanctum ($35) sun shades present a cost-sensitive, understated gateway to the big lens world, particularly for the medium-large face, and are appropriate for almost any endurance or courtroom sport you may select on a given day.
The extra reserved look of the Sanctum additionally makes them very straightforward to wear down and about should you really feel a little bit self-conscious within the quasi-ski-goggle kinds which are more and more standard. If in case you have a small to medium-sized face, chances are you’ll want the same Tifosi Sizzle model. Each come normal with the microfiber cleansing bag, however the zippered, hard-shell case ($15) is offered individually.
Since 2003, Tifosi Optics has made it its focus to create fashionable, high quality sport sun shades, that emphasize worth and efficiency, and cross over simply into life-style put on as effectively. The Sanctum simply meets these objectives. All Tifosi sun shades include a lifetime guarantee in opposition to producer defects, and you’ll ensure of very fast responses from their pleasant customer support staff.
A fast look on the model’s web site signifies additionally they worth educating potential customers of their product about all the things from which lenses to decide on and why, to varied sustainability and social duty initiatives and ideas. I discover all of this very spectacular for a corporation whose focus is on life-style and efficiency sun shades within the $25-80 vary.
I examined the Sanctum throughout a scorching summer time, whereas operating on rolling prairie trails and rocky Colorado Entrance Vary foothills, maxing out my green-level mountain biking expertise on vast singletrack, and paddleboarding flat water on cloudy and sunny days. My mom-taxi recreation was additionally robust through the testing, and so they proved very straightforward to simply go away on.
Testing obtained considerably up-leveled when my teen snatched them and proceeded to place them by critical paces on horse drill staff practices and path rides on horseback. By some means the lenses have remained unscathed, regardless of his penchant for not remembering the arduous case and simply stuffing all of them dusty and sweaty into his bag. Three cheers to Tifosi Optics for creating $35 glasses that may survive and thrive in such an atmosphere.
The Tifosi Sanctum is listed in our Greatest Working Sun shades information, should you’d wish to see how they stack up in opposition to favorites examined by the iRunFar staff. In the event that they pique your curiosity, you’ll have not less than 13 completely different body colour and lens choices to select from. Whereas a lot of their frames are appropriate for prescription lenses and have replaceable lenses and body elements, the Sanctum is less complicated and doesn’t enable for these choices. However for $35 per pair, it’s arduous to beat.
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Tifosi Sanctum Body and Match
A right-side view of the Tifosi Sanctum.
Weighing simply 0.9 ounces (26 grams), the Tifosi Sanctum strikes the proper steadiness between sitting flippantly throughout the nostril and ears, whereas being robust sufficient to simply to placed on and take off one-handed. Each my teen and I can put on these for hours with none headache or strain factors creating, which isn’t at all times frequent, notably in lower-cost glasses.
The built-in hinge and nostril pads imply no catching on hair whereas sporting, or should you occur to pop them on high of your pony-tailed head whilst you run into the shop. This function is an absolute should for me, as I’ve zero tolerance for glasses that get tangled in my hair, and Tifosi completely nails it.
The delicate wrap of the body additionally offers good safety from wind and dirt, however leaves ample area for air motion, eliminating the lens fog that typically happens with a sleeker wrap.
The medium-large match of the Sanctum does work for my reasonably giant face, however isn’t fairly as roomy because the similar-sized frames from manufacturers similar to Smith and Oakley. I can see there being a marketplace for a large-extra giant possibility as effectively.
I attempted a few different Tifosi glasses on in-store to verify the distinction between this match and different choices labeled small-medium and medium-large, and located the Sanctum to be probably the most accommodating and cozy out of all of them. There’s no uncomfortable strain by the temples or behind the ears, and I can smile my cherubic cheeks all the best way up with out impacting the experience of the frames.
Helpfully, Tifosi places the precise body and match dimensions for his or her glasses underneath the Particulars tab on the product webpage, so you possibly can evaluate and distinction the measurements with ones you already personal. I respect how the Sanctum matches beneath visors, trucker hats, solar hats, and bike helmets. My teen offers two thumbs up for integration with straw or felt cowboy hats as effectively.
The Sanctum includes a renewable bio-resin in Tifosi’s new Thrive Body line — a plant-based materials that reduces the necessity for petroleum-based plastics, and feels actually easy in opposition to the pores and skin. Hydrophilic rubber nostril pads are built-in into the continual nostril items for elevated grip as you sweat. And, when coupled with the lightly-textured coating on the body, the glasses don’t slip even with operating technical downhills, biking washboard gravel roads, or trotting on horseback.
The one time I needed to squinch my cheeks just a few occasions to reset them was on a ridiculously scorching and humid day on the paddleboard, when the sweat was pouring and I ought to have been within the shade — nothing a fast soar within the lake didn’t repair, nevertheless.
Tifosi Sanctum Lens
A aspect view of the Tifosi Sanctum paired with a visor.
The shatterproof, scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses on the Tifosi Sanctum present 100% UVA/UVB safety and are available 10 mirrored choices of assorted colours, one tint-only possibility, and one clear lens. In addition they have a glare guard to scale back eyestrain, notably in shiny or extremely reflective situations, which is useful for these of us who don’t tolerate polarized lenses.
They labored effectively paddling in flat water, which is my final take a look at. Sadly, for individuals who want a polarized lens, you’ll must discover different Tifosi kinds.
One different lens expertise element to level out per Tifosi is that the lenses are optically de-centered to remove distortion and magnification. Although I don’t precisely perceive how this works, I can tip my head and transfer my eyes to look by each angle of this lens with none aberrations, which is a perk that units them aside from a number of the competitors. This can be a bonus for peripheral imaginative and prescient acuity, particularly at greater speeds on trails.
General, the lenses are higher than equally priced sun shades from different manufacturers I’ve tried, however as somebody with high-maintenance, maturing eyes, I do miss the extra refined expertise within the pricier manufacturers’ lenses that enable higher definition as I shortly visually scan the terrain whereas operating or biking. I want these trail-texture particulars to come out, notably on extra technical terrain or in dappled gentle.
The Sanctum lenses give a flatter visible expertise — nonetheless well-shielded from the brightness of the solar, however missing crispness and vibrance comparatively. By no means is that this a real criticism, nevertheless, as a result of the value factors are so completely different. The Tifosi expertise, in my view, is the very best in its class.
Tifosi Sanctum General Impressions
I’m completely impressed by the standard, general efficiency, and luxury of the Tifosi Sanctum. I actually had low expectations of a $35 pair of sunnies, and Tifosi exceeded these expectations in each method. The sturdiness of the body and the scratch resistance of the lenses are spectacular, and should you’re somebody who’s harder on glasses (ahem, pricey teen baby) or doesn’t need the stress of conserving tabs on an expensive pair, these are a superb alternative.
Whereas there are better-performing lenses from an optical perspective, you gained’t discover them on this value vary. Tifosi’s product is a high all-around performer amongst its rivals.