Today’s new product review is of the xx2i Brazil1 running sunglasses. But first a disclaimer: I received a pair of the xx2i Brazil running shades as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
On November 9, 2016, I began testing these sunglasses daily during my runs, at least once per day and sometimes during 2 runs a day up to and including today, November 20. I noticed that the shape of the sunglasses was very helpful in shielding the eyes and keeping the sun from blinding us. Even in fall and winter, there are sunny days where it is very helpful to have more light reflected away from us. It’s very important to protect our eyes from the sun and the various weather elements than can obstruct our vision for improved running safety.
Also, on windy days, I noticed that the shape of the glasses was blocking wind better than my running Ray-Bans (which are not really curved, more straight in shape).
There was only one occasion where I was concerned during the time I tested the glasses. One day, I was running with our dog and she slipped out of her collar and leash. And I realized I was wearing non-prescription lenses. Fortunately, the dog froze and we got her back on the leash.
It would be helpful for me to get these ground to my prescription as I do wear bifocal lenses.
The glasses are polarized and reflect light away from us at a very high level, especially compared to some others I have worn.
I wore the glasses on several road runs, on the trails, running around around Holmes Lake, and yesterday, I tested them running speed work (mile intervals) on the track.
The glasses seemed to prevent sweat from accumulating quite as much as my Ray-Bans that I wear daily when running. Maybe it’s the shape of the lenses, I don’t know. The Ray-Bans seem to be more difficult to keep clean. Let’s face it: we all perspire but so we must be sure that we can keep perspiration from obstructing our vision.
As far as weather conditions, I mentioned the helpfulness on sunny and windy days. The glasses performed well in rain.
The glasses come in a strong, durable plastic case and have a wrapping bag to keep them secure. I like that the case zips. So many glasses come in cases that do not zip and so if you drop a hard plastic case, they scratch and break.
The shades are double secured with 2 screws/bolts on each side, one more than some shades have. My Ray-bans only have one. The frame is durable, tough plastic.
Also, the lenses never popped out, I’ve had this problem with my Ray-ban running glasses, especially if I drop them or bump into something, the jarring motion dislodges the lenses and I have to pop them back into place.
The glasses were very comfortable, just a tiny bit of adjusting to having a different shape the first run or two. They were easy to run with and didn’t cause any discomfort.
The design of the glasses is impressive, preventing them from sliding around while running/walking. They stay in place. Also, the glasses are very attractive, they are very stylish.
Easy to clean with a soft cloth, have to clean the sweat off every once in a while. They do not appear to spot as much as other glasses I wear. However, running with them today, there were some very small spots that accumulated, which appeared to be from sweat/frozen sweat.
On humid days, you may notice a little fogging over in the corners of these glasses. I did notice this today running through low-lying fog/frozen fog zones. But it was not enough to obstruct my vision, just a little minor fogging over. Today is the only day that I can recall having that issue.
Visibility with the glasses is good. Obviously, the only drawback of running shades of this nature is not being able to wear them at night/after dark for safety reasons.
Mainly, I tested the glasses at sunrise or during the morning runs. And most of those days were sunny and somewhat windy.
The bluish tint reminds me of ski goggles/sunglasses (if you love blue, get the blue tinted ones those are the ones I tested). The reflectivity of what you can see in a mirror image of the glasses is impressive: e.g., your arm, your phone, trees, the track, the sun. Clear images/reflections. Very good reflectivity.
The glasses do come with an optional drawstring that you can attach (or not) if needed, this would be handy if you are having one of those outside/inside days. Otherwise, the glasses perch easily on top of your head when not in use (or in the case or a pocket).
While running with the glasses, they did not appear to bounce at all. Very solid. (See short video below with me running with them on the track.) Just have to make sure that you have the glasses where you want them and the shades stay where they are.
The glasses were solid, secure, reliable, helpful, and easy to manage. I didn’t have any trouble with them, just the disadvantage of testing them as a nearsighted person without testing them to prescription (bifocal) strength. That would give me a better standpoint from which to review them.
I strongly recommend these glasses to anyone, especially to those with sunny/windy climates. It didn’t rain a whole lot during the testing period but the times that it did, the glasses performed well. I found that once I started using them, I didn’t want to stop. Even though they aren’t prescription running glasses. They can be customized and suited to individual optical needs, though. So they are versatile, impressive running glasses, probably one of the best pairs I’ve ever worn or tested.
Please check out these shades and let me know what you think of them. The more we share running intelligence on great products, the broader base of informed knowledge we have collectively.
So next time you need some shades, put xx2i Brazil shades on your list. They’re top-notch. Head of the class. Thank you BibRave and xx2i optics xx2i.com for allowing me to test them! They enhanced my runs and helped me keep the bright sunshine from blinding me on the run. These shades made me smile and made my runs more happy! If you want to enhance your runs and make them more fun, xx2i Brazil shades might just be the one. Amazing shades!
P.S. We have a special BibRave Brazil 1 discount code for 60% off for you that is valid through midnight Tuesday, November 22. The code is: “BRAZIL1”. Use this handy code at checkout to save some dough. These would be a great buy, I’m thinking of buying another pair myself.
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