Native Eyewear Penrose Sunglass Review

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While they may not have originated in Colorado, Native Eyewear has made Colorado its’ home for the last eight years. They often name their products after places around the state. While I haven’t confirmed this with Native Eyewear, I believe that the Penrose Sunglasses are named after the small town in the middle of the state. Two other thoughts, which are also called Penrose came to mind: are they named after a type of surgical drain (not likely) or a hospital near Colorado Springs? As you can tell, my “other job” is in the medical field. As a result, I love testing out sunglasses that reduce eye strain and offer amazing protection. No matter the name, the Penrose Sunglasses have been a great addition this spring.

Native Eyewear Penrose Sunglasses Fit

Native states that the Penrose Sunglasses feature a small to medium frame fit and I’d tend to agree. Often times frames seem to take over my face, and this is not the case with the Penrose model. One thing to note is that the nose piece is not adjustable and it fits great for those with a narrower bridge. If you have a wide bridge, these sunglasses might not be for you as it causes them to sit higher on your face.

The nose pads and temple pads feature Cushinol™, a Native Eyewear proprietary material that keeps the sunglasses in place. In other words, Cushinol™ is a rubber material that creates a comfortable and slip resistant contact point for your sunglasses during all of your various activities. I primarily have been wearing the Native Eyewear Penrose Sunglasses on ski tours, trail running, and around town and they stay in place even when sweaty or snowy.

The Native Eyewear Penrose sunglasses are light-weight thanks to thermoplastic material that doesn’t scratch and resists breakage. I have been less than gentle with these frames and taken them out in cold wintry days and some warm-ish summer days. We are still waiting for the hot days here in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Native Eyewear Penrose Sunglasses Lens and Frame Options

Like the “other” Native Eyewear shades reviewed this spring by my colleagues, the Penrose Sunglasses also feature the latest and greatest N3 lens. The N3 lens feature a UV400, meaning that they filter out 99.9% of the harmful UVA and UVB light. In addition, they block up to 4x more infrared light than traditional polarized lenses. So what does this all mean? Basically, it is well established that UVA rays are linked to macular degeneration and certain types of cataracts (clouding of the lens). While UVB rays are linked to inflammation of the cornea. It is hypothesized the infrared light is also damaging to a variety of structures within the eye.

The Native Eyewear website also states that the sunglasses pass the Z87.1 testing. Unless you work for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), you probably don’t know what this means. Z87.1 testing refers to the minimum performance requirement for protective eyewear; in other words, the lens can withstand impact. Another great feature to have when wearing these for both work and play.  Fortunately, the Native Eyewear Penrose N3 lens does all of this protection without looking like a pair of old school Blue Blockers that your grandparents wore in the 80’s. The N3 lens does all of this while continuing to provide crisp and clean images.

Lens color and mirror finishing are personal choices and they don’t affect how well your eyes are protected. I typically am a brown lens kind of gal, however, I was excited to try out something different with the Native Penrose with Green lenses. I was pleased to see that the green lens doesn’t distort colors and were ideal for everyday use. For an extra $20, well worth it in my book, you can upgrade to a reflex or mirrored lens that not only looks cool, but also provides glare reduction. The Native Eyewear Penrose is available in the following frame/lens combos:

• Obsidian with Gray Lens
• Maple Tort with Brown Lens
• Desert Tort with Bronze Reflex Lens
• Asphalt with Blue Reflex Lens
• Wood with Green Reflex Lens

Native Eyewear Lifetime Warranty

Lifetime Warranty? Yes, please! On the Native Eyewear website, they outline the ins/outs of the warranty and feature a dog licking a pair of sunglasses that are missing the lenses. As a repeat dog rescuer (we are on #3 and #4 for the AGR dog testers), having a warranty on at least one piece of easy to chew gear is amazing. Our latest addition, Fozzie, has already claimed one pair of standard glasses (even more pricey) and a pair of my husbands’ sunglasses. It is nice to know that with a flat fee of $30, we can receive a new pair of Penrose shades, no questions asked. Comfortable, fashionable, durable, and crisp image quality round out the features of the Native Eyewear Penrose Sunglasses. Check out amazon.com/nativeeyewear for additional information and to purchase.

Sunny day selfie