Smith Outback Sunglasses Review

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For the hardcore adventure crazies and the weekend warriors, having one pair of sunglasses that can do it all is pure joy.  While it’s nice to have specific sunglasses for every sport, lets face it, it’s REALLY nice to have sunglasses that both look good and can still perform on most activities.

I’ve personally preferred this blend of sport and lifestyle sunglass category for many years due to my preference for convenience and style.  I like to know that I only have to pay attention to one pair of sunglasses for most of my activities and my wife is also happy that I don’t have another piece of gear laying around the house that gets in her way.

Features that Matter

The Smith Outback Sunglasses fit the bill when it comes to a do it all sunglass with style.  These shades have a medium style fit that fits most face shapes.  To keep the Outback sunglasses from sliding off your face, the arms and nose piece have rubber incorporated into the frame.  I’ve taken this rubber for granted over the years, but I’ve tested some sunglasses without the rubber and I am hear to tell you that it is hard to keep sunglasses on your face without it during most types of activities.

The hinges of the Outback have an auto-lock feature that we have become accustomed to in sport sunglasses.  This keep the arms in place and allows for a more consistent fit throughout the day.

For those who like the silky carrying case, you will be happy to know that the Outback sunglasses includes one of these.

Smith Outback Sunglasses Testing Environments

I’ve mainly tested these sunglasses in the winter time in the mountains of Colorado, as this is where I live and I tend to see mostly white snow covering the ground, trees, mountains, and everything in between.  To date, I’ve tested these sunglasses while running, hiking, backcountry skiing and plain everyday casual use. I’ve been very pleased in all phases of my testing in that the Smith ChromaPop polarized lens has allowed for glare reduction and eye popping color to be been seen when objects aren’t covered in snow.

To be honest, I’ve been hardest on the Smith Outback sunglasses in my everyday use while working on my car.  I needed a little extra light to see something in the engine compartment, so I took off the Outbacks and set them on the ground.  A few minutes later, I step back and noticed my right heel was an extra inch off the ground(cringe…).  My brain starts to go a million directions, oh crap! Did I just crush the sunglasses that Smith sent me to review before actually writing the review?  Are they totally destroyed? Are the lenses scratched to the point of no return?  I really like these sunglasses, please don’t tell me they are gone! You get the picture.

All in all, after stepping down on these sunglasses, the only damage to be seen is a little scratch on the top of the frame.  You typically don’t think of this type of durability when buying a pair of sunglasses. I try not to do this type of testing as I don’t like to waste and I don’t think Smith wants to send me five pairs of sunglasses for one review.  All this said, the Smith Outback sunglasses are durable.  In my past testing with Smith sunglasses, I find that I can usually get 2-3 good years out of a pair as I am pretty hard on sunglasses and I don’t always keep them in the protective case.

Frame and Lens Options

The Outback has eight styles, a couple of them being a tort frame with a ChromaPop Polarized Blue Mirror lens and a Crystal Mediterranean frame with a ChromaPop Red Mirror lens as shown above. I went with the testing the Tort Frame with ChromaPop Polarized Blue Mirror lens as I prefer a polarized lens.  Having worn the polarized ChromaPop lens in the past, I knew that it would likely keep my eyes happy.

Outback Sunglass Fit

The fit of the Smith Outback Sunglasses runs medium to large, but is closest to a medium size fit.  If you have a smaller face and you sometimes find that a medium works, I think these will stick out a little too much on your face.  The Outback has a wrap around style that allows for lens breathability so they don’t fog up the second you start to heat up.  One of the design features that allows for this breathability is the arm styling.  Instead of having a wrap around frame that is super wide, the arms on the Outback sunglasses take up about half of the height on the eye frame.  The curvature of the frame and lens keeps out side glare and gusty winds while allowing extra heat and moisture to escape.

Final Thoughts

For those of you looking for a new pair of shades that can be your do it all shades, the Outback performs.  Smith has been playing in this category for many years and their long time experience shows in the design and performance.  For more information, visit SmithOptics.com or amazon.com/smith.