Smith Pinpoint Sunglasses Review

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The Smith Pinpoint Sunglasses are designed with active people in mind. This sunglass is great for runners and cyclists who want to forgo the traditional wrap-around sporty-looking sunglasses for something that looks a little more casual and hip. I had the chance to test out the Smith Pinpoint sunglasses over the past couple of months and this set of shades gets high marks for performance, fit, and style.

Performance of Pinpoint Sunglasses

I primarily tested the Pinpoint sunglasses while running on the trails and roads, but I mix in some mountain bike rides about 2 times a week. One of the biggest benefits I’ve found while running with these sunglasses is that they allow the air to freely move in and out around the sides of the face. This is a big win when your face heats up during a hard workout that typically leads to your lenses fogging up when you don’t have a lot of air moving across your face.

Rubber nose pads to slipping on your face

Rubber nose pads are one of those features on a sunglass that you take for granted until you wear a pair of sunglasses without the nose pads. Until it’s needed, we often take this rubber nose grip for granted. This Megol rubber nose pads keep your shades on your face when you’re hunched over and exhausted after crossing the finish line or stopping to tie your shoes. Nose pads also come in handy to prevent your sunglasses from sliding down on your nose when making abrupt stops, slowdowns, or riding through rock gardens.

Fit on your face

The Pinpoint sunglasses have a medium-sized fit on your face. I’ve found a medium size fit to be best for my face over the years and from a fit perspective, these sunglasses are spot on.

I generally go with the wrap-around style for sunglasses, but it’s sometimes good to branch out and explore new styles.  The Pinpoints sit off your face a little but have enough curve to the frame where it provides a loose wrap around your face.

Less side coverage means more ventilation

For heart-pumping active endeavors, ventilation around your face is a good thing. While I love wrap-around sunglasses for eye protection, they sometimes fog up when your face heats up on hard workouts. The Pinpoints do a great job of allowing the heat around the eyes to vent out the sides which makes them great for days when you know you’re going to be pushing the pace.

Styling with the Pinpoint sunglasses

Smith is one of those brands that gets it right in the style and performance departments. They offer sunglasses for all types of style preferences, from the cyclists decked out head to toe in lycra to anglers decked out in plaid. The Pinpoint sunglasses lean towards the casual side of style with a fun and playful look.

There are currently six frame colors to choose from in the Smith Pinpoint sunglasses. I tested out the Matte Iron frame with ChromaPop Polarized lenses and I really enjoy the color of the frame. The Matte Iron is grey-blue color frame that has offers just enough color pop but doesn’t scream, hey look at me, I’m a badass. Depending on the look you are going for, there are frame and lens options that allow you to blend in or stick out in the crowd.

Smith ChromaPop Lenses

The Pinpoint sunglasses come with the Smith ChromaPop lenses that provides excellent clarity and color enhancement. This is done through the ChromaPop lens being able to filter two different wavelengths of light that typically causes confusion to the eye.  Depending on your frame you select, the lens comes in a polarized and nonpolarized version. I almost always opt for polarized versions of lenses to reduce the glare off water, car windshields and more.

Lens quality matters

While a pair of cheap sunglasses from the gas station can help you out in a pinch, the quality of lens is often night and day difference from a quality sunglass lens such as Smith ChromaPop. Having been used to the ChromaPop lens, wearing a cheap promo set of shades almost gave me a headache and really pointed to me that you often time get what you pay for.

Final thoughts

Overall, I have been super happy with the Smith Pinpoint Sunglasses. Since I usually stick to the wrap-around style, stepping outside the norm with a pair of shades that have a little more flair while still being able to perform is just what I needed.  Check out the Smith Pinpoint Sunglasses at Smithoptics.com or amazon.com/smith.