Wiley X Valor Sunglasses Review
Active Gear Review is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Wiley X Valor Sunglasses
When I think of active sunglasses or sport sunglasses the first name that comes to my mind is Oakley. There is a reason for that, they have been around for almost 40 years and have been producing quality eye-wear for as long as I have been using them. I have owned a few pairs over the years. Almost all sport glasses will be compared to them at some point or another. So, fortunately or unfortunately, the standard has been set. How do the Wiley X Valor’s compare? Let’s check them out.
First Impressions of the Wiley X Valor Sunglasses
The Wiley X Valor sunglasses have a cool sleek look that most users will appreciate. The glasses consist of brilliant mirrored polarized crimson lenses built into a solid black frame. The lenses are also changeable, I was not sent any extra lenses for the review, however, I did pull the lenses out of the frames and pop them back. The process of changing them is fairly simple, a simple twist of the frame and a pull down and they were out. Putting the lens back in was a breeze; push the lens into the corner, flex the frame and push up on the lens, and it snapped right into place. Changing the lenses is definitely something that could be easily done in a matter of minutes, should the need arise. The glasses also come equipped with your standard non slip nose pads.
Wiley X Valor Polarized Sunglasses
The frame has two rubber over the ear pieces that will help the glasses stay locked in place on your head.
Rubber over the ear pieces
The glasses can be folded down into a tight compact shape that allows for easy storage in a case, soft cloth bag or be hung from your shirt.
Folded Arms
The sunglasses also came with the convenient sports cord. The cord was easily installed by sliding on the sport cord’s rubber ends to fit right onto the rubber ear pieces of the glasses. They were a nice and tight fit. I gave them a pretty fierce tug just to try to get them to slip off, they stuck like glue.
Sports Cord
The glasses also came with very nice clam shell case. The outside is made from tough nylon and the inside has nice felt fabric to help keep the glasses scratch free.
Hard Clam Shell Case
The clam shell case has a well thought out, over sized thumb pull tab. This makes it easy to open and close whether you just got done with a run and are covered in sweat, or you are out in the cold wearing gloves.
Over Sized Thumb Zipper
Outside with the Wiley X Valor sunglasses
Being a runner, that was the first place I took the glasses. They have a nice comfortable fit on my head, the non slip nose pads rested gently on the crest of my nose. The frame has quite a bit of flexibility to it allowing the glasses to lightly hug my head, and they felt perfect. I would like to think that I am for the most part a smooth runner, whether that is the case or not, the glasses stayed right where I put them and I did not have to adjust them once over the course of ten miles on some pretty technical trails. The lenses have a nice crystal clear view and tone down the suns bright rays by just the right amount.
Resting after a long run in the Wiley X Valor sunglasses
What about some mountain biking? I did not mange to shake the glasses of my head, but I did take a small tree branch right to the face, thank goodness for the glasses. They blocked the branch from getting to my eye and thanks to the shatterproof lenses they stayed intact. After stopping to inspect the damage to the glasses, to my surprise, I was able to wipe off what I thought would be a scratch and they still looked like new.
After wearing these on and off for several weeks, I have finally decided the Wiley X Valor’s are so comfortably snug and clear that my everyday (insert other name brand here 🙂 have to be placed in my desk drawer for storage.
Left side view of the Wiley X Valor sunglasses
Right side view of the Wiley X Valor sunglasses
A final test that I really had no intention of being part of this review, but it just happened… lumber jacking in the Wiley X Valor’s. With the amount of abuse I was giving these glasses, out cutting down trees there was sure to be some damage or a scratched lens. I had a tree branch knock the glasses right of my face, luckily the sports cord kept them from falling to the ground (not sure that would hurt these things anyway), there was no damage to the glasses. The glasses were able to deflect the wood chips for the chainsaw, tree branches that had it out for me, and the blazing UV rays of the sun. At the end of the day, I was full of sweat, sap, chain oil, and wood chips. The glasses did not look too well as they were covered in the same, but with some water, the soft cloth and a little effort, they came out of their lumber jack stage looking just fine.
Direct view through the Wiley X Valor sunglasses
Final thoughts on the Wiley X Valor sunglasses
I was able to test the Wiley X Valor sunglasses in a number of different harsh environments, and they performed and took the abuse like a high quality piece of active eye wear should. So the big questions is, “How do they compare to the Oakley’s?” I would say that they are at the same high level, and even surpass them in the durability category. I’d say these specs are now a part of my sun battling eye collection. And I can honestly say that my next active eye wear purchase will be from Wiley X.
For more information, check out https://wileyx.com/
MSRP $130
