When it comes to Tifosi eyewear, the reasons for our enthusiasm are a bit different than for most of the other brands we offer. If they have an evocative backstory, I’m not familiar with it. If their technology is revolutionary relative to their competitors, I am likewise ignorant.
No, when articulating what makes Tifosi a compelling brand, it really comes down to one word: value. Consider…
You can always spend $10 at a truck stop for a pair of sunglasses…and even at that price probably overpay for the level of performance you’ll get.
At the other end of the spectrum are the half-dozen or so heavily-marketed, super-premium players who make great-to-insane eyewear and who must continue to innovate or die. For them, “good enough” is not nearly good enough. (What this means is that the technology embedded in sports eyewear is constantly improving, which is nice. But brand-new, better technology still costs more than older, inferior technology, as does the marketing of that technology compared with not.)
That leaves, in my mind anyway, a gaping hole in the middle of the market. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to pick up a pair of premium sports sunglasses that perform nearly as well as super-premium glasses, but cost far, far less? That pretty much describes Tifosi.
Tifosi sunglasses are legitimate. They use premium materials — including comfortable, adjustable rubber temple and nose pieces — and design the frames of their sports models so that the lenses are well-ventilated. They offer a variety of frame sizes and styles (i.e. open- or full-frame) to suit different face sizes and preferences.
They also have you covered whether your preference is for a basic single lens, interchangeable lenses, a polarized lens, or a self-adjusting photochromic lens. And every pair of Tifosi sunglasses is delivered with a soft bag/cleaning cloth and a nice hard case. Basically, you get everything you would expect if you spent $100+.
And that’s where the beauty of Tifosi really enters into it. All of their models are well south of that mark. Their “tricky” models — those featuring 3 interchangeable lenses or a single photochromic lens — are $60. Their basic single-lens, non-photochromic models are just $40.
In my experience, Tifosi glasses are maybe just a little heavier and “clunkier” than super-premium alternatives, but not to a point of being intrusive at all. I would describe the way they feel on the trail as “completely acceptable.” (Unless of course you have a thing for sunglasses, which is okay, too.)
As a consumer, I like the fact that I’m liberating money that can be saved or spent in a category I care more about. I also like that loss or breakage won’t completely ruin my day. As for Wilderness Running Company, we intend to eventually add other, super-premium sunglass brands, but now you know why we started with, and plan to stick with, Tifosi.
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OK, so I’ve never subscribed to a blog before but you guys have got me hooked. Keep posting the gear reviews and great trail running stories. Merry Christmas!!