Just In – Julbo Meta and Ultimate Cover Sunglasses

Julbo Meta

The Julbo Meta is designed to meet you wherever you’re at: from morning dog walks to impromptu workouts and everything in between. Meta combines the brand’s performance DNA with a resolutely urban look to accompany your daily adventures or more active optics options. GripTech anti-slip inserts on the nose and temples help keep these sunglasses in place, and a comfortable fit pairs well with helmets for those who like a little fashion while out for a ride.

Thin, curved temples, subtle side shields, Griptech anti-slip inserts combine comfort with a trendy style. The Julbo Photochromic Reactive lens can go anywhere— reacts immediately to ambient light, changing shades to meet the needs of changing environments—so the only limit to your adventures is your imagination.

Specs:

• MSRP: $169.95-$239.95
• Comfort Fit with Helmet
• Grip Tech Temples: Exclusive soft material on the temples that doesn’t stick to hair for perfect grip and comfort.
• Nose Grip: Flexible, shock-absorbing grip insert on the bridge.
• Three versions:
  1. Polycarbonate Glasses (Spectron) – Spectron polycarbonate Lenses are light and offer good shock resistance, making them suitable for all outdoor sports.
  2. Polarized Lenses – Polarized technology eliminates glare on the surface of the snow thanks to a polarizing filter, ensuring optimal reading of the terrain.
  3. Reactiv Photochromic Lenses – The lenses get darker or lighter to match changing light conditions.

First Impressions => The Meta is a comfortable set of sunglasses that offers the usual superb Julbo optics, along with some nice flair and style. It has an excellent combination of urban and sport and doesn’t feel or look out of place in either setting. The tested pair has a Shiny Crystal/Gray/Brass frame and their REACTIV 2-3 Glare Control lens with polarization. The Reactiv lenses quickly got darker or lighter to match variable light conditions, and the Gold Pink lens coloration was lovely wandering around outdoors and in town.

The Grip Tech temples had plenty of stickiness to keep them in place while bouncing along, and the temples were thin enough to not interfere with a helmet or a cap. I enjoyed them when putting some miles down on the trail while bike riding, comfy, and styling! A small side shield offers enough protection but is barely noticeable in your peripheral vision, though when looking over your shoulder, it is a bit odd to look through them (tested frames are clear).

Julbo Ultimate Cover

The original Julbo Ultimate offered performance-oriented optics with a flexible frame that bends at the temple points to create a custom fit. This year they reinvented mountain goggles/sunglasses with the new Ultimate Cover, combining high protection and ultra lightness. This model provides optimum protection for the eyes and face thanks to a removable nose guard and removable Spandex side shields that comfortably protect against sun, wind, and cold. Its modular design can accompany the mountaineer from training in the valley to reaching the highest peaks.

The CustomFIT temples provide precise and long-lasting adjustment and produce a tailor-made grip and a lightweight spec combined with the Grip Tech structure. GripTech is designed to provide added grip on the nose and ears to keep the Ultimates in place without pulling on hair. Fitted with a 3D Nose, the glasses offer flawless hold when you’re working flat out, with or without a helmet. A panoramic lens creates an energetic style while giving you protection. The optional REACTIV Photochromic lenses react immediately to ambient light, changing shades to meet the needs of changing environments.

 

Specs:

• MSRP: $179.95-$249.95
• 3D Nose Fit: Special nose pads are adjustable in every direction so that glasses fit every type of nose shape and ensure unbeatable hold in all conditions.
• Comfort-Fit with Helmet
• Cord Attachment: This allows the attachment of a cord.
• CustomFIT Temples: The temples are designed for precise adjustment to guarantee a perfect and long-lasting grip. No readjustment of grip is required for each outing.
• Full Venting: Highly vented sunglasses structure allowing total circulation of air to prevent fogging.
• Grip Tech Temples: Exclusive soft material on the temples that doesn’t stick to hair for perfect grip and comfort.
• Panoramic View: Wide lens surface for maximum field of vision.
• Removable Spandex Shields: Spandex side protection from sunlight. Spandex is soft, light, and comfortable to wear synthetic fiber. This material is heat, cold, and water-resistant.
• It comes in four versions: REACTIV Photochromic lenses (cat 1-3 or cat 2-4), and Spectron lenses (cat 3 or cat 4)

First Impressions => The Ultimate Cover is a highly comfortable set of sunglasses that offers superb Julbo optics, with a large expansive panoramic lens. The new addition of a nose cover and side shields, which are all removable, make the Ultimate Cover highly useful when out on the water, the snow, and anywhere that you want to protect your nose and face from the brunt of the sun. You can switch between a standard set of sunglasses or add the nose/side shields for a protective pair of glacier sunglasses. It’s a simple and easy swap out to either style, making them ideal for any time of year and conditions.

The nose cover does look incredibly dorky, but it keeps your nose protected from the intense ad highly reflective sun while out fishing, boating, skiing, and mountain hiking/running. Once you get the Ultimate Cover with ‘Shields Up’ in the proper blazing sun environment, they make perfect sense, and you don’t even notice the nose guard out in front. Just pop off the cover system when doing a typical ride, run, or hike for a standard set of sunglasses. For additional wind and sun coverage, you can leave the side shield attached.

The tested pair has a Dark Gray/Blue frame and their REACTIV Performance 1-3 lens with polarization. They were lightweight and uber comfy had superb optics and an ideal goggle-like wrap-around lens. The Reactiv lenses quickly got darker or lighter to match variable light conditions, and the Multilayer Blue lens coloration was enjoyable out on the trail. The vast and panoramic field of view was greatly appreciated when flying down singletrack, as they offered wind, sun, and debris protection.