I’ll fully admit, I was skeptical when Ombraz offered me an opportunity to test a pair of their armless sunglasses. My biggest concern was comfort – I am not a huge fan of croakies, so I was worried it would be a similar experience.
Boy was I wrong. These are hands down my absolute favorite pair of sunglasses and I can’t see myself going back to traditional shades. The armless design takes a day or two to get used to, but once you do, you’ll quickly realize the comfort and security of the Ombraz is unmatched by traditional shades.
Photo: Ombraz
Ombraz Dolomite Key Features
- No arms!
- 100% recycled Japanese Nylon replaces traditional sunglass arms
- German engineered Zeiss optics
- Scratch-resistant lenses
- Built-in side visors
- Optimized nose pads
- Neoprene case w/ built-in microfiber cloth
Design
If you’ve made it this far, you obviously know what Ombraz is all about. These shades replace easily breakable plastic or metal arms with soft, abrasion-resistant cording.
Currently, there are 3 frame options available. I went for the Dolomite style, which is a modern take on a round lens sunglass design.
Photo: Cole Soldwisch
A unique feature that sets the Dolomites apart from the other frame styles is the built-in side visors. These shades are perfect for my needs – from coffee dates and city streets to sunny hikes and blue bird snowboard days. A modern, minimalist take on the iconic glacier style google.
All in all, the Dolomites are the perfect blend of style and functionality. I’ve used them hiking, rock climbing, and all around town, and they’ve looked out of place in none of those use cases!
All frames rock Polarized lenses, which, if you’ve tried them before, you can’t go back. It’s an industry standard at this point, and the Zeiss lenses are no bargain choice. Great job, Ombraz!
Fit
With durable rubber/TPU slide adjusters completing the cording loop, these shades can be customized to comfortably fit any size head.
Photo: Cole Soldwisch
As I mentioned in the intro, one of my bigger worries was how tightly you had to slide the cording. To my surprise, they are most comfortable when you leave about a finger-depth amount of space between your skin and the cording. It is plenty tight enough for daily activities without any issue of skin abrasion.
That said, I have found that when I am rock climbing, I do like them a bit tighter as it is easy to bump them out of place while reaching for that next crimp.
Comfort
Totally beyond what I expected! I never realized how uncomfortable sunglass arms were until I tried Ombraz.
Ombraz really shines when they are paired with a trucker or 5-panel cap. The old sunglass arms under or over the cap struggle is no more. Ombraz flexible cord sits comfortably over the ears and over your cap without jamming under the cap creating pressure points.
Photo: Cole Soldwisch
Beyond that specific use case, the Ombraz feel extremely lightweight. It’s easy to forget you are wearing them. The molded nose pads are perfect. I hate adjustable nose pads; not only are they uncomfortable, but they break!
Convenience
The built-in cording plays double duty as a pair of croakies. When the Ombraz are on your head or around your neck, they’re pretty impossible to lose. They won’t come off during active pursuits like armed sunglasses and they don’t require any extra tech to keep them on your person.
My only complaint is that they really cannot be donned one-handed unless they are super loose. So running out of the grocery store with one free hand, you’re either stopping and setting down your bags to put them on or you’re sunglass-less to the car.
Apart from the obvious benefits of a closed-loop sunglass system, Ombraz basically pack flat. They are super easy to slide into your back pocket or slip into small pockets of your bag. The neoprene case has a built-in microfiber lens wipe, which is just brownie points!
Photo: Ombraz
Durability
Well, I will say, I drop these quite a bit less than traditional shades, but the build quality is superb. Hand-carved from plant-based cellulose acetate with absolutely no moving parts or tiny screws, there’s not much to break on these shades.
Photo: Ombraz
The lenses are hard coated and hydrophobic making them both scratch-resistant and easy to clean. I’ve been rocking them for about 4 months since May and they basically look brand new after a quick lens wipe.
Value
At $140 retail, these shades actually undercut some of the big brands for polarized lenses. Considering all the amazing benefits of wear comfort & security and the flat-pack design, you’re saving $60-$100 and getting more than the big brands.
Honestly, these are a no-brainer. Wear these for a week and I promise you’ll never want armed sunglasses again.
- No arms to break!
- Built-in croakies
- Go anywhere, use anywhere style
- Hard to put on with one hand
It would be helpful to know which size you went with
I have the “regular” size. I am not sure there was a narrow option when I made the review. Thank you!