Review—The Return of Revo Sunglasses

REVO HAS REAPPEARED, and the return of one of the world’s great prestige brands is a revolutionary revelation for anyone who cares about performance sunglasses. Remember Revo? You wore Revo back in the late 1980s and the 1990s if you really cared about sharp lenses and super spiffy styling. That logo with the long e at the corner of your eyes meant you “got it.” You understood that sunglasses were more than a fashion statement. They were fashionable. Absolutely. But Revo wearers always coveted the technology that went into the best lenses of the era.

That’s still true. But both styling and technology have been totally updated. I’ve been wearing samples from the line since it was quietly reintroduced, and I’m delighted to report that the resurgent Revo has nailed it. Here’s the scoop:

Everything’s polarized. Why not? The world is full of glare. But polarization is polarization, right? Ahem… You haven’t been reading this site much, have you? High-end polarization like Revo’s is vastly superior to average polarization. Revo starts with the best film on the market, and does the lab testing to make sure that the filters are aligned precisely on the horizontal axis where they belong—and that the two lenses match. On Revo’s glass lenses, the filters are sandwiched inside. On Revo’s polycarbonate lenses, house-branded Serilium, the filter is infused inside the lens material, not applied to it. It effectively becomes one with the lens.

Super sharp. Revo’s glass lenses are as sharp as any sunglasses on the market, and its polycarbonate lenses are tapered to provide high-res optical quality through every portion of the lens. Trust me: Inexpensive sunglasses are not designed like this. Cheap shades let your eyes and brain do the optical correcting. That takes a toll on both. These are great lenses.

Coated. Revo also adds coatings—a wavelength-attenuation coating resolves diffuse glare, the kind that polarization can’t handle on its own; an antireflective coating means you don’t have to fight vague little reflections that weak havoc on the inside of the lens (again, do you think bargain shades do this?); and the hydrophobic coating banishes water, sweat, oils, and even dripping sunscreen from the surface of the lens.

Protective. The Serilium lens and nylon frame combination is virtually unbreakable and unshatterable.

Cool tints. Both glass and polycarbonate Revos lenses come in three tints. Graphite (gray) is remarkably relaxing. For me, the crazier the situation, the more neutral I want my lens. Revo’s graphite is color-true and has a calming, “ahh…” effect. It’s what I prefer in the mountains and on the trail. Cobalt looks bluish, but the effect from inside is neutral, though a bit more contrasty than the graphite. It’s a great lens around water, although in the polycarbonate version, light transmission is 21%—a bit light for a full day on the open ocean but superb for driving or golf. Finally, bronze, as always, is the most contrasty lens choice—it enhances everything you see, bringing colors to vivid life. Revo’s bronze amps up the world in ways you can’t imagine. It’s the difference between looking at Mars with your naked eye and seeing it in a powerful telescope. Wow. Especially in glass, you’ll never glean a sharper image of the world than through this bronze tint.

THE LINE

Revo’s Flex line is svelte, lightweight, classy, with titanium frames that are amazingly strong for their gossamer weight. All the Flex models have Serilium (polycarbonate) lenses. I doubt the world has produced lighter sunglasses than these. My personal Flex choice is Plot ($303), but the differences are fine. Flex is supreme for street wear and driving.

Shades in the Metal line have an aviator look. They’re all glass, and Revo hasn’t worked any miracles to make them somehow as light as polycarbonate. They’re noticeably heavier than the Flex line—not my faves for long stints of wearing—but soft nosepieces cushion the blow, and the lenses, remember, are “oh-my” sharp. I’ve been wearing Discern ($253) in bronze, and all I have to say is, “Oh my.”

The Nylon line is a mix of glass and polycarbonate lenses; polycarb models like Red Point, Abyss, and Highside are the best of the line for active sports or for summer at the beach. I feel cozily protected deep inside the high-wrap Highside ($193). (The frames are made of recycled material, by the way.)

The Acetate line isn’t a line yet: It’s just one model, Headwall ($253), which has a handcrafted-looking frame and glass lenses, a superb fashion glass that embodies all the high-zoot Revo lens tech as well. Wear Headwall to make a statement. You’ll never go back to sunglasses that combine designer names with gas station–quality lenses.

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