The best running sunglasses don’t tend to come cheap, with top sets from brands like Oakley and ROKA often costing well over $100. Tifosi has always stood out for me as a brand that makes excellent sunglasses for less, and I love the Tifosi Vogel SL as a more affordable option for running, as well as other sports.
Normally the Vogel SL sunglasses are $40, but Tifosi’s sitewide Memorial Day Sale has reduced them by 25% to just $29.96 when using the code MD25, which is a steal. The frameless sunglasses are available in five designs, with different lenses and arm colors.
I prefer shield sunglasses like the Vogel SL for running owing to the large field of vision and extra protection they offer, and at 26g they are so lightweight you quickly forget you’re wearing them during workouts.
The sunglasses have hydrophilic rubber nose and ear pads that create a secure fit as you get sweaty, and I didn’t experience any fogging of the lenses during long runs. The Vogel SL also didn’t bounce at all during runs or other workouts.
I have also tested top running sunglasses from the likes of Oakley and the Tifosi Vogel SL offer a lot of the same key features at a much lower price. The lenses are not as good as top brands’ in terms of the clarity of vision you get, especially in dappled light when trail-running under tree cover, but it’s still very good. As you might expect the durability of Tifosi’s sunglasses isn’t as good as with shades that cost many times as much, so be careful when storing them to avoid scratching the lenses in particular.
Comfort and protection
When it comes to the key areas of comfort and protection, however, the Tifosi Vogel SL are excellent. They offer 100% UVA and UVB protection and the flexible arms mean they don;t put any unwelcome pressure on during long activities. I also found they fit well around hats and running headphones with earhooks.
If the large shield style of the Tifosi Vogel SL is not to your taste, there are lots of other great options included in the sale, like the Tifosi Swank. These are great active lifestyle sunglasses I’ve tested when running and while they don’t offer as secure a fit as the Vogel, they are better for wearing outside workouts. The Swank shades come in a wide variety of styles, some of which are just $18 in the sale when you use the code MD25.
