If there’s one thing that annoys me about running with sunglasses, it’s having to put them on and take them off (or sweep up onto my head) in what feels like constantly changing conditions in the UK.
Head into the hills on a bright morning and the weather can change dramatically within a few miles. Add in tree cover, cloud, exposed ridges and constantly changing light, and you can find yourself taking sunglasses on and off repeatedly. The Rudy Project Astral Sphere, with its ImpactX Photochromic lenses, pretty much removes that problem.
And for me, that’s the standout feature.
One lens that adapts as you run
The Astral Sphere uses Rudy Project’s ImpactX Photochromic lens, which automatically changes its tint according to the available light. It ranges from Category 1 through to Category 3, with a light transmission range of 43–80% in Category 1, 18–43% in Category 2 and 8–18% in Category 3.
In practical terms, that means they’re light enough to wear when conditions are relatively dull, but darken as the sun comes out.
For trail running, particularly in the Lake District, that makes a lot of sense. At this time of year, you can be running through woodland, emerge onto an exposed fellside, disappear into cloud and then get hit by bright sunshine again, sometimes within minutes. So often I don’t bother taking sunglasses then get caught out; either by the sun coming out or the wind.
With conventional sunglasses, I’d be taking them off and putting them back on. With the Astral Sphere, I can just leave them on.
That sounds like a small thing, but when you’re running technical trails, the fewer distractions the better. I don’t want to be stopping to find somewhere to put my sunglasses, or constantly pushing them onto my head and pulling them back down again, usually then sweaty or foggy.
For me, the photochromic lens is the reason I would choose these over a conventional pair of running sunglasses.
How Quickly Do They Change?
The transition from clear to dark is impressively quick, which is particularly useful when you’re moving between exposed and shaded sections of trail. The return from dark to clear does take a little longer, but I was still pretty impressed with the speed of the change. Importantly, because the lens never becomes particularly dark, you can still see clearly while the tint is reducing, so there’s no awkward period where you’re waiting for your vision to adjust. For trail running, where the light can change constantly, that gradual transition works really well.
More than just sun protection
The Astral Sphere has a fairly substantial wraparound design, which I particularly appreciated on the fells.
The obvious benefit is protection from sunlight coming in from the sides. I want my sunglasses to actually shield my eyes rather than simply sit in front of them, and the wide shape does a good job of blocking stray light.
But the wraparound design also offers useful protection from the wind.
That might sound like a relatively minor consideration until you’ve spent a few hours running high on the fells in typical Lake District conditions. It’s windy up here. I’ve decided the wind is a greater weather feature than the rain is.
Wind makes my eyes stream. Then my nose starts streaming. And before long I’m trying to mince down technical ground while squinting through watery eyes and wiping my face. It’s not a great look.
The adjustable nosepiece made the fit work for me. I could tighten it around my nose so the glasses stayed put, even though the overall shape was generous. I don’t want to spend a run pushing sunglasses back up my face, and I didn’t have to do that with these.
Rudy Project also offers prescription solutions for the model.
The Astral Sphere’s coverage helps reduce that wind exposure, making them useful even when the sun isn’t particularly strong. For me, that’s another reason they work well as an all-day pair of trail-running glasses rather than something you only reach for on a sunny day.
Keeping them where they should be
The nosepiece is adjustable, with soft nose pads that allow you to alter the fit and grip.
This is particularly useful because, while I liked the fit, the Astral Sphere are quite large on me. They have a medium face fit and a fairly wide 143mm frame, so I think runners with smaller or narrower faces may find they look a little too big.
However, being able to adjust the nosepiece made a significant difference. I could tighten the fit around my nose and they stayed where they should.
And that matters when running. There’s nothing more irritating than sunglasses gradually sliding down your nose. You end up pushing them back into place every few minutes, which is distracting and means you’re constantly touching your face.
A technical brand with a clear purpose
I also like what Rudy Project is trying to do as a brand.
Its philosophy is very much centred around performance, technical development and specialist users rather than simply producing another range of sports sunglasses. Rudy Project originally built much of its reputation in cycling, but the move into running makes a lot of sense. There are plenty of similarities between the demands of the two sports when it comes to vision, protection, fit and dealing with changing environmental conditions.
I particularly like the company’s attitude that performance starts with how you perceive and respond to your environment. For an endurance athlete, that’s a pretty logical place to start. There’s also an interesting sustainability element to some of its frame construction. Rudy Project uses Rilsan® material in selected frames, with the primary bio-based raw material derived from castor bean oil.
For runners who need prescription eyewear, Rudy Project also offers RX solutions, which is worth knowing about. Having access to prescription versions means you don’t have to compromise on the performance features of the glasses simply because you need corrective lenses.
The downside?
For me, the only drawback is the size.
If you have a smaller or narrow face, these are going to look quite substantial. They’re a relatively large pair of sunglasses, and they’re definitely not designed to disappear on your face.
The adjustable nosepiece solves the fit issue, though, and in my case meant that despite them being fairly large, I could get them secure enough that they didn’t move while running.
Price and Weight
These aren’t cheap sunglasses, and the price is probably the biggest consideration. However, for a long ultra, I think the cost is justified. When you’re wearing sunglasses for many hours, comfort becomes just as important as the lens performance, and the Astral Sphere are so light that you barely notice you’re wearing them. Combined with the photochromic lens, they’re a piece of kit important enough to make the extra money worth it..
Pros
- Excellent photochromic lens for constantly changing light
- Can comfortably be worn throughout a run
- Good wraparound coverage
- Useful protection from wind as well as sunlight
- Adjustable nosepiece provides a secure, customisable fit
- Prescription solutions available
- Lightweight at 28g
Cons
- Large frame may not suit smaller or narrower faces
- More substantial-looking than some minimalist running sunglasses
- Price
Conclusion
The Rudy Project Astral Sphere’s biggest strength isn’t simply that they’re good sunglasses. It’s that they’re sunglasses you can leave on.
The ImpactX Photochromic lens is the feature that really won me over. Being able to start a run in dull conditions, head through woodland, emerge into bright sunshine and then disappear back into cloud without having to constantly adjust what I’m wearing is incredibly convenient.
Add in the wraparound coverage, which helps with both sunlight and wind, and an adjustable nosepiece that keeps them securely in place, and you’ve got a very practical pair of trail-running sunglasses.
