SunGod Ultras and Airas Sunglasses Review
December in the UK: drizzle in the air, the sun barely making an appearance. It didn’t seem like the best time to start testing out sunglasses. However, with a trip to Valencia for the marathon on the horizon, followed by some crisp snowy days in the hills in January, it actually turned out to be the perfect time to give some SunGod sunglasses a proper run.
We received two pairs to test: the Ultras and the Airas. Naturally, there was a bit of a battle with fellow reviewer, Immy, about which pair to take on. She won (obviously), so I ended up testing the Ultras, while she got the Airas. Her main reason? The Airas were blue. More specifically, they weren’t plain black, which is not really her style!
Customisation and Specs
Both the Ultras and the Airas are fully customisable, with a wide range of frame colours, lenses, and even colour options for the SunGod logo. It’s fun to experiment on the website and explore all the unique combinations. Each lens comes with 100% UV protection, along with various Visible Light Transmission (VLT) values: a lower VLT means a darker tint to the lens.
Each lens has an “Abbe Value” that relates to the optical clarity of the lens, although with all lenses given an Abbe value of 45 there’s not a huge amount of choice in the matter. There’s also an option for an 8KO IRIS Photochromatic lens, which “adjusts to fast-changing light conditions”, although this does add to the overall cost.
Ultras vs Airas
Although the two models are very similar in appearance, the Ultras are the “official” running pair. The Airas are geared slightly more towards road cycling, although they are also recommended for running.
After testing both, the differences feel quite minimal in practice, especially when running. The real deciding factor may come down to which feels better for your face shape—and let’s not forget, which pair looks the coolest!
Here’s some of the key points from the manufacturer
- Interchangeable lenses
- Featherlight frame
- “Pop-Lock” screwless hinges
- 100% UVA, UVB & UVC Protection
- Free repairs for life
- RRP from £150, depending on customisation
Packaging & Sustainability
As you’d expect from a premium product, the packaging is very swish. This won’t sound glamourous, but it’s a white cardboard box, but a nice one at that: made from recycled and recyclable materials. The product itself is claimed to be a certified carbon neutral project, so lots of positive marks with this. Along with additional nose clips, and storage pouch/lens cleaner, there’s also a simple QR code to link you to the owner’s guide. The owner’s guide is fairly detailed with advice on nose-pad fitting, changing lenses and a few troubleshooting items such as movement during activity (the answers generally all seem to be about choosing the right nose pad).
Design & Build
The sunglasses have a minimalist design, with the arms connecting directly to the lens. There’s no frame around the lens, though you can choose to add a top and/or bottom frame to the Airas if that’s more your style. The hinges open with a solid “lock” into position i.e. they’re either open or closed and there’s no in-between. The hinge has a small SunGod logo with the lens adorned with a small SunGod text. Very minimalist, but if you know, you know, right?
What’s good about the SunGod Ultras/Airas?
Dan (Ultras):
The Ultras provide fantastic clarity of the surrounding scenery and effectively reduce glare without slipping, even when moving at high speed (well, my high speed anyway). The nose pad is made of a material that attracts moisture, so the more you sweat, the better the grip. No annoying adjustments required during my run! The frameless lens design and incredibly lightweight construction create a barely-there feel, making it easy to forget you’re even wearing sunglasses.
Immy (Airas):
Immy (Airas): Once these glasses were on and I was out in the sun, I forgot all about them, which is exactly what I wanted! I appreciated the clarity and the secure fit. I’m a bit of a sunglasses addict – they’re pretty much always on when I’m outside or driving (I sometimes even find the clouds too reflective!), and I enjoyed the large lenses, which kept out any headache-inducing rays without dulling down the view! When Dan insisted on taking a photo of me without them on, I could barely open my eyes, which showed how effective they were.
What’s not so good about the SunGod Ultras/Airas
Dan (Ultras):
There’s not much to criticise with the Ultras. They might come with a high price tag, but with the lifetime repairs guarantee you’ll be getting your money worth, so it really comes down to style. Personally, purely on looks they’re not the design of sunglasses I prefer, but this kind of wrap-around shape is the optimum style for running and cycling. They also seem quite large which wasn’t so much of a problem for me, but for our smaller-headed humans it may be more of a concern (see Immy’s comments below)
Immy (Airas):
The only issue I had with the Airas is that the frames are really big! They’re recommended for a medium-to-large, unisex head size. Having perused some alternative options, the SunGod Velans are recommended for a small-medium head size, so these may have been a better model for me! For reference, I have a TINY head, and although the Airas may have looked a little comical on me, they actually performed well. (If this is an issue for you, I can confirm that big hair, or a woolly hat helps to balance them out!)
Conclusion
Both Immy and I were impressed by how comfortable and effective the SunGod Ultras and Airas are. Once on, we barely noticed them—no slipping, great vision protection, and crystal-clear clarity.
There are all sorts of manufacturer claims, but ultimately it’s brought together in a design that’s well presented, looks great and performs for its intended use. There’s not much to be critical of.
If you can stomach the price (console yourself with the lifetime guarantee) then they’re a great purchase that should last you many years out on the trail.
About the authors
Imogen is a firefighter and Mountain Leader based in Glossop in the Peak District. She enjoys eating pizza before, during and after runs, and wears a woolly hat for 9 months of the year.
Dan Stinton is a former Editor of RunUltra. He’s a Peak District based runner collecting mud and scrapes in and around Glossop, and he likes nothing more than escaping into the Dark Peak and then writing about how difficult it was.
Join us!
Have you tried SunGod sunglasses? Don’t agree with this review? What’s your opinion? Add your own comment below this review and share your experience and passion for running with others.
Not a member yet? Sign up here to be part of the RunUltra community. Share tips and stories with thousands of fellow runners around the world.
We are a professional review site and our reviewers receive free products for testing from the companies whose products we review. Each product is tested thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are by the reviewer’s name shown. Some links in this review are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we might earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks for your support!
