Erin Trail

Initial Impressions

Super lightweight.  These glasses somehow make things simultaneously brighter while protecting your eyes from bright sunlight.

Smith Optics Vert PivLock Sunglasses Detailed Review

I wore the Smith Optics Vert PivLock sunglasses on trail runs and hikes and various bike rides (road, gravel, and mountain), both in Denver and while on vacation in Sedona.  I’m a big fan of previous versions of the PivLock line, having owned both the Arena and the V2 versions.

This version of the PivLock – the Vert – fits more similar to the V2 version, with a larger lens height and fuller coverage. Pivlocks usually come with different lens options; the Vert comes with the lens color you chose and then a clear lens.  Swapping out lenses is similar to prior versions – you twist the temple arms and pop off the nose piece and move those to the other lenses to wear. This process is very fast and easy.

Lens Tint

The lens I chose to test was the ChromaPop Opal Mirror – mainly because the temple accents are purple, which matches my bike helmets.  The lenses are a a bright amber/brown color that somehow both simultaneously makes things appear brighter while blocking out 88% of the sun’s rays.  While in Sedona, this was especially noticeable, as the lens tint made the red rocks and blue skies appear even more vibrant while wearing the glasses. At first, it was almost too vivid, but once my eyes adjusted, I ended up loving them.

The Vert PivLocks that I tested really made everything pop.  For road cycling, it’s important to see the road ahead and make snap judgments at high speed. For gravel and mountain biking, you need to see features in both shadows and in the sun, while assessing terrain for the best line choices.  The Vert PivLocks amplified my vision and made it super easy to make the quick decisions that are necessary while cycling. 

The mirror effect of the lens is highly dependent on how much light is hitting your face.  In shadows, the mirror becomes less opaque, meaning that people can see your eyes.  If you like a highly opaque mirrored lens, then the Opal Mirror option is not for you.

Fit

These glasses are a bit on the larger side, but I didn’t find the size overwhelming for my smaller face.  The rimless design of the glasses offers an unobstructed view of what’s in front of me, which is especially helpful when riding aero in my TT bike. 

The Megol nosepad and temple pads offer a no-slip grip, no matter how sweaty or what your head position is.  I never needed to adjust my glasses or noticed them moving around, even on the bumpy technical trails of Sedona.  The glasses also didn’t move while trail running or hiking, even when bending over to adjust my shoe. 

The Vert Pivlocks play along nicely with hats and bike helmets.  I wore both road and MTB helmets during my testing and never noticed an issue with the frames hitting the helmet. I was able to wear my hat normally, as the frames were just the right height to allow my hat to sit lower on my forehead. The temple arms also work well with over the ear headphones.

The glasses fit pretty far away from your face and also have air vents at the top of the lenses.  I didn’t have any issues with bugs or debris finding their way into my eyes while riding.  While running, they provided just the right amount of air flow, even while moving slowly.

Overall Impression

The Smith Optics Vert PivLocks are the newest in a long line of PivLock glasses.  The appearance of them are similar to prior renditions, with a distinctive sporty vibe. The Vert lenses are the largest of the three PivLocks I’ve owned, but I found them to be light and unobtrusive.  What I really loved was how the ChromaPop Opal Mirror lenses made everything in front of me more vibrant. Every little feature was amplified, making everything easy to spot as I ran, hiked, and pedaled. Also, these are lightweight glasses that fit well on smaller faces. They fit great with my helmets, hats and headphones, with no bounce or pressure points. I found them to be very comfortable and I barely noticed they were on my face while wearing them. These glasses will be in my regular rotation for any sunny adventure. 

Erin Trail