Costa Del Mar Aleta Sunglasses – Great Fit, Style and Function

Costa Del Mar Aleta Sunglasses Review

Ever since they arrived, I wear Costa’s Aleta sunglasses everywhere: driving, hiking, walking the dog, etc. The Costa Aleta sunglasses check all the boxes that I need in a good pair of sunglasses: fit, style, and function.

Fit

Finding the right pair of sunglasses is like finding the right pair of jeans- it can be a daunting task. Typically, I have to settle for whatever fits best.

My choices are further limited by what is in style at the moment. Large, chunky Jackie O lenses? Forget about it. Vintage Bolle bug eyes? No way. Not only do they not fit, but they look absolutely ridiculous on me.

Thankfully, I recently came across Costa’s Aleta. Allow me to share why they are really just the perfect sunglasses for me this season.

First of all, I have a small face. Historically, I have a difficult time finding sunglasses that fit and stay on my face. Most of the time, sunglasses either leave a wide gap at the top of my nose so that air flows through, or they are so wide that they will continually slip off my nose and hang down my face.

Sometimes the sunglasses that do seem to fit my face stay in place because the plastic stays tight against my head. The problem is that after a while, I get headaches from the pressure above my ears.

Even though the Aletas don’t have noseguards, they fit my head snugly and comfortably the very first moment I tried them on.

I wore them pretty much the entire day and didn’t have to adjust them, nor did I feel the familiar pain above my ears. I suspect this because the Aleta sunglasses are constructed from lightweight Bio-Resin and double-injected Hydrolite™ for a better grip.

Style

I can wear them to brunch, I can wear them hiking. Costa’s Aleta sunglasses can be worn anywhere.

The style of the Aleta sunglasses are classic (I can wear them for years without worrying about them being out of style) and feature a medium lens front that covers just the right amount of my face to the point where I am not overshadowed by sunglasses.

Not too sporty or overtly fashionable, Costa’s Aleta refined sunglasses are available in three classic frame colors (Black, Taupe Crystal, and Wahoo) and several polarized lens options (depending on the frame selected) that are suitable in any environment where sunglasses are needed.

While I would have preferred if the frames were all black (there are deep aqua color accents along the inside in a nod to its water sport heritage), I’m very happy with the way Costa’s Aleta sunglasses fit and look.

Function

Because I live at high elevation (the higher the altitude the stronger the sun), I am constantly exposed to the sun. I selected a pair of Costa Aleta’s black frames with gray polarized lenses that are designed for very bright sun.

I like the proactive properties of the Aleta sunglasses. Costa Aleta’s premium polarized 580 lenses effectively filter the sun’s reflective glare and absorb 100% of UV light.

I also appreciated the Aleta’s vented nose pads, micro shields and hooding that kept excess light out. They performed quite well when we recently took our dog for a walk along Lake Dillon on a bluebird day with nearly blinding sunlight bouncing off snow from the surrounding mountains. Not only did I like how the lenses filtered light, but also how crisp the images in front of me were due to reduced glare.

Designed with the outdoors in mind, Costa Aleta’s durable lenses are scratch-resistant, thanks to C-Wall coating that also repels sweat and oil with ease.

Costa Aleta comes with a travel case and lens cloth. I do wish a storage pouch was included as well for ultimate portability.

The final word? It’s difficult to find classic performance sunglasses that fit well. Therefore, I was thrilled to find that Costa’s Aleta sunglasses met all my criteria (fit, style, and function). There’s no need to find any other sunglasses this season; the Costa Aleta sunglasses are exactly what I needed.

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbaby, Sansa.

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing. Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers.

Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.