Chasing Gold? For many anglers, Costa optics set the gold standard in fishing sunglasses. With a vast lineup designed to fit nearly every face shape, style, and occasion, the company continues to expand its offerings each season. Alongside new frame styles introduced last year, Costa also launched the 580 Gold Mirror lens - a fresh option available for both their latest models and some of their most iconic sunglasses.

I compared the updated lenses with my favorite Costa Del Mar frame, the Aransas

At the core of the 580 Gold Mirror is Costa’s renowned polarized 580® glass (580G) lens technology, celebrated for its exceptional clarity and color enhancement. These scratch-resistant lenses minimize haze and blur while amplifying key colors for sharper definition. The Gold Mirror variant features a rose-colored base, designed to expand the field of vision while remaining easy on the eyes for all-day comfort.

The Aransas is part of Costa's lifestyle oriented Del Mar Collection. A season ago we compared the original plastic version (top) in Shiny Ocean Tortoise pattern with the newer bio-acetate version (bottom) in the Salt Marsh pattern. Like other Costa's this frame is available in a range of lens options including the gray gradient 580G we last looked at

Designed with a lighter Visible Light Transmission (VLT), the 580 Gold Mirror lens offers anglers and outdoor enthusiasts enhanced versatility across a range of lighting conditions. Whether fishing under bright sun or navigating an overcast day, I found that these new lenses deliver excellent clarity.

The Gold Mirrors look gold when looking at them directly but when backlit you can see the rose colored base layer

Costa drew inspiration for the Gold Mirror design from the golden hour - the time just after sunrise when the sun casts a softer, redder light. It’s a fitting tribute to one of the most magical times of day for anglers, often bringing some of the best action on the water.

I found the new Gold Mirror lenses extremely well suited for bright and variable light

With the launch of 580 Gold, Costa now offers a total of nine lens color options, ensuring anglers have the right tint for ever-changing light conditions. The new lenses are available in more than 20 styles across Costa’s three frame categories - PRO, hybrid, and lifestyle. The initial release included models like the Reefton PRO, Spearo XL, Lido, Loreto, and the best-selling Sullivan from the Del Mar Collection.

What angler doesn't like the action that often comes during golden hour?

Costa’s entire PRO Series performance line is also now available in Gold Mirror, and popular frame Styles include: Blackfin PRO, Catherine, Corbina PRO, Diego, Fantail PRO, Ferg, Ferg XL, Grand Catalina, Irie, Jose PRO, Lido, Loreto, May, Peli, Paunch, Paunch XL, Reefton PRO, South Point, Spearo XL, Sullivan, Taxman, Tuna Alley PRO, Whitetip PRO, and my personal favorite frame, the Aransas.

I liked the gold lenses so much I started using them as my EDC choice outdoors and relied on them for a range of outdoor activities including boondocking in Death Valley

The Aransas leans more toward a lifestyle design, even more so than the popular Spearo series, yet I personally love its look, feel, and versatility. These frames fit seamlessly into just about any occasion, making them excellent travel companions. With a beachy vibe and a classic style that can be dressed up or down, they offer the best of both worlds - while still featuring Costa’s 580G technical lenses, the same found in the company’s PRO series.

The bright and reflective salt flats of Badwater basin was a great test for these new lenses and I found them exceptional for boosting contrast

When I first heard about the 580 Gold Mirror launch, I was eager to try them on the Aransas in particular - a frame I know well and have spent thousands of hours wearing both on and off the water.
To put them to the test, I compared three different 580G lenses in the same frames, analyzing how the Gold Mirror option stood out and where it shared similarities with the others.

Looking through these rose colored lenses. The improvement to contrast at the ground and sky is obvious

Seeing the World through Rose Colored Glasses? The first thing I noticed about the new Gold Mirror lenses was how much they transform the look and feel of existing Costa frames. They bring a distinct lifestyle aesthetic, making the frames feel less tactical and sportier. With a warm, dynamic appearance, their gold hue shifts depending on the lighting - highly mirrored in direct light but more muted in softer, indirect conditions.

These new lenses are also well suited for sight fishing with their strong performance in variable light. The only time they fall short is in extreme low light where lenses like the Costa silver mirror offer higher light transmission

Next Section: Seeing the world with rose colored glasses?