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Numa's Ballistic Eyewear Stands up to Serious Use
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Date: |
8/2/11 |
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Location: |
Las
Vegas, NV |
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Admission: |
Buyers &
Press only |
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Manufacturer: |
Numa |
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Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction: Earlier this year we completed a test of a pair of
Numa Optics that took us from fishing on the California Delta to snowmobiling in
Lake Tahoe. One thing was clear, Numa builds a very durable pair of sunglasses.
Designed for everything from extreme sports to military applications Numa was at
ICAST to unveil their newest Ballistic eyewear.
Numa displayed a number of new sunglasses at ICAST...
Chisel: One of Numa's newest frames is the aggressively styled "Chisel"
which features the company's proprietary Swiss frame materials. These materials
are very strong, yet have the ability to flex under pressure making them both
flexible and durable. The Chisel comes with a 3 lens kit and lenses can be
swapped out quickly in the field. There are a variety of polarized lens options
to choose from including traditional smoke, green-blue, or a very slick looking
fire-gold color. The frames come in both night black and Desert Tan.
...including the aggressively
styled Chisel
To top it off each pair of Chisel sunglasses comes with a case and
cleaning cloth pouch. One of the things I like best about Numa optics is how
durable they are, these are not sunglasses that you would break by dropping them
on the deck or snap the frames by accidently sitting on them.
Putting the squeeze on the
Chisel...
At the show I picked up the Chisel and started bending the frame to check
out the durability under stress and Matt Garner, a representative for the brand,
encouraged me to really put the glasses to the test. I proceeded to squeeze the
Chisel together in my hand, squeezing it to the point the lenses felt as if they
were about to pop out and yet the frames held together nicely.
...followed by a serious stretch.
These glasses are as durable as they are stylish
After that I took both ends of the frame and
pulled the two ends apart to see just how the hinges and earpieces would flex.
The Chisel expanded under the pressure but the second I let go the frames
returned to their original shape. The Chisel is both very light and tough and
one of the things I like most about Numa Optics is that they are also light on
your wallet. The Chisel retails for a very reasonable $119 dollars and should
serve anglers well both on and off the water.
The Shark is designed to be very
lightweight and still durable
Shark: Anglers looking for a light pair of
sunglasses will like the lightweight Shark model. This pair of optics makes use
of the company's Lite Flex Frames and is available in both Night Black and
Alpine White frames. With N-621 polycarbonate multi layered lenses these glasses
also offer 100% UV protection, are shatterproof, and are scratch resistant. Like
the Chisel the Shark retails for only $119 dollars.
Matt and the team at Numa show us
their new line of sunglasses and they continue to showcase a nice blend of
style, durability, and value
Conclusion:
Numa Sport Optics was founded by a Special Forces soldier and triathlete who saw
that while all of his gear was rugged his original sunglasses fell short. To
address this need he sought out the Swiss Material now employed in the frames of
Numa's sunglasses, and the result are optics that not only are able to stand up
to plenty of abuse but look just as stylish as they are functional. The Chisel
and Shark styles are just two "serious" examples of what we can expect from Numa
this season, and we like what we see.
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