Going Tactical with Numa’s Durable X-Frame Optics (continued)

The polarized smoke lens is the one that anglers will use most of the time and was good for all but very low light conditions in which a lighter brown lens is actually preferable. While the interchangeable brown lens provided in the kit is a good shield from the sun because they are not polarized they are not as good for bright days on the water where eliminating the “mirror effect” is a primary factor. In the snow the dark smoke lenses also proved to be excellent and did a very good job shielding my eyes from harsh reflected light.

The small gap in the center of the lens helps improve airflow and reduces fogging

The anti-fog venting provisions on the X-Frame also worked well and I found these sunglasses simply did not fog nearly as much as other sunglasses, it certainly helps that the lenses themselves are finished with an anti-fog coating. Once in a while when the lenses got splashed with boat spray it was necessary to wipe them, and because Numa bundles the X-Frame with a cleaning cloth I didn’t have to resort to wiping them with the bottom of my shirt.

The reinforced hinges can hold up to a lot of torque

Durability: The X-Frame did extremely well in our durability tests, we sat on the sunglasses, threw them into our bags, even stepped on them, and through it all the frames always returned to the right shape and even resisted scratches amazingly well. The anti-scratch coating on the lenses helped guard against grazes and impacts and in real world applications the lenses will hold up very well.

The brown lenses are good for lower light conditions

The one area I was originally concerned about was the hinges which looked like they could snap apart if there was enough torque pressure applied to the frame, but after a series of twists and pulls I was satisfied that the hinges were reinforced sufficiently to the point where they could hold up to some serious abuse. In the center of the X-Frame extra MemFibr™ is used to provide more strength over the nose-bridge. Overall the X-Frame scores very well in the durability category and can handle everything from a day on the lake to extreme sports with ease.

The brown lenses locked and loaded

Price & Applications: The X-Frame retails for $119 dollars which is a very reasonable price for these sunglasses. In the optics category brand name plays into the overall cost of the glasses, probably ore than most types of tackle, and while Numa may not yet be as well known to anglers as Costa or WileyX they are committed to this market. Hopefully more fishing retailers and e-tailers will carry the brand, but for now anglers can buy the sunglasses direct from Numa or Extreme Outfitters.

A look through the brown lenses (right), even in bright sun they also improve contrast

Numa provides a Lifetime Warranty on their optics and this warranty not only covers the frames but the lenses for normal wear and tear. So what does Numa consider “normal wear and tear?” For Numa their unique definition of "Normal wear and tear" includes but is not limited to: scaling a cliff face, downhill mountain biking or skiing, parachuting, hiking rugged terrain, dropping your Numas on a hard surface, accidentally stepping or sitting on them, and even letting your toddler play with them. Now that is impressive coverage!

The Numa X-Frame is good for a wide range of outdoor activities beyond fishing

Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):

Pluses and Minuses: