TIFOSI SWANK XL SPORT SUNGLASSES REVIEW

Words by Travis Reill  |  Photos by Drew Rohde

For riding and casual eyewear alike, the most challenging part of choosing sunglasses is finding the balance between quality and cost. Quality sunglasses can take abuse for years without replacing them, but they come with an extra sting when you inevitably lose them. Lower-cost sunglasses don’t come with the same sting if they’re lost. However, you can wonder why you didn’t opt for the more expensive pair when you replaced them for the third time because of something like cheap lenses.

That gap between affordability and quality is getting smaller with Tifosi sunglasses for both active and casual wear. Tifosi protected our eyes during the Budget Bike Roundup this year as an official sponsor, where I had the opportunity to try the brand for the first time. I was particularly impressed with their Sledge Riding Glasses, but I also found a great everyday option in the Tifosi Swank XL Sport sunglasses. The Swank XL’s have become my daily drivers for (mostly) off-the-bike wearing.

ABOUT THE TIFOSI SWANK XL SUNGLASSES

Tifosi took their popular Swank frames and made a bit more modern version by adding a few millimeters on the height and width of the lenses for the Swank XL sunglasses. The Swank XL frames are made from a light and durable Grilamid TR-90 thermoplastic. Tifosi’s Sledge frames were made of the same material and survived quite a bit of abuse while riding, including a crash or two.

This Grilamid TR-90 frame is coated with Tifosi’s Glide. Glide is a textured, anti-bounce coating to keep the Swank XLs in place. Along with the coating, the Swank XLs also have a hydrophilic rubber grip for a nose pad that becomes increasingly grippier the more you sweat. All of this allows for the Swank XL sunglasses to be great for any activity while still providing a modern look.

The Tifosi Swank XL sunglasses I’ve been using are in the frame color “Honey” with their “GT” lens. This is a standard lens, unpolarized, with a slightly green tint. The lenses are made of a polycarbonate material and are scratch-resistant and shatter-proof. They are also optically decentered, which helps to prevent your vision from being distorted or magnified while wearing the Swanks. Along with a glare guard that reduces eye strain, the lenses offer 100% protection from harmful UVA/UVB rays.

There are twelve different options for frame colors with the Swank XLs and seven or so different lens options. Unless you want to build a custom pair of Swank XL sunglasses, there is no changing one lens for another. Custom sunglasses will run you an extra $10 unless you choose one of the three polarized lens options, which jumps the price to $64.95.

THE DIRT

From day one, the Tifosi Swank XL sunglasses fit well and were comfortable. There was zero “break in” time or “getting used to the frames” period. They fit my face perfectly then, and continue to fit my face as I have worn them nearly every day for the last handful of months. The Swank XLs don’t squeeze my head, pinch behind my ears, on the bridge of my nose, or any other common discomforts I’ve experienced with sunglasses. 36

Tifosi’s Glide frame coating and the hydrophilic rubber nose pad kept the Swank XLs on my face well. While I did wear the Swanks as more of a lifestyle or everyday sunglasses, I was pretty active in them. Most of the activity I did in the Swank XLs was chasing my kids around various parks and going on several hikes. Even when rolling around and wrestling my kids in the grass, the Swank XLs didn’t fall off or slide down the bridge of my nose, even on hot days when I was sweating quite a bit.

As far as mountain biking goes, I did use the Swank XLs on a handful of rides. Like going on hikes or running around with my kids, I had no problem with the Swanks staying put. However, they are not a pair of sunglasses that I’ll be reaching for on future rides. Anytime I use “lifestyle” or “casual” sunglasses like the Swank XLs for riding, I always find that they allow much more dust and wind in my eyes than mountain bike-specific sunglasses like the Sledge do. This is no fault of Tifosi and it was by no means something that disappointed me. The Sledge lenses are much larger and much more contoured to my face than the Swank XLs are, and I would not expect the Swank XLs to perform the same. In a pinch or if I forgot my riding glasses at home, I would rather wear the Swank XL sunglasses than nothing, but keep in mind that they are different sunglasses for different applications.

I’ve been impressed with the lenses on the Swank XLs. Tifosi seems to have done an excellent job creating a quality lens while keeping the price low. There is no image distortion, and my eyes are comfortable while I am outside. The lenses aren’t so dark that I have to take them off to see things clearly, but they are not weak or causing me to squint in any way.

However, at the $30 price point, the lenses aren’t polarized, which is noticeable. While I feel like Tifosi’s GT lenses performed well, there is a lack of image crispness that would come with polarization. If polarized lenses are a must, Tifosi does offer a few options in the Swank XL with a polarized lens; however you can expect the cost to double, as you’ll be paying upwards of $60 for a polarized pair. While $60 or $65 doesn’t seem outrageous for a quality pair of sunglasses, it looks like a lot when it is double the price of where the Swank XL starts.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Quality meets affordability with the Tifosi Swank XL sunglasses. These ultralight sunglasses are comfortable and stylish for everyday wear, but won’t break the bank if you accidentally lose them.

Price: $29.95
Website: Tifosioptics.com