Alba Optics Anvma Sunglasses Review
As Canadian spring weather dictates, a rider can face every weather situation in the blink of an eye from sun, snow, cloud, and rain. I needed glasses that could adapt to these conditions and perform well in everything from shady to blinding light conditions. Also, with cooler conditions fogging can be an issue, especially when wearing a neck buff. I picked up a couple of pairs of the Alba optics ANVMA sunglasses to test and see how they stand up to these varying conditions.
Right out of the minimally designed box I was awestruck at the incredible lightness and flexibility of these glasses. At just 19g you can barely feel the weight of them. Setting them on my face I barely realized they were even there. The heritage, handmade in Italy feel of these frames was superb. They are made with a TR90 material that is inert, so they remain comfortable and resilient even after hours of intense sweating. The rubber texture of the frame helps increase their grip on my face and ensured a perfect fit and seemed unbreakable.
I’m not a big fan of the bigger than your face glasses so this modern retro feel was exactly what I was looking for to hit the trails and gravel. Heck, they would even look great walking around town. These adventure inspired shades seemed technical and practical all at the same time.
I picked two different frame colours, Vogue and Green Forest, both offering UV400 protection. Both were chosen for my local varied conditioned atmosphere. With a lens made by Carl Zeiss Vision, the Anvma boasts unrivalled distortion-free transparency and clarity of vision.
The Vogue frame was kitted out with the Vzum™ Fly version lens for increased contrast in overcast conditions. The Alba Optics Vzum™ lens is anti-fog, shock-absorbent, and adheres to UV400. The decentralized shaping prevents distortion and light bending for perfect vision. This would be perfect for my cloudy rides in the late winter and spring weather of Quebec and also rolling on the shaded trails.
The Forest Green frame is partnered with the Vzum™ MR Bronze lenses which enhances the visibility and contrast in extremely bright conditions. These worked perfectly on those glaring bright wintry days of climbing up the mountain and on the wide-open fields.
With both of these frames, I noticed that there is more volume between the lens and my face which provided excellent ventilation when combined with the open slots between the top of the lens and the frame. This proved to be brilliant in the colder conditions to stop fogging up while I’m huffing and puffing up the big climbs.
It’s because of these features that ANVMA is meant for bikepacking and gravel cyclists who love traveling light, exploring new roads, looking great, and enjoying the view.
Find the right ANVMA sunglasses for you on Alba's site.
