Interchangeable lens sunglasses have been around for a long time. I’ve owned several pairs, but despite the advantage of having multiple lenses to choose from, I very rarely change them. All of the pairs I have owned are difficult to change, and the pressure required to remove and replace a lens often makes me nervous that I’ll break something. Luckily I live in California and play at high elevations so most of the time I put in the strongest glacier lens and never remove it. I’ve always considered interchangeable lenses to be more of a gimmick than a useful feature.

But then, Switch Sunglasses came along and completely changed my mind. In fact, after last winter’s Outdoor Retailer Show, I honored Switch sunglasses with my “Brilliant Take on an Old Gimmick” award. Rather than forcing the lenses into some kind of notch or groove, Switch uses magnets to hold a lens in place. Gentle pressure is all that is needed to pop a lens out of the frame, and better yet, no pressure is needed to snap a new one in. The magnets just ‘suck’ the lens into place.

Here is a video I made after the OR Show to demonstrate how the Switch lens replacement works:

In this video I was tinkering with the Tioga frame, but now I want to review one of the newer frames, the Axo. The pair that I received came with two sets of lenses: a polarized truecolor grey reflective silver and a low light rose amber.
First of all, this is my first and only pair of white framed sunglasses and I totally dig them. I always prefer function over form when it comes to sunglasses and I’ve been known to rock some pretty ugly (but functional) shades. These are a lot more fun!

But looks are not my priority when I’m playing outdoors, so lets talk about how they perform! First of all, the coverage on these frames is excellent. The large lenses and wrap style keep the light leaks to a minimum. Initially, I was a bit worried that the white frames would reflect too much light and be distracting, but that hasn’t been the case. If that concerns you, you’ll be happy to know that there are several color options for the frame. The coverage is also great when it is cold and windy, preventing that stinging watery eye situation.
The Axo is designed for a larger fit, and I have a smaller face. I do get a bit of the bug-eyed look with them but that always happens to me with this style of frame.

While there are problems with having frames that are too big for my face, there are also several advantages. As described above, I love the coverage on these frames. The extra space also helps quite a bit with ventilation – I’ve never had these get foggy on me. The material on the nose and behind the ears is soft yet grippy, preventing the glasses from moving around too much. I can pop them on top of my head when I walk indoors and they stay put.

I’ve decided these are my favorite cold weather sunglasses. Not only do they avoid fogging up, the larger frame fits great over a cold-weather hat like the one I am wearing above. Some of my smaller frames are too tight for this. On the other hand, the Axos don’t fit as well under a baseball style cap due to their larger size.
Now, lets talk about the lenses. The grey polarized lenses are exactly what I like to have for hiking at elevation in California. They cut a lot of the glare and reflection you get from granite and snowfields, and my super light-sensitive eyes were comfortable in elevations over 13,000 ft. Since we’re just getting into winter and the cloudy season here I haven’t had much opportunity to use the rose lenses, but I have had a couple of chances to use them…and here’s where they differ from my other pairs of interchangeable sunglasses: I actually did.

One summer day we were driving through the Tahoe area when the Rim Fire was burning near Yosemite. When we had left home the sun was shining and I was wearing the Switch Axos with the dark lens. As we got closer to Tahoe the smoke was getting thicker and thicker. Although I hadn’t even thought I’d need them, the rose lenses were along and I was able to switch them out quickly in the car. Super easy, super convenient, and the next day when the smoke had blown out I switched back.
The extra Switch lenses have a perfect sturdy little case that fits inside the bigger sunglasses case. This little case has magnets in to to secure the lenses in place so they don’t get jostled around. I have no concerns about damaging my extra lenses with this case, whether it’s throw in my purse or even when in a full pack! This means I can have them with me anywhere I might need them.

Bottom line? If you gave up on the gimmick of interchangeable lenses like I did, try revisiting the feature through Switch. The way that Switch has realized this capability seems far more practical to the outdoor lifestyle where changes in the field with dirty hands or gloves is common. The quality frames and lenses just make them that more appealing. Check them out!