The following review features the newly released POVEC C1 Electrochromic Sunglasses. Product was provided at no charge for the test and review.
Who would have ever thought sunglasses to be anything but simple. Take a pair out of a case and put them on. Done. Enter POVEC. Anything but simple, from the packaging to the time investment getting these sunnies ready for action. Not a good initial reaction, but…read on my friends because my skepticism over these complicated shades has begun to wane.
When my POVECs arrived at my doorstep, I hurriedly opened up the box in which they were housed. I found a white container inside the box wrapped in cellophane with a wraparound folio of sorts with a picture of the sunglasses, and various details about the product in small print. I found this of little interest and was prepped to toss it out (remember simplicity from the intro) but decided it was probably included in the packaging for some good reason.
Wait, there’s more…
Inside the white container was a black case as well as a black cord inside a square piece of paper (with a USB-type symbol affixed to it), and an instruction leaflet inside a symbol-less rectangular paper holder. Note, I haven’t yet reached the sunglasses.
Inside the hard zippered black case – complete with a carabiner clip – there they were…the POVECs. Additionally, a lens cleaning cloth and a soft case embossed with the POVEC branding. At this point, I truly felt like I’d been on a treasure hunt to find the sunglasses. Surprisingly, there were still a few more steps in store.
I had to remove the plastic affixed to both sides of the lens, which I thought at first were part of the sunglasses until I put them on and couldn’t see very well through the translucent film. And then I pondered, what was I supposed to do with the black cord. Surely there was a purpose for this item. Indeed, in order to have the tint function of the lens activated – these were after all electrochromic sunnies – they had to be charged before use to fully appreciate this outstanding feature, a feature I had no idea would be a game changer in the sunglass sphere. The charging (flip the toggle on the arm of the sunglasses to reveal the port for plug in and be sure you have a cube as one is not provided with the cord) was relatively short…the red dot on the charger was gone in less than an hour (I can’t say if they were partially charged before transit).
I have been used to changing either the lenses in my sunglasses, or use an entirely different pair based on the light conditions I would encounter during a run (or bike ride, or hike, or pickleball session, etc.). This meant either carrying an additional pair of sunglasses, interchangeable lenses at the very least (that is if the sunglass had this option), or just dealing with the limitation of the sunglass lens in question. The POVEC removes this requirement because once charged, with a swipe of your finger on the arm of the sunglass…the tint changes, and I mean VISIBLY changes. Plus, there is a little green light you can see illuminate (then the light quickly turns off) when the sunglasses are charged so you know the tint change option is ready for use. And, by the way, the charge is solid for 28 days.
There are more positives to share. They are water resistant (IP65 – dust-tight and safe from low-pressure water and heavy rain) with an impact-resistant design, come standard with a two year technical warranty, and in my opinion…they look relevant and cool. There are four different frame/lens combinations to choose from and they come with a 30-day trial. The downside, especially for those with a limited gear budget, is the price tag at $249. But, the price includes shipping.
The test
The day of the test was a sunny one with passing clouds and temps in the upper 70s. I hit the trail in a local park with a mix of single track, smooth terrain, as well as technical rocky sections. I will say that my comfort level with the POVEC test pair is mixed. When I was stationary or running on smooth trail, there was little to no movement of the sunglasses. Once I hit technical terrain that required more rigorous stepping up and down, left and right, the sunglasses definitely moved and shifted on my nose and I found myself making many minor adjustments re-positioning the sunglasses. I’m not one to spend time on the trail adjusting my sunglasses, I want to put them on and be done so I can just concentrate on the trail and the foot placement required so as not to trip or fall. I also felt the sunglasses to be a bit heavier (and larger) than most of the sunglasses I have worn. The upside is that they do feel very sturdy and rugged and, according to someone I happened upon on the trail…the sunglasses caught her eye. I asked her if she thought they were too big for my face and she said, “No, honestly they just look really cool.”
I didn’t need to use the tint swipe feature, but I did anyway because I wanted to see if it worked. It did. I could see the tint switch right away. However, I think I would be more inclined to use the feature at a stop, and not when I’m moving on the trail for the reason above to avoid a fall by not paying attention to my foot placements.
Even though I think the tint reduction feature is beneficial, I would prefer a more streamlined (ie: lighter weight) size and/or an option to have a smaller frame. I’m also not a fan of sunglass movement on my nose that requires immediate attention for a smooth ride, and these sunglasses are probably not the best to wear on crazy technical trails. The price point seems reasonable for the technology and sturdiness offered in the POVECs, but there is some work (and time) involved in activating the technology. I was proud of myself that I was able to successfully charge the sunglasses and have them ready for use primarily because my engagement with technology is severely limited. Bottom line…simplicity for me reigns supreme especially when it comes to gear in my trail running quiver and these sunnies were a bit outside my comfort zone in more ways than one.
Here’s another review featuring four more pairs of sunglasses.
