Home Gear Review: Vallon Waylons Sunglasses

Review: Vallon Waylons Sunglasses

Great value and high performance, for a non-specialist choice, the Waylons are hard to beat.

Feature type Review

Read time 4 min read

Published Jun 23, 2024

Photographer Ed Smith

Matthew Pink BASE’s brand head honcho is a denizen of the crag. He gorges on adventure culture, hankers for epic treks and grinds his gravel bike round the Bristol orbit.

OUR VERDICT

Great value and high performance, for a non-specialist choice, the Waylons are hard to beat.

£82 from VALLON

Features	Handcrafted from acetate Frame weight 32g) Polarized V52® performance optics (Cat. 3) Optional headstrap UV400 100% UV protection
Weight	250 grams

Pros

Durable yet lightweight
Sharp vision
Premium feel
Hybrid of sports and lifestyle

Cons

Not adjustable

WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

It’s the usual story of seeking cross-functional gear that can be used for adventure activities but still double up for use away from sports.

I don’t like a glass too heavy on the nose but I do want them to be firm enough so they don’t slide. Scratch resistance is important to me as I’m not super reliable with cases but I do want something that will last and be at least a little up to the inevitable dropping, squashing and cramming.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The polarised glass does stand out and the tint looks a great balance. They are really light and come protected in a nifty faux-leather protective case along with a cleaning cloth and a headstrap. Yep, they look sharp from the off.

THE TEST

I’ve been up in a fairly high-altitude location in the Pyrenees mountains, (Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park) for treks and camping.

I wore them often, testing them at different times of the day and for trekking and some gentle MTB riding. Early morning, midday, and late afternoon sun provided varying angles of sunlight and intensity to assess the sun glare protection. The higher altitudes and their varying temperatures also meant that the UV radiation was more intense at times.