Costa Del Mar Fisch Sunglasses
Turin Design’s Artiss Akarra produces a Gear of the Year design for 2010.
The Fisch is your upgrade to HD reality. Whereas gray-tinted lenses are typically view flatteners, Costa’s optically ground glass 580 lenses are a vibrant exception. These cool-hued wonders had everything popping in sharp-edged detail, made clearer still by polarization, which killed glare. And with no weird color shift, the neutral tone made them quick adjusters for frequent on/off situations. The Fisch’s big, wrap-back lenses kept our eyes protected and provided a safe haven from screaming winds, while offering an unobstructed view side to side, up and down. The springy nylon frames curve in for solid head-hold, and mini vent holes in the frame corners let air in to prevent fogging. Add other sporty design features, like the sticky-when-wet rubber cladding at the nose and along the temples, and this clean-lined workhorse left us looking as good as what we were looking at. The only drawbacks: Glass won’t do for action sports, and the 580 line doesn’t offer prescription lenses. costadelmar.com
Value: 4 (out of 5)
Sport/Street Crossover: 5
$229
Gear of the Year: Costa Del Mar Fisch Sunglasses | OutsideOnline.com.
By Mike Steere
(Photo by Inga Hendrickson)
TURIN DESIGN + INNOVATION 