Scott Vector Sunglasses: first impressions
Among the best sunglasses for hiking and mountain adventures, Scott's Vector sunglasses are a comfortable, close-fitting pair of shades, with Fusion frames and no-slip soft nose pads. The frame has some flex in it but feels very sturdy and has rubber-coated tips at the end of the arms to help keep the sunglasses in place.
• List price: £84.99 (UK) / not currently available in US
• Weight: 32g / 1.1oz
• Category: 3
• Frame colors: Gray / Black Matt / Crystal Pink / Submariner Blue / Soft Teal Green
• Lens colors: Clear / Red Chrome / Gray / Pink Chrome / Gold Chrome / Green Chrome
• Lens options: Scott Precision Optics
• UV protection: 100%
• VLT: 10%
• Extras: Sports case and microfiber bag
• Suitability: Activities on and off the mountain
The lenses are large for this style of sunglasses, but they don’t have quite as much height as a lens in, say a classic round frame. The Vectors are available with a range of lens options, all with the Scott Precision Optics quality label.
The Red Chrome lenses are category 3, and have a VLT (visible light transmission) rating of 10%, which makes them a little on the dark side for some activities, such as driving on cloudy days.
There are narrow slits at the top and side of each lens to help improve airflow and stop the glasses from steaming up. They have 100% UV protection, but they are not polarized.
Scott Vector Sunglasses: on the trails
These sunglasses came with me on my Winter Mountain Leader Training in the Cairngorms. Unsurprisingly, it was not particularly sunny in the Highlands of Scotland in January, but it was still quite bright, and the course required us to spend a lot of time looking at blank snow slopes close up.
These sunglasses provided just the protection I needed from the midday light passing through the clouds and reflecting off the snow. No need to squint, a good snug fit and very good clarity.
The demisting vents really helped too when I was wearing them underneath helmet straps, in situations where taking them off and on again to clear my vision would have been an absolute faff.
