Review: ZEAL Sunglasses for Sailing

"I was afraid that by observing objects with my eyes and trying to comprehend them with each of my other senses I might blind my soul altogether."
- Socrates

Sailing is a very sensory dominated activity. You can feel the wind heel the boat and heal your worries. You hear the music of the water in waves lapping at the hull. And you see shades of blue in nearly every direction. Senses working to capacity are a big part of what makes sailing so rewarding, and so, I think it's wise to protect those senses. You have a lot of choices when it comes to eyewear and protecting and enhancing your vision on the water.

ZEAL Backyard sunglasses

ZEAL Optics offers a unique product with their line of sunglasses. Many sailors relish the sustainability of sailing as a means of transportation (i.e. no motor/gas required), so it's only natural that bio-based plastic ("Z-Resin") sunglasses made from castor bean oil instead of crude oil would be appealing. But let's face it, most of us looking for sunglasses are also concerned with reducing glare, clear vision, and wearing frames that compliment our personal sense of style. Do sunglasses from ZEAL Optics still makes sense? I'm a believer!

Erin sporting ZEAL Zeta sunglasses

We recently tried a couple of pairs of ZEAL sunglasses while out sailing and were impressed with their comfortable fit, light weight, and grippy feel. These are definately sunglasses suitable for an active lifestyle. They hold to your face nicely and are barely noticeable with their unique "MyFit" rubber nose pads. The polarized lenses are crisp and clear and provide a pleasant bronze tint to your view of the water. While not exactly inexpensive, ZEAL sunglasses are very competitively priced when compared to other well-known brands of sunglasses. You can feel and see the quality the first time you put them on. And you can also feel good about supporting an ecologically responsible company whose product just seems to fit with a sailor's mentality.

Right at home aboard a sailboat

Ready to protect your eyes with some shades from Zeal Optics? Get 'em here.

For more sailing sunglasses, see our previous reviews here:

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