- Most sunglasses are not designed for strenuous activity, like outdoor runs.
- Austin-based brand Rōka has helped alleviate this issue with a line of unisex sunglasses designed to never slip off your face no matter what.
- Beyond being super lightweight and actually staying on your face without sliding down on your nose, these glasses also look great. I've gotten more compliments wearing my Rōkas than any pair of sunglasses I've ever worn.
Since 2011, Rōka has established itself as a leader in performance technology. Originally designed for competitive athletes like runners and cyclists, the Austin, Texas-based brand has pivoted to offer a more widespread variety of styles suited for everyday wear without sacrificing its performance identity.
The brand was started by two former collegiate athletes with a passion for creating technology that helps people maximize their potential. It began with the goal of creating high-performance wetsuits, and have since pivoted to performance eyewear.
The main value proposition of Rōka sunglasses is that they're guaranteed to stay glued to your face. No annoying sliding down on your nose while you're out for a run, no risk of them flying off your face while enjoying a boat ride on the lake, and no nagging pain on the side of your head after long periods of use.
Rōka offers a series of different classic unisex styles, all with the patented technology that sets the brand apart. Also, each pair comes with three different-sized nose pads so the frames fit your nose better.
While you do have to pay a slight premium for this level of technology, Rōka sunglasses are worth it because its face-sticking capabilities reduce the risk of loss or damage compared to traditional sunglasses — all without sacrificing style.
We tried the Rōka Oslo and Turino frames. Keep reading below to see what we thought.
Rōka Oslo High Performance Sunglasses
The first thing I noticed about my Rōka frames were how supremely light they felt on the bridge of my nose and temples, thanks to the patented GEKO pads that are added to all pairs of Rōka glasses.
These soft, gel-like pads are the secret weapon of Rōka glasses because they make the frames extra comfortable, but they're also the primary reason they don't fall off your face.
When Rōka made the bold claim that its sunglasses would never slip or fall off your face, my natural inclination was to violently shake my head back and forth to see if the statement rang true. Amazingly enough, even after gyrating my skull like beads of water bouncing on a bass-speaker playing EDM music, my Rōka Oslo sunglasses stayed cemented on the bridge of my nose.
This process has been repeated many times as I insist on making anyone who makes a slight comment on the glasses repeat the head banging routine — the result is the same each time. The glasses — and a look of amazement — remains painted to the tester's face.
Beyond psychotically shaking my head back and forth in my free time, I've also put the glasses to the test in the field. While I am not much of a runner or cyclist, I recently wore the glasses to Central Park and built up a solid sweat during a game of Spikeball. I made sure to unnecessarily dive head-first after the yellow ball as much as possible, and sure enough, each time I got up, my Rōkas remained in place.
In addition to their incredible performance attributes, the style of my Rōka Oslos has been my favorite part of wearing the glasses. Sure, they're super comfortable and reliable, but ultimately we all want to look good. Every time I wear my Rōka Oslos out, I seem to get a comment from a friend questioning the kind of glasses I'm wearing and how they can get their hands on a pair.
I've been able to wear the glasses without a hitch at a variety of events, including chill days at the park and fancier affairs like the Belmont Stakes and a black-tie wedding. At the wedding, my father even talked with someone who called me "the guy with the cool sunglasses."
Buy the Rōka Oslo sunglasses starting at $140 from Amazon (price varies by color)
Rōka Torino Sports Performance Polarized Sunglasses
I'm forever hunting for the best pair of sunglasses for each and every condition, and so far on this life's quest, I've come to the conclusion that an active, adventurous person requires at least three pairs of shades (but probably even a few more, especially where hapless hooples such as I are concerned).
I like thick glass lenses for more serious pursuits and for driving. And I require at least two lens colors because I spend a lot of time fishing and they have to be polarized. I'll wear blue for open, strong light (like the kind you'd experience on the open ocean), and a brown or gray tint if I'm wading streams for trout in waters predominated by dark or drab-colored tannins (like in brown- or green-colored water).
Of course, if you've ever looked at your phone or any screen while wearing polarized sunglasses, you'll immediately recognize their downfall. If you're not spending much time on the water, polarized shades don't have much importance and can even make life a little harder, so a non-polarized pair is just as — if not more — essential. But because I spend so much of my time outdoors on the water, polarized are almost always an imperative.
So I went with Rōka's Torino Sunglasses in Matte Root Beer with Bronze Polarized Lenses. They're a little oversized in the lens department and the frames look clunky, but they're actually extremely lightweight.
I decided that, because Rōka's claim to fame is that its sunglasses are exceptionally grippy and activity-proof and because I have a particularly narrow face, trying frames that would tend to be on the looser side could be a good litmus test for the brand.
So off I went into the Catskills of western New York "where the trout streams flow and the air is nice" with Rōka's Torinos casually resting on the bridge of my nose.
If they wouldn't slip in the sun and if they'd allow me to spot prospecting trout, I was in. It's one thing to wear heavy glass shades when you're driving or sitting there on a boat, it's another to take them on a grueling, sweaty trek along (and into, and up) a stream while wearing waders in the June heat.
What can I say? I spotted fish that my more experienced angling associates did not. Thanks to the hydrophilic elastomer temple and nose pads, the glasses didn't slip (even though they are a little loose on me), and they didn't weigh my head down either. I've also carelessly tossed them into the console of my car without a case more than once and I've yet to discover a scratch.
Rōkas aren't cheap, but they're competitively priced, remarkably lightweight, comfortable, and grippy — which counts for a lot — and they're worth a shot if quality and weight are your parameters. — Owen Burke, Insider Picks Senior Reporter