If you want to understand someone you have to walk a mile in their shoes. But what about taking a few steps wearing their sunglasses? To the point, this is my friend last week: “No wonder you’re having a great time! Wearing these sunglasses is like being in a magical wonderland!”
This was only a half-joke. My friend was wearing my Kaenon Kanvas sunglasses, and on a bright day snowshoeing last week the Kaenons knocked down the glare and made soft colors and subtle hues pop. My friend was missing all this visual detail with her non-polarized Ray Bans.
Claiming 99.9% glare reduction, the lens have Kaenon’s patented “SR-91 technology,” which is touted to combine the “superior optical quality of the finest glass with the light weight, strength and impact resistance of polycarbonate.” But wearing the Kanvas is more convincing than any marketing lingo.
Although they’re not designed as performance sunglasses, the Kanvas sunglasses do well in all but the most severe conditions. For instance, descending at 40mph on my bicycle was no problem. But descending at 20mph in a full-blown winter storm was problematic. Snow could sneak in between the glasses and hit my eyes.
The price? At $169, they ain’t cheap shades, and the Italian-made Kanvas in an entry-level model for the company. But if you’re gonna drop some money on gear, there’s a lot to be said for paying a little bit more on your optics. Having superlative clarity is about as close as you can get to seeing the world through rose-color glasses. https://kaenon.com
—Stephen Krcmar lives in California.
