Koo Nova Running Sunglasses review: Stylish, high-performance wrap-arounds

Classic, sporty and elite, the Koo Nova are clearly running sunglasses made for top performance. From Italian snow and cycling eyewear brand Koo, the Nova first launched back in 2022 at the Tor des Géants ultramarathon as the brand’s first sunglasses designed for running.

Specifically, the Nova is built for both trail and urban running, aiming to provide bounce-free wear and superbly clear vision, thanks to the aerodynamic construction and high-quality Zeiss lens that feature in all Koo eyewear.

The frameless, wraparound nylon toric visor reminiscent of its bike-focused siblings is available in six different stylish tints and arm colour combinations. At £170, the Nova is clearly a considered expense, so I was eager to test them out on my runs under the scorching hot Provençal sun.

In particular, I wanted to find out if the Nova could put its money where its mouth is when it comes to coverage and protection, clarity when running over uneven terrain, and comfort over long periods in sweaty conditions.

Design and features

Minimalism at its finest, the Koo Nova is supremely lightweight and flexible. The frameless, monovisor design provides excellent, wide coverage, while allowing for an unobstructed field of vision. Made for runners, the Nova would also get a good fit for both cyclists and triathletes.

Straight out the box, the Nova comes in a soft, microfibre drawstring bag, that’s useful for cleaning on the go. However, for such a weighty price (£170), I’d have liked to see a hard case included for safer transportation.

Construction is obviously fuss-free with very considered, minimalist features; these include the super lightweight arms, built with a thin overlay of grippy rubber on the inside to help them stay in place when in motion. Plus, subtle cut-outs in the frame allow the user to switch around the nose bridge, arms, and lens, for a personalised build.

Speaking of the lens, Koo says to “expect razor-sharp clarity, boosted contrast, and ultra-durable protection” in the nylon toric Zeiss lens. The fuchsia mirror option on test has a visible light transmission (VLT) of 12% and is filter category 3, which means they should protect against particularly intense, sunny light.

The Nova features Koo’s anti-reflective technology, designed to “greatly improve the efficiency of the lenses”. It aims to allow more light to reach the eyes by minimising reflections from both the front and back of the lenses, resulting in maximum clarity with minimal eye effort. In real terms, this should equate to sharp contrast, crisp definition, and less eye strain in bright conditions.

The multilayer mirror coating over the monovisor lens looks incredibly sleek and stylish – the look alone feels capable of turning pretty much anyone into a professional athlete.

In terms of styles on offer, the Nova’s colourway options include graduated blue, pink, orange/red, orange, and gold matte, as well as a lighter, photochromatic pink.

Lastly, the interchangeable nose pad has a soft silicone feel and sits gently on the nose bridge, set back from the main lens body. The Nova comes with two sizes of nose piece: standard and ‘asian fit’, which is built for a wider-shaped nose.

Performance and comfort

Now you’re familiar with the Nova’s set-up, let’s get into how they actually performed out on the trails. First up is the all-important Zeiss lens, which provides excellent clarity and definition while running.

It did a good job at blocking out most harsh lights, with only the brightest glare proving a bit much for them. On the flip side, there’s enough visibility for running through shady stretches without having to whip them off to see trail obstacles.

Plus, the frameless, wraparound style provides great coverage from the sun and wind, without being overkill. On a medium to smaller face, it’s refreshing to find a pair of sunnies that are versatile for multiple sports, with enough flex to fit a range of sizes.

Lightweight and super comfortable to wear, it’s easy to forget you’re wearing these sunnies while running as they have such a gentle yet stable fit. The highly flexible build may prompt questions as to their longevity later down the line, but after several weeks of testing, they’re yet to show any signs of wear.

The hydrophobic nose piece sits super comfortably on the bridge of the nose and does not budge when you build up a sweat. It’s also without any of the rigidity that you see in more budget sunnies. The nose bridge is ventilated too, with cutouts along the sides and top that works well to prevent lens fogging.

Though interchangeable, the main issue here is the limited sizing as Koo doesn’t provide many different size options. I found the standard nose pad to be too large for my very average-sized woman’s nose, which meant that the sunnies didn’t sit as high up as I’d have liked on my face when running.

Though not the end of the world, it would be easily fixed with the offering of a smaller nose bridge, alongside their standard and asian-fit ones. In all transparency, I also found the nose piece to be extremely fiddly (nigh on impossible) to switch out.

Weirdly, this is in stark contrast to the lens, which is incredibly easy to disconnect from each arm and pop back in afterwards.

Price and competition

When you buy a pair of £170 running sunglasses, you want to be sure they perform. This clarity, both in thought and in vision, is what the Nova provides. They’re classy, high-performance, and stylish sunglasses that can be relied on to be comfortable, and offer great protection and performance.

However, if the price tag is just too big to stomach (and yes, there are plenty of more expensive options out there too), then for £20 less, we really appreciated the superior lens performance and similar wraparound, frameless design of the SunGod Ultras (£150).

Another step down fiscally, but by no means in terms of performance, are the Tifosi Swick (£60). These sunglasses suit larger faces well and are obviously built to last, offering a more versatile look reminiscent of the classic, thicker rimmed Ray Ban wayfarer style.

At the other end of the scale sits the Goodr Flex G (£40). For the price, you’re not getting the premium feel and performance of the Koo but there’s still great clarity, especially for variable light conditions, and structure, with a good amount of adjustability and stylish colourways to choose from.

Verdict

The Koo Nova is overall a brilliant pair of running sunglasses that tick pretty much all the boxes when it comes to performance, comfort, and vision. They provide exceptional definition and clarity for running, with zero bounce and a tantalisingly lightweight, barely-there feel that have me reaching for them at every run.

The single, frameless lens performs brilliantly, protecting from 100% of UV rays in harsh light and offering decent clarity for shady stretches.

Long-term durability is yet to be known, and for the price, a hard case and more nose bridge sizes would be appreciated. Otherwise, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pair of running sunglasses for summer trail adventures.

How we tested the Koo Nova

Over a period of several weeks, I tested the Koo Nova (matte black/Fuchsia) on runs in sunny and hot 30-38°C French summertime. They were put through their paces over road and off-road runs through forests, along beaches, and undulating, rocky trails.

The sunglasses had to cope with both bright and dappled light, as well as sideways glare from the rising and setting sun.

The Nova was tested on comfort and fit, quality, and toughness. When testing, I also considered the level of adjustability possible for a range of face shapes and sizes.

While when it came to the lens, I looked at the definition, protection, and clarity. And finally, I tested the sunglasses' style, versatility, coverage, and considered value for money.

About the author

Kate Milsom is Digital Content Writer for Live For The Outdoors, within which she specialises in trail running content. In her career as a specialist sports journalist, Kate has worked with industry-leading titles including 220Triathlon, Cycling Plus, Road.cc and Cyclist. Prior to this, Kate studied English Literature and French at univeristy, then got the outdoors bug and never looked back.