Vallon Ventures review: High-performance running sunglasses with style!

Here at LFTO, we've tested a few dozen running sunglasses and found a common thread – they're mostly quite embarrassing to wear. Not all the time, mind you; when you're out on the trail, in the blazing sun, they look absolutely perfect. But stop off at a Greggs and you're lucky to get out of there without being called a name that isn't fit for a publication such as this one.

However, the Vallon Ventures may just save the day. These subtly stylish sunnies arrived at our office with a promise from the Vallon team that they could out-perform any of their top competitors, including Oakly, SunGod, Goodr, and US giants Dynafit.

Intrigued, I kept them on hand for occasional use as the summer was coming to a close. However, as a beautifully bright spring season has rolled in, I've found myself using them every day. And, turns out, they're bloody good. Let's take a closer look.

Fit and comfort

We’re starting off with one of my favourite elements in the Venture’s design. Rather than the adjustable wire arms with plastic nose pads that come as standard with most glasses, Vallon have completely eschewed the need for a separate nose bridge component.

Instead, the inside walls of the frames curve smoothly to rest directly on your nose, each with a soft rubber pad that creates just enough friction to lock the glasses in place. If that’s hard to picture, just look at the pictures.

This elegant, minimalist construction does come with some drawbacks – namely, a lack of adjustability. While that might seem like a dealbreaker for some, I’d argue this specific design succeeds surprisingly well at a one-size-fits-all approach.

The central gap widens progressively, so the glasses perch comfortably atop most noses – you just have to nudge them to the right spot. As someone with a weirdly wide bridge, my glasses sit perfectly over the dead-centre of my nose, giving me a great field of view through the lenses. It’s possible some people will be less satisfied with the fit, but them’s the breaks.

That said, I love these soft rubber pads. They crucially allow the lenses to sit much closer to your eyes, which widens your field of view and makes the frame edges less visible or distracting. And, after shaking my head with the kind of wild violence that terrified onlookers at the LFTO office, I can confirm these bad boys won’t come off without a serious fight.

Lens clarity, polarisation and UV protection

According to Vallon, the Ventures use their proprietary V52® nylon lenses, which have an exceptionally high ABBE value of 52 – a measure of optical clarity that puts them well above typical polycarbonate lenses. They also offer full UV400 protection and are polarised by default, designed to reduce glare and sharpen contrast without colour distortion.

In testing, the lenses really did offer excellent clarity. I opted for the sage tint, which has a 12% VLT (Visible Light Transmission). That means it lets through only 12% of visible light – ideal for bright, sunny days when you need strong glare protection.

On paper, that’s a dark lens – so I was surprised by how much detail I could still make out on my first couple of runs. I’d been out in bright conditions across the Surrey Hills – mostly open farmland and undulating bridleways.

Things only got tricky when I entered a heavily wooded section: with so little direct light, the lenses felt noticeably too dark. The simple fix is to push them up onto your head, but the constant on/off faff can be a bit distracting in areas with mixed lighting.

The polarisation is excellent. As an avid fan of running beside rivers and lakes, I went straight to the water to see how the Ventures handled those ever-present sparkles and flickers across the surface. Success! They rendered the lake nothing more than a muted, writhing, blueish blanket.

That same polarisation also enhances contrast beautifully – great for morning and evening runs when small rocks and bumps cast faint shadows. However, it can make shaded areas in the distance look like dark, uninviting voids. If a path disappears into cover, it’s hard to tell what you’re heading into until you’re right on top of it.

It’s worth noting that the polarisation is consistent and even across the entire lens, with no patchiness or distortion at the edges – something lower-quality polarised lenses can suffer from.

You can also choose from a range of lens tints, with VLT values ranging from 9% to 16%, depending on your preference and where you run most.

Weight and feel

At just 26 grams, the Ventures are far lighter than more feature-heavy running glasses like the Oakley Encoder I tested last year – though they just fall short of being the lightest pair we’ve reviewed (well done, SunGod, you nerds).

Still, with only a gram or two in it, these are exceptionally light and I’ve found them ideal for all-day wear. Once again, the soft rubber pads on the nose play a big role here, offering a pressure-free fit with no noticeable hot spots. The frame itself is slightly thicker than some ultralight options, but Vallon’s approach here seems to prioritise seamless ergonomics over raw weight-shedding.

The arms widen subtly as they wrap around your head, and I found this helps distribute pressure more evenly, making the glasses almost unnoticeable after a few minutes. Very clever.

Build quality, durability, and storage

I’ll never forget the man at Specsavers who told me that metal frames are actually cheaper and less premium than high-quality polymer ones. It shook my world. I bought an elegantly thin metal pair anyway, and they bent out of shape after being thrown in my trouser pocket one too many times. Yes, that was partially my fault – but the glasses also shouldn’t’ve buckled that easily. Score draw.

Meanwhile, I’ve been abusing my Ventures for almost a year now – shoving them into hip- and chest-pockets on hydration packs, chucking them loose into travel bags, and generally treating them with the kind of laissez-faire attitude that signifies a journalist who receives more free clothing and accessories than he knows what to do with. And they’ve survived literally without a scratch.

The frames are made from Bio-TR90, a high-performance, plant-based nylon that’s flexible, strong, and contributes to the Ventures’ featherweight feel. The lenses are nylon too, which explains their excellent clarity and surprising durability.

Storage-wise, Vallon really delivers. The glasses arrive in a rigid, slide-open box that’s both protective and beautifully designed. Inside is a microfibre storage bag with a thick drawstring closure – far nicer than the flimsy pouches many brands provide.

The two-layer storage system means you can use the soft bag for everyday carry and keep the hard box for duffel bags or long-haul travel. It’s a smart middle ground – far more practical than bulky hard cases or tissue-thin sleeves.

In terms of sustainability, we'll never stick both our thumbs up for a fully synthetic product, but Vallon does make a commendable effort here. They use 45% organic materials in their frames and have committed to removing 1kg of plastic waste from the environment for every pair sold.

Plus, given how rugged and scratch-resistant they are, you can make the argument for longevity as sustainability. These glasses might actually stop you ever needing to buy another pair.

The hinges are also impressively sturdy, clicking open and closed with a satisfying resistance that inspires confidence.

Style and versatility

These are one of the rare pairs of running sunglasses we’ve tested that you can actually wear to a barbecue without being relentlessly teased for the first hour. They come in a range of subtle, muted colourways, and the shape nods to the classic Wayfarer without feeling like a direct rip-off.

They’re perfectly wearable off-trail – which is more than you can say for something like the Dynafit Ultra Evo sunglasses (which I am wearing in my author photo, much to my own chagrin).

Verdict

A durable, stylish, and super-secure pair of sunnies that fit close to the face and stay comfortable for hours. They don’t offer quite as much coverage as some sport-specific glasses, but for a hybrid on/off-trail performer, they’re hard to fault.

They’re light, tough, smart-looking and – crucially – you can actually forget you’re wearing them. Which, in my book, is just about the highest praise sunglasses can earn.

About the author

Milo Wilson is our resident fashionable runner – a term which rarely escapes oxymoronic accusations. He just celebrated his 2-year anniversary here at LFTO, during which time he's destroyed more trail running shoes than most people buy in their lifetime. Every night, he prays for forgiveness for his blight upon the Earth's ecosystem.