I’ve been on the hunt for some great sunglasses for years. But it’s been a little like a Goldilocks situation. Some frames are too thick. Others were not thick enough. So, I had high hopes for these Sunski glasses.

After some brief googling to work out what shape would fit my circular/square face, I picked out the Tango glasses in Tortoise Amber. Soon, the glasses arrived. They rested in a rectangular sleeve, and some colourful cardboard presented them nicely.

A more structured case would help me easily find them in a tote bag while walking outdoors. Instead, the floppiness means the case isn’t super easy to feel when rooting around amongst tickets, a water bottle and cover-up. However, that does say a lot about my grab-bag organisation.

So, with my relaxed attitude to carrying holiday essentials, the case issue is mostly a personal preference. However, if you are in a choppy sea, a hard case would be ideal. The drawstring worked well at staying tightly closed, so when you put the glasses inside, stray keys are unlikely to scratch them.

The sunnies fresh out of the box. Photo: Jenny Jasper

The Sunski Tango glasses in this case

The sunnies came with a soft yet somewhat floppy glasses case. Although the colourway was gorgeous and the case seemed well-stitched, I wish it were more rigid.

The fabric sunglasses case was soft but flimsy. Photo: Jenny Jasper

A more structured case would help me easily find it in a tote bag while walking outdoors. Instead, the floppiness means the case isn’t super easy to feel when rooting around amongst tickets, a water bottle, and cover-up. However, that does say a lot about my grab-bag organisation.

So, with my relaxed attitude to carrying holiday essentials, the case issue is mostly a personal preference. However, if you are in a choppy sea, a hard case would be ideal. The drawstring worked well at staying tightly closed, so when you put the glasses inside, stray keys are unlikely to scratch them.

I love how lightweight and slim the sides are. Photo: Jenny Jasper

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Testing in Thailand

To try the sunglasses out, I decided to take them on an adventure.

In late May, I watched a salmon sunset ebb through some Sunski sunglasses in Phuket, Thailand. The bright light in this tropical place, combined with flash showers and sea swimming sessions, meant the sunglasses had to be robust.

You can hardly feel the sunglasses when they’re on your head. Photo: Jenny Jasper

I liked that the sunglasses rested lightly on my nose with so little weight that I’d forgotten they were there. A good sign that they’re some adventure-ready shades.

In the same vein, the polarised aspect was really useful for protecting my eyes from harsh glare on the water. Polarised sunglasses are great for sailing as they make spotting wind a little easier.

The sunglasses even stayed in place during a sweaty encounter with an elephant. Photo: Jenny Jasper

Since that holiday, I’ve worn these sunglasses nearly every time I’ve left the house when it’s bright. They’re the frames I reach for when I’m in a rush as they’re so lightweight. And if I flip them up to rest on my hair, I barely feel them.

As someone with brown hair, I also love that the colour matches. And as the tortoiseshell is a subtle design in neutral tones, I can wear the glasses with many different outfits without them clashing.

Main drawback

My main concern is that, with my face and nose shape, the glasses slip down a little when I’m sweaty. I have a ski-slope nose, so it’s already not super geared to holding sunglasses in place.

The Sunski Tango glasses are my go-to. Photo: Jenny Jasper

Given that being at sea generally means moving around on a rocking object, I really wish the shades had rubberised nose pads. I wouldn’t want to be tying fenders and watch my lovely polarised sunnies sink into the salty depths.

The nose pad problem does mean that these may not be suitable for sailing. They’re likely to annoy you by sliding down your face or disappearing completely. On a recent trip to cover the Clipper Race’s Grand Finale in Portsmouth, I wore the sunnies on a particularly fast RIB ride. The glasses stayed firmly in place, despite feeling like I was battling a particularly wild wind tunnel. They certainly didn’t stop me grinning with adrenaline, and I didn’t feel worried that the sunglasses would slip off.

However, if you’re crewing on a relatively gentle passage or cruising steadily, these frames are a great choice.

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