Revant’s all-new sunglasses line comes with the “Build Better” slogan. To the company, that means “high-performance, repairable, and sustainable sunglasses for active lifestyles.”
The key features that make Revant’s new shades stand out from the saturated sunglasses market are bio-based and recycled materials, and fully repairable, modular parts.
These new glasses stem from the ethos that has driven Revant since its inception in a college dorm room. “We believe sunglasses should be built to last, not thrown away,” said Jason Bolt, founder and CEO of Revant Optics.
Revant Optics
Since 2010, Revant has been offering replacement lenses — including prescription lenses — for the sunglasses you know and love, from all the top companies. The company has a library of over 2,500 sunglasses, which it has meticulously scanned in order to offer perfectly fitting and optically correct replacement lenses. And, they have made over 3 million replacement lenses, keeping all those sunglasses out of landfills.
In 2018, Revant also launched a line of outdoor active sunglasses. I was at the press event in Sedona, Ariz., for that launch and have worn the glasses since. While I love them, the designs were unique, and the fully repairable ethos impressive, they did have a few key flaws that quickly killed their viability on the market.
Specifically, the hinge would all too easily break due to a flaw in the hinge post design. And the rubber sleeves on the arms would get tacky and stretch out. But, Revant did right by its products and continued to support those early adopters.
But, more importantly, the company is ready to start a new chapter with an all-new, “Build Better,” line of sustainable sunglasses, with a new designer and manufacturing partner.
A New Era of Revant Sunglasses
While Revant had a local launch party at its Portland, Ore., HQ last week, today is the official launch of the new sunglasses line. I was at the launch event, and to say that the nearly 100 people in attendance were excited was an understatement.
This line starts with four styles: Caster, Tembor, Vayda, and Durata. This lineup covers a wide range of familiar styles. It leans hard into the active adventure lifestyle with the Caster in particular.
Eco-Friendly Construction
“In North America alone, more than 4 million pairs of eyewear are thrown away each year, creating over 160 metric tons of plastic waste. At Revant, we believe sunglasses should be built to last — not tossed the moment they scratch or break,” said Bolt.
One of the biggest stories with these new Revant sunglasses is their construction. The frames are made from Arkema Rilsan, a castor-bean-based bioplastic. They contain approximately 55% bio-based content.
The lenses are primarily made of recycled polycarbonate. Yes, plastics recaptured from discarded micro-processors are now high-performance eyewear lenses.
Revant Optics sunglasses’ lenses are all polarized, impact-resistant, 100% UV-protected, and optically corrected. Also, the lenses, temples, and nose pads are all easily replaceable and swappable for that perfect fit and look.
Revant has already been recognized for these cutting-edge design and material choices, winning a 2024 European Design Award for Sustainable Outdoor Products.
To top it off, the packaging contains no plastic, is FSC-certified, and is designed to fit snugly in car cupholders for convenient storage. The included soft cloth bags are even made from recycled water bottles.
Initial Impressions
I’ve only had my hands on these new sunglasses for about a week. I’ve personally worn all four styles, and had my wife test out a few. Hiking, running, driving, and kicking around town are what I’ve been able to experience in them so far.
My first impression, before even wearing them, is that they look great, feel quality to the touch, and seem extremely durable. Putting them on my face revealed that the polarized lenses are extremely clear and accurate, and the hinges feel strong.
The Caster model is the most outdoor active style of the initial launch designs. It has massive coverage, so a wide field of view. The arms, under the rubberized portion, are also adjustable for the perfect fit — they have a piece of bendable metal in there to allow fine tuning.
The replaceable and multi-sized nose pads, as well as rubberized arms, ensure these glasses stay on your face no matter the high-velocity activity. The airflow design on the back of the frames also ensures a no-fog view, no matter how hot you get when you’re setting your next PR.
The Tembor is the other model I first gravitated toward, as it’s an angular take on a classic design that feels sporty, luxurious, and masculine at the same time. These are now my go-to driving glasses.
The Vayda and Durata styles are a bit more round and lifestyle-type designs. I feel like the ladies will love these, but I must admit that I look pretty good in the Vayda and will likely wear them with dressier clothes when I’m out on the town.
All Revant sunglasses include a storage tube, a cleaning cloth bag, and come with a 1-year warranty.
Alternative-sized nose piece inserts will be available in about 2 months’ time. I’m excited for a bit more rubber on the Caster to better secure them on my skinny but big nose, to prevent bouncing when running.
Pricing & Availability
Currently, Revant sells all its products directly to consumers in order to be extremely competitive on the pricing side of things. Also, to keep pricing down and quality up this new line of shades is manufactured in Taiwan.
A wide range of frame and lens colors and options are available across the four main sunglasses models — something for everyone. There are 29 total color options on offer at launch.
Pricing for the Vayda, Durata, and Tembor starts at $124 for polarized, non-mirrored lenses and goes up to $149 for mirrored lenses. The Caster starts at $144 for non-mirrored polarized lenses and tops out at $149 for mirrored options.
Revant is also releasing 150 numbered Launch Edition pairs of each model. These limited editions are engraved with individualized numbers, have matte black frames, gold mirrored lenses, gold logo shields, and come in matching packaging. They are priced at $169.
Revant ‘Build Better’ Sunglasses
Besides looking good, seeing clearly, and supporting an American (Portland, Ore.) company, you should consider buying Revant’s new sunglasses because they are a great value and can last a lifetime, due to a replaceable and modular design. As long as you don’t lose them, they are fully repairable from just about any horror show you might subject them to.
I’ve been a fan of the company since I met the core team back in 2018 and was super bummed when the initial glasses went out of production. Luckily, Revant has finally regrouped and used all that it’s learned from its successes and failures to bring us this all-new line of impressive eyewear. From what I’m hearing, this is just the beginning.
The future is bright for Revant Optics — or at least very clear and just the right brightness behind a pair of these shades.
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