A Guide’s Review of the 100% Norvik Sunglasses
A durable frame, 55% polarization and a spare pair of lenses make the 100% Norvik Sunglasses great all around mountain shades that buck the current trend of giant mono-lenses. Hiking, biking, heliboarding and Aprés, the Norviks have you covered in style.
Overview
- Material: Frame TR90
- Weight: 33 grams
- UV Protection: 100% UV protection (UV400)
- Bonuses: Clear Lenses, Hard Case, Cloth Case
- Country of Origin: Taiwan
Who is 100%?
100% ‘s history dates back to the 1980’s motocross scene in California. Drew Lien, a motocross mechanic, started his own company and needed a name. Upon being asked, “what does it take to win?” he realized it took, well, 100%, and the company name was born. Since 1982 the company has grown a lot and in the past two years they have brought their optics expertise into the snow sports market and we’re here for it with a review of the Norvik sunglasses.
What are the 100% Norvik Glasses?
The Norvik Sunglasses are designed to be used in high output activities in bright conditions. Their frame is made of TR90, a thermoplastic that is renowned for its flexibility and impact resistance. Two fantastic traits for glasses that are going to be worn at full speed over potentially rough terrain. I haven’t tested out their impact resistance, though have certainly eaten my fair share of dirt while wearing them, and they have stood up to the abuse very well.
They have grippy temples, a replaceable nose piece, removable side shields to block light from the sides and clear replacement lenses to keep you going in dark light.
Peak Polar lenses with 55% Polarization
The Norvik Sunglasses are available with two types of lenses. HiPER is 100%’s proprietary contrast enhancing coating. Peak Polar is 100%’s proprietary 55% polarized lens. I tested the grey Peak Polar as I knew I was going to be wearing these glasses in some very bright situations and wanted the advantage of polarization.
The HiPER and Peak Polar lenses are both classified as UV400, which means they filter out 99% of all UVA and UVB. The lenses have a base curve of 5.5 and wrap around the face quite well. Combined with the removable side shields, there is no extraneous glare at all.
At the bottom of each hydrophobic and oleophobic lens is a small vent. I have no way to test whether this aids in keeping the lenses from fogging apart from attaching tape over the vent, skiing, and then removing the tape and skiing. Regardless, it adds a cool dynamic to the lens and certainly can’t hurt.
Polarized glasses often react strangely to digital screens, blocking the wearer from being able to see them. The idea behind the 55% polarization is to allow wearers to be able to see their digital devices by allowing some of the light through. It works with my Garmin Fenix 7, MacBook, Fujifilm X-T4, and Barryvox transceiver. The only place it did not work is while using a Sony mirrorless DSLR. This was the only outlier I could find and it wasn’t all Sony cameras, either. My X100 mkiii worked as intended while the a7c did not.
Extras
The Norvik glasses come in a rather large hard case that houses the alternative fit nose pad (for smaller nose bridges), clear lenses for totally overcast days and a white soft case/polishing cloth. I use the clear lenses for biking on muddy days where I know the trails in the forest will be dark and I’ll likely be getting mud thrown up at me.
I do wish there was a smaller hard case as the included one is not favourable for traveling due to its large size. On a day to day basis it’s not an issue for me as the moment I put my hat on I automatically reach for my glasses and place them on my head. When going long distance they often go in a bag with various equipment and this is when it would be nice to have a smaller case.
Overview
I had no idea what to expect when the Norvik arrived. I had only seen 100% goggles being worn by two pro-snowboard riders, Zoi Sadowski-Synott and Dusty Henrickson. They are arguably two of the most stylish riders of the current generation, and if the goggles looked cool on them, surely they’d look good on me. So, I reached out to 100% to see if I could review a pair of their Norvik glasses.
I was stoked when the Norviks arrived. Their modern take on retro styling looks really good. I’ve worn them biking, splitboarding, heli-boarding and hiking. They have done well at all of these activities, especially in bright light situations like ski touring on blue-bird days or while hiking in the Dolomites. While heli-boarding they went totally unnoticed under my helmet and while wearing hearing protection. Their polarization helped reduce glare and I was able to read digital maps on an iPad without removing them.
Now that autumn has arrived and brought cooler temps, I’ve noticed that Norvik can get fogged when I take a break on climbs. Within thirty feet of riding the glasses are clear again so the ventilation obviously works. The lens is not Photochromic, so moving from bright to dark areas at speed can prove to be tricky as the lenses are fairly dark. This will hold true for all dark lensed glasses, not just the 100% Norvik.
Really, the only downside has been getting teased for the brand name. The 100% logo stands proud on the side of the glasses and definitely invites people to offer the obvious Dad Jokes, but the glasses look good and work well, so who cares?
Who are the 100% Norvik for?
The Norvik are for anyone looking for durable sports sunglasses that bring a more classic aviator style to sports sunglasses instead of the current crop of goggle inspired shades.
If you are interested in picking up a pair of 100% Norvik sunglasses head on over to 100% website and pick one up.
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Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a free sample of the 100% Norvik Sunglasses. This in no way affected our opinion and review.
