About Zeal
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of Zeal Optics‘ mottos is, “Plant based sunglasses built for life outdoors.” They use plant-based materials in all their sunglass frames and lenses to “help you see the world around you more clearly while protecting the views that inspire for generations to come.” In their commitment to reduce environmental impacts, they use renewable resources in the manufacturing of their sunglass frames and lenses – eliminating the use of fossil fuels. It is exactly this ethos that attracted me to the company’s broad offering of quality sunglasses. Zeal uses a material they have coined Z-Resin, which is derived from the castor plant and replaces the use of traditional plastics in the sunglass frames and Ellume Polarized lenses. The use of Z-Resin significantly reduces the amount of C02 produced during manufacturing.
Big Timber. Photo: A. Derr
Big Timber
While Zeal offers a wide array of frames and polarized lenses, my choice of the Big Timber was mostly due to the large size lenses and the coverage they offered as well as the availability of AutoSun tinting on the yellow base lenses. AutoSun combines photochromic technology and polarized protection into a single lens for a seamless visual experience from dawn to dusk. I really dig low light lenses and these specific lenses perform very well in lower light conditions as well as other light conditions. The dark green frames are really original looking and fit my face well. The Pro-Flex rubber inserts on the temples and nose bridge provide comfort and stability when pursuing rigorous activities. The lenses range from 15%-28% VLT depending on the available natural ambient light offerings in effort to keep a consistent view throughout the days activities. Equipped with a backside Anti Reflective coating, this lens also eliminates any reflections or distractions from light to improve your visual experience.
The Zeal line offers wide array of styles to suit many active, environmentally conscious lifestyles. Check out their website for more technical information about the construction of the shades as well as about their array of styles.
Zeal’s Big Timber. Photo: A. Derr
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