Under Armour “Captain” Storm Sunglasses – Independent Review
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Product Reviews
Did you know that Under Armour is making some really nice Polarized sunglasses aimed at fishing enthusiasts like us?
Yep, it’s true.
But to be completely honest, I never even considered Under Armour for sunglasses, as I have a couple of brands that I have been incredibly comfortable (and happy) with over the years… but this pair of Under Armour Captain Storm sunglasses certainly has my attention after trying them on (and NO, I am not being paid or influenced in any way to say this).
So this week we unboxed and reviewed these Captain Storm Polarized Sunglasses made by Under Armour. Some quick facts about the particular glasses we reviewed before we get into the pros and cons:
Some quick facts about the particular glasses we reviewed before we get into the pros and cons of these sunglasses:
- Under Armour has an entire Polarized Sunglass line called the “Storm”. These glasses in particular are known as the “Captain” style within the Storm collection
- These sunglasses were in the color version “Satin Good Grain Brown” (aka tortoise brown)
- These sunglasses go for $159.99 retail on the Under Armour site
- One size fits all frames
Pros of the Under Armour Captain Glasses
- Lightweight: These Under Armour glasses are some of the lightest glasses I have ever owned. In full disclosure, more than half of my collection of polarized fishing glasses are made of glass (which is heavier), but I do own some plastic framed sunglasses as well.
- Apparently Under Armour uses some trademarked combination of Titanium and Grilamid (a type of plastic) to make these glasses super light and flexible, while also giving it some added strength with the titanium.
- The Nosepiece: I didn’t give this enough attention in the review video (below), but the nosepiece is perhaps my new favorite thing about these sunglasses. As a “thin-bridged” nose kind of a guy, what usually happens to me after being out in the sun with sunscreen on, is my sunglasses slowly start moving down my nose. And by the end of the day (after sweating), my glasses are almost slipping down my nose like a kid on a slip-n-slide. But the geniuses over at Under Armour put some sort of metal-like wire inside of the rubber nosepiece so you can bend and shape it to perfectly fit your nose. And you can even tighten it up later in the day after you are sweaty and oiled up. Brilliant! Let me show you what I mean with these pics.
Pic #1 is me using my fingers to move the nosepiece in as far as I can (this would be assuming you had the thinnest bridged-nose in the world – I did this for exaggeration purposes)
Picture #2 shows you how the nosepiece stays perfectly in place even after I remove my fingers.
- Oil Resistant: They thought of everything with these Storm sunglasses! If you have ever had the misfortune of having sunscreen, bug spray, or saltwater ruin a pair of sunglasses, then you know how important this feature is. Under Armour has a special lens technology on all of their “Storm” style glasses that is resistant to all oils, bug spray, saltwater, etc. Pretty cool, however, I did not test this out as I didn’t want to rub bug spray or sunscreen all over my new glasses… I figure the ultimate test will happen naturally soon enough.
- The “Snug Fit”: When I am out on the water fishing, the last thing I want to have to worry about is my sunglasses falling off of my head. Because from moving around the boat quickly, to bending down to get bait fish, to bending over to gaff or pull up a fish, etc, there is a ton of head movement while on the boat. These Under Armour glasses solve that issue as their sturdy arms do an amazing job of wrapping around my head and sticking. In fact, I would say these hold to my head better than any of the polarized glasses that I own (and I own quite a few…)
- Great Polarized Lenses: Under Armour didn’t mess around when it came to investing in solid polarized lenses. Not only do they block 100% of all UVA, UVB, and UVC rays (pretty standard), but they even had better visibility in the shallow area where we were filming over another leading brand’s pair of polarized glasses (in all fairness, the other glasses we compared it to had a blue lens, so we aren’t going to name them since it wasn’t completely apples to apples in terms of lens color).
Cons of the Under Armour Captain Glasses
- Price: At $159.99 they are priced very fair compared to the leading competition, but I still know from talking to many anglers that not everyone can’t afford $150+ pair of glasses (which is why I listed it as a negative). However, I will go on record as to say that you usually get what you pay for, and once I purchased my first pair of $200 sunglasses quite a few years ago, I knew I would never go back to the gas station “polarized” glasses.
- The little cut-out on the arms of the glasses: This is super minor (and some of you may even love it), but my personal preference is to have one solid piece as the arm. However, I realize it does make the glasses much lighter, and with my longer hair, you can’t even really see it when I am wearing them. But just had to mention it as it was the only cosmetic part of the frame that I didn’t love (but it is growing on me).
Here is the video review of the Under Armour Captain Polarized Sunglasses
(Make sure to check out the end of the video when I put these glasses in front of the camera lens while it is pointed in the shallow water area where we were filming. You can get a glimpse of the polarized look on the lens)
Conclusion
Overall, I am pretty darn impressed with what Under Armour has done with these Captain Storm glasses… Especially for being out on the water fishing.
When I am out on the water for any extended period of time, my two main issues with polarized glasses are:
- They get heavy on my face and ears after many hours
- They start slipping off of my nose after lots of sweat and sunscreen
These Under Armour Captain glasses answer both of those problems for me, so I consider them a pretty good find.
In fact, there is a good chance you will see me wearing them in future fishing videos.
The fact that they are so light, along with the fact that you can adjust the nosepiece to perfectly fit your nose might make these my new favorite polarized glasses… But only time will tell.
P.S. – If you have any other questions about these UA sunglasses, give me a shout: joe@saltstrong.com
P.P.S. – In no way, shape, or form were we compensated for this Independent Review of the Under Armour Captain Storm sunglasses. To learn more about these Under Armour Captain Storm sunglasses, click here to visit the main Under Armour site.
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So I am in the market for my first pair of quality polarized fishing glasses. After looking at many reviews I am leaning toward Costas with the green mirror lens (I know you and Luke use Costas as well as some others also). A few others that have really gotten my attention though are Smith Optics and a newer brand, RCI Optics. Both are supposed to be top notch with great warranties and customer service. I was hoping you could offer some feedback or even a review. As an Insider Member I strongly value the unbiased reviews and opinions you guys provide. BTW I typically fish shallow saltwater as well as freshwater.
Thank you!
Charlie
Great, detailed review that addressed many concerns of wearing sunglasses on the water; the demo at the end putting the glasses over the camera lens was particularly effective. I was swayed by the adjustable nose grip and your explanation of how well they hold after hours on the water, sun screen and sweat, because no one sits still with their hands folded on the ocean, even if they don’t fish.
Thank you