Review – Oakley Split Jacket sunglasses for trail running

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This review covers the popular, athlete’s favorite eyewear, the Oakley Split Jacket sunglasses. I have been a fan of Oakley sunglasses for many years, however it wasn’t until I started seriously training in trail running and mountain ultra running, as well as skiing and cycling, that I bought my first pair of Split Jacket sunglasses.

The Oakley Split Jacket sunglasses
The Oakley Split Jacket sunglasses

I love to run long distances over challenging terrain, so it made sense for me to look at versatile, strong and light sunglasses. Oakley are a brand with reputable quality and a large range of fashionable eye wear, so this was my first port of call. There’s something about wearing a pair of these Oakley sunglasses that makes you want to get after it harder, I think it’s because they look so seriously sporty that it tells the rest of your body (plus probably everyone else around you) that you mean business!

They generally look good and fit well. Post Bristol Half Marathon selfie with Helen.
They generally look good and fit well. Post Bristol Half Marathon selfie with Helen.

Oakley Split Jacket sunglasses weight

I’d read before purchasing that the Oakley Split Jackets weighed in at 28g.

When I first put these sunglasses on, I was still amazed at how light they felt on my face. And after having my first cycle with them on, which lasted about an hour, I felt no pain or any feeling of ever having worn them! Now that was a pretty amazing sensation for me, as every other sport sunglasses I’ve owned, have left me with a little headache after wearing them for that long. The only downside I noticed to wearing the Split Jackets when cycling is the slight loss of downward visibility due to there being a frame on the bottom of the lens. If you’re a dedicated cyclist, then you may prefer glasses without a bottom frame, that way you won’t miss any of the road.

The glasses stay put on my cap even when negotiating gnarly terrain at speed. This is due to the very clever Unobtainium® components on the bridge pieces and arms. Photo taken during the Keswick Mountain Festival 50KM Ultra Marathon.
The Oakley Split Jacket glasses stay put on my cap even when negotiating gnarly terrain at speed. This is due to the very clever Unobtainium® components on the bridge pieces and arms. Photo taken during the Keswick Mountain Festival 50KM Ultra Marathon.

How Oakley Split Jackets are designed to stay on while doing sports

Another thing I noticed when riding my bike and wearing the Split Jackets was the fact they didn’t move around at all. They fit so well and were so light that they just stayed put when going over pot holes in the roads. This could also have something to do with the Unobtainium® components on the nose pieces and arms that increase grip with sweat. Sounds clever doesn’t it.. It actually works too.

Review - Oakley Split Jacket sunglasses for trail running 1 - Trail and Kale | Trail Running & Adventure

The Split Jackets also come with the ability to swap out the lenses. This is very useful if you cycle or ski a lot. Being able to switch to a lens that allows you to see the terrain better in changing light conditions is invaluable. These Oakley sunglasses come with a spare pair of different toned lenses. Its also cheaper in the long run, and also means you don’t need lots of pairs of sunglasses. It only takes a minute to change the lenses. The easy to use locking system controlled by the nose pieces is what allows the top and bottom of the frames to “split”. Genius!

Were great during the Chamonix Vertical Kilometre
Full confidence in them not breaking or getting lost during the Chamonix Vertical Kilometre

Oh and the Split Jackets come with a protective pouch which doubles as a lens cleaner, spare nose pieces and a hard case to put it all in for protection when travelling!

Equally good for ski touring! :D
Equally good for ski touring! 😀

Ok so they aren’t the cheapest sunglasses on the shelf, but are they worth it? YES!

They stick well to the face on fast runs like the Bristol to Bath Road Marathon seen here. In fact the more you sweat, the stickier the Unobtainium® components seem to get. Amazing!
They stick well to the face on fast runs like the Bristol to Bath Road Marathon seen here. In fact the more you sweat, the stickier the Unobtainium® components seem to get. Amazing!
Running the beautiful trails of Chamonix.
Running the beautiful trails of Chamonix. As you may have noticed, I take them everywhere with me.

No flies on me (or in my eyes, at least).

Did I mention these Oakleys keep flies out your eyes and even stop your eyes watering when running fast during the colder months. Yes, other glasses do this too, but may they don’t have all the other benefits of the Oakley Split Jackets! 🙂

If you have anything to add or any questions, please leave a comment down the bottom. Either way, I’d love to hear from you!

Alastair
Alastairhttps://www.trailandkale.com
As the founder of Trail & Kale, and seasoned marathoner & ultrarunner, Alastair loves bringing our readers independent running shoe reviews and gear insights to help you run your best. Learn more about Trail & Kale here.

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