Tifosi has long offered budget-friendly sunglasses for active folks, especially in the biking and running realms. A couple years back, I was particularly impressed with the Moab. Since then, the company has iterated a couple times, offering a slightly stripped down version as the Moab Lite and now offering a fully frameless option as the Moab XC. I keep thinking to myself, “Well, I loved the Moab…” And so I keep testing them out as they release. How is the Moab XC? I’ll tell you.
Tifosi Moab XC Sunglasses Features:
- Comes with either interchangeable lenses or Fototec photochromic lenses
- Hydrophilic rubber nose pieces and ear pieces provide a nonslip grip
- Adjustable ear pieces allow for a comfortable and customized fit
- Lenses are optically decentered to eliminate distortion and prevent unwanted magnification
- MSRP: $79.95-$89.95
Like the Moab, But Frameless
Off the bat, let’s talk about aesthetics. Shield-style sunglasses are a look in any circumstance. You love them or you don’t. When you remove the frame entirely from a shield-style pair of sunglasses, it accentuates that big ol’ lens. I felt I was stylistically riding the line with the Moabs and the Moab Lites, but for me, the XC pushes a little too into Pit Viper territory. Looks are subjective, so if you dig it, you dig it. No further questions. They’re just a little too shield-y for me in their stripped down form.
Functionality-wise though, they do the trick! They have good optical clarity. No ripples or blips in the lens on my pair. And they are yet to get a scratch, though I will admit that I store them fastidiously and guard my sunglasses carefully. My one year old son has grabbed them off my face and thrown them on the floor several times… thanks, Ian. Other than that though, they’ve had a clean, abrasion-free life in my hands.
The Moab XCs wear comfortably, as far as I’m concerned. The nose-piece is moldable, as are the ear-pieces. The out of the box fit was prone to bouncing on my face a bit when I ran in them, but with a little tweaking of the nose piece in particular, I was able to get a good, seated fit, and all the bobbing and jostling stopped. I’ve worn the Moab XCs for hours at a time – on long runs and mountain bike rides – and I’ve never come away feeling like they have any odd pressure points. That’s the way it ought to be!
Comfort on the eyes is decent too. My pair is the Forest Vapor colorway, and that means that it comes with 3 interchangeable lenses – one reflective yellow Clarion lens (read moisture-repelling), one red lens for low-light use, and one clear lens. I’ve spent most of my time in testing using the yellow Clarion lens, mostly just swapping lenses for the sake of understanding the ease of the process. It is fairly easy to get the arms off one lens and onto another, but removing the nose-piece from a lens is more challenging. It’s very much a two-handed affair.
That yellow Clarion lens is a fine multi-purpose one though. It’s shaded enough to make a difference in full sun conditions, but not so tinted as to render you blind when you run or ride into the forest. As a person with sensitive eyes, I would’ve preferred the lenses to be a bit more tinted, but that would be my pale blue eyes talking. From that same position, I’d like to see Tifosi do offer a polarized lens option. It’s remained a gap in their lineup for some time. Still, for a pair of sunglasses that’s easy on the wallet, fair enough. Some fancy features may just not be in the cards.
What about Fototec photochromic lenses?
Jason has been testing the Tifosi Moab XC in the Kinetic Blue Frame with Clarion Blue Fototec lenses for several months of hiking, trail running, road and gravel cycling. The Fototec lens with Clarion tint changes from 46% to 13% VLT based on light conditions. With that wide spectrum of light-to-dark tint, it’s easy to transition from early morning shadows to bright sunlight — typical of his morning routine. On the Murdock Canal Trail nearby, there are several underpasses that help further display the versatility of these lenses as they adapt quickly to the darkness and back into the light.
Jason has also found them to fit comfortably — using the adjustable nose and temple tips. Notably, the nose bridge can be easy to tweak when cleaning the lenses, so keep an eye on that.
Compatibility with various helmets has been great. Jason has tested them successfully with the Kask Elemento, POC Cytal, Cannondale Dynam MIPS, S-Works Evade 4 and others. Kask is notorious for interfering the temple tips, but everything has been copacetic. Keep in mind that the large shields may tap the underside of the helmet brow — not unique to the Tifosi Moab XC. Durability has matched Nate’s experience and they remain his top choice for all-day training.
Buy Now: Available from Tifosi
The Bottom Line
Da Shields
If the looks are right for you, these sunglasses will give you a good, wide field of vision, optical clarity, and an adjustable, comfortable fit. Changing lenses isn’t as easy as it is with other frames, but it’s far from impossible. For the money, they are a solid deal. And, if you opt for their Fototec photochromic lens, you lose the extra lenses, but gain a do-it-all lens that just plain works from morning until evening on any type of adventure you throw at them.
The Good:
- Impressive optical clarity
- Great, un-interrupted field of vision
- Moldable nose-piece and arms make for a comfortable, bounce-free fit
- No pressure-points
- Super coverage
The Bad:
- Changing lenses can be a bit challenging
- Would love to see a polarized option for water sports
- Too easy to tweak the nose piece out of shape
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Optical Quality
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Adjustability/Fit
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Field of Vision
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Style
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Value