Folding sunglasses have been around for decades. The Italian label Persol claim their 714 as the first-ever commercialised foldable design. Since then, beyond the classic designs and some iconic examples from the 1970s, new innovations in this area had been fairly scarce, until in 2017, the Californian start-up ROAV came along with a robust, screwless patented metal design, launching via Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform.
ROAV frames are made from 0.6mm stainless steel – they say they are thinner than an iPhone – and have micro hinges “press-formed” into the metal. Folding at the nose bridge, sides and along the temples, the whole frame packs down to fit snugly into a soft, flexible ‘pouch’ or case that’s under 7 cms wide. Every detail is there to make them easy to pull out and put away and convenient for travellers, weekenders and those who love a slim tech design for practicality and ease with enough detail in the styling to make them wearable.
For the most part, the shapes are straightforward and timeless and suit most faces, with regular black or gunmetal and a few more flashy colours such as gold (see above). The very flat TAC polarised sun lenses – which provide standard 100% UV400 protection (scratch and shatter resistant) vary from traditional hues for a tone-on-tone effect with matching frame to super bright acid mirror tones of red or green.
ROAV sunglasses are available online and, increasingly through opticians, and they come with a 2 year defect free warranty which means your style will be fixed or replaced during that time if you find any problems. For more information, visit www.roaveyewear.com or in the UK go to www.roavuk.com CN