Julbo once again comes through with a stylish, functional pair of shades that can perform on the slopes or around the town with equal aplomb. That's a fancy word for style, you gear apes! And this one is for the ladies - men, see the larger framed MonteBianco.
Julbo knows glacier glasses, and while the MonteRosa lacks the brow piece that would qualify them for extended glacier travel, they can easily handle anything else on the mountains, snow or water thanks to the removable snap-in side shields.
The fit overall is a perfect design of style and performance; the MonteRosa mimics stylish about-town shades but packs in technical features that will carry you through backcountry adventures. The easy-on/off temples are just awesome, with a flexible design and narrow grabber strips that provide just the right amount of traction, even when sweaty. Not that you'll sweat, you'll be too busy looking cool.
There are three lens choices: the economical Spectron 4, the higher-performance photochromic/anti-fog Zebra, and the top shelf Camel, which adds NTS technology to ensure flawless transitions regardless of temperature. The Zebras get much darker, going from 7 to 42 percent light transmission versus 5 to 20 percent for the Camel. Neither is recommended for driving, and we understand the manufacturers concerns but in our experience they work just fine everywhere.