FKT Gear is a fairly new sunglasses company with founders that love the trails and wanted to create high-end, premium sunglasses optimized for a trail environment that involves quick shifts in lighting and plenty of dust.
The husband and wife founding team are big hikers based in southwest Montana. It’s obvious they appreciate high-end outdoor gear when you get FKT Gear sunglasses in hand.
The overall quality of the sunglasses stands out above everything else. Sunglasses need plastic frames for weight purposes, but making a molded piece of plastic (nylon blend) feel premium isn’t easy. Premium lenses are also not easy, especially for young companies.
There’s a big difference between the lenses on gas station sunglasses and Oakleys, but in between there’s a ton of space and brands with various takes on what makes for a great lens. The lenses used by Smith, Roka and Oakley are so much clearer, lighter, and easier to clean than those at lower price points. All FKT Gear’s lenses also maintain 100% UVA/UVB protection (a must have in any sunglasses). FKT Gear has come out of nowhere with lenses that are on par with the three high-end brands above.
And, FKT Gear glasses are made in Italy, like several other high end sunglasses brands, so FKT Gear can draw on the expertise in the region. That’s a great move for a young company.
It makes sense, because cheap lenses just can’t keep up on the trails. They don’t adjust quickly enough when moving from shadow to light and vice versa (I’m not referencing photochromic lenses that actually change based on the light, but the ability to handle when shadows and bright light clash and still provide a clear picture). If you’re constantly running or biking trails, you have to pay for better quality. FKT Gear really chose its niche and actual a product to suit it.
I like this a lot more than bigger companies who repurpose existing sunglasses and, after a few super small adjustments, claim it’s the answer to a new market segment.
But FKT Gear doesn’t stop there. Its attention to detail includes the extras, the packaging, and even the delivery box. Every pair comes with both a microfiber cleaning cloth and a microfiber storage bag. With almost all other sunglasses brands, you only get one or the other.
For such a young company, FKT Gear is surprisingly on point across the entire consumer experience. It’s a luxury sunglass brand experience for not quite luxury prices, yet with high-end performance.
I don’t think you can go wrong with choosing FKT Gear as the brand for your next sunglasses, but here are several of my favorite styles (all named from iconic US trails).
FKT Lickskillet
Pros
- Lightweight
- Full coverage
- Great lens quality
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- Adjustable nosepiece
Cons
- Not polarized (a mixed bag when trail focused)
- Lets some light and glare in from the sides
- Slight movement if you don’t get the nosepiece fit right
- Best for large heads
The FKT Gear Lickskillet is a shield style sunglass without a full frame but with full coverage (so full that several people told me they’re too big for my head and would only work if I was wearing a bike helmet). It’s light for a full coverage shield and wraps sufficiently to prevent much light from entering around the sides. There are three different color lenses/frames to choose from, and the adjustable nosepiece and built-in temple grips ensure a tight fit. The zig zag arms add a bit of style not found in many shield style sunglasses. Price: $149
FKT Convoluted Bliss
Pros
- Lightweight
- Full coverage
- Great lens quality
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- Adjustable nosepiece
Cons
- Occasional fogging
- Not polarized (a mixed bag when trail focused)
- Slight movement if you don’t get the nosepiece fit right
- Best for large heads
The FKT Gear Convoluted Bliss is a shield style sunglass with a full frame (that also suffers from the width problem that only makes it a good fit for mountain bikers). It’s light for a fully framed shield and wraps sufficiently to prevent much light from entering around the sides. There are three different color lenses/frames to choose from, and the adjustable nosepiece and built-in temple grips ensure a tight fit. The zig zag arms add a bit of style not found in many shield style sunglasses.
Fitting the Convoluted Bliss in the microfiber bag is a bit tight…They need a bigger bag for this big boy frame. But if you’re a mountain biker, that frame is going to keep out a lot of dust. So your use case will determine whether the size is a good or bad thing for you. Price: $149
FKT Mineral King
Pros
- Lightweight
- Great lens quality
- Classic look
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- Built-in rubber nosepiece
- Super flexible
- goodr anti new years resolution 2021 running sunglasses
Gg0516s Black Sunglasses | Cons
- Not polarized (a mixed bag when trail focused)
- Lets some light and glare in from the sides
- No adjustable nose piece
The FKT Gear Mineral King fits like a glove. The bendable and grippy temples keep the glasses locked into place no matter the difficulty of the trail you’re tackling (the frames even bend outward). I’ve worn a ton of sunglasses over the years, and these moved the least. There are three different color lenses/frames to choose from, but all of them will stay put.
If you have a hard time finding glasses that stay where you want them to, then the Mineral King and its classic look will be appealing. Price: $139
For more sunglasses recommendations, you can see Dean square frame sunglasses.
Disclosure
While FKT Gear did provide pairs of it’s sunglasses to facilitate our reviews, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.
