Field Journal

Stories Behind the Gear: VALLON
Written by Daniel Neilson // Photography by John Summerton
Produced in Partnership with VALLON

We pulled off Highway 5 at Burlington, Washington, at Chuckanut Junction, right by Tacos Tecalitlan and the baseball field at Burlington-Edison High School, keen to get onto the coastal road. Our destination was Semiahmoo on the Canadian border. We stopped at the Oyster Bar for half a dozen Samish Bay oysters and a smoked halibut chowder; both the fish and oysters were pulled out of the body of water we were overlooking. We were in Washington State for a multi-activity tour to see where the locals play. Where do they hike, bike, and kayak?

We continued north along Chuckanut Drive, every bit the classic Pacific Northwest coastal scenery. This region is home, as the locals are fond of telling you, to a temperate rainforest. It is one dominated by conifers: Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock, the state tree of Washington. Then we stopped in Larrabee State Park, the first designated state park in Washington, to explore the tide pools and trails. In the quiet, we heard the occasional da, da, da, da, da of a woodpecker and saw a couple of squirrels.

Farther north, as the trees scattered, we screeched to a halt as we spotted a bald eagle perched high on a burnt tree. I’d like to use adjectives such as ‘majestic’ or a term like ‘king of the forest’, but to be honest, it looked a little bedraggled, as if it had done eight rounds with a feisty hare. Chances are, it was still a little wet after picking a salmon or steelhead out of the bay.

We arrived at Semiahmoo and met Tori Ayers of Dragonfly Kayak Tours right away. It was late afternoon as we gently pushed out into Semiahmoo Bay. Seals lazed on the dock in the sunshine. We saw the coastline from a different perspective, paddling around the bay before leaving the mirror-flat waters, through the pincers of the natural harbour and into the Strait of Georgia. The sun, low in the sky, reflected off tranquil waves.

It was August and mostly hot. The days were long and, for our trip, dry. A pair of sunglasses was a constant companion, of course. Rare is the trip anywhere you don’t take a pair or two. But not all are equal. We were testing out a handful from VALLON.

VALLON was founded in 2019 by Swedish brothers Marcus and Richard Franck to make ‘the kind of sunglasses and goggles you’ll always want to keep, and which future generations will love to find, just as we once did. We seek to create sports eyewear classics.’

Let’s be honest, when it comes to sunglasses, style matters as much as performance, and VALLON are keenly aware of that. Aviators, 1960s styles, and classic mountaineering glasses with leather side shields all appear, as well as wraparound shield sunglasses designed for biking. They also make a range of ski goggles. VALLON have become known for durable and very light sunglasses with exceptional lens quality.

The brand claims that the V52 lenses are the highest-clarity sports lenses on the market, with UV400 protection that blocks 99–100 per cent of UV light. It’s also a company that recognises the environmental impact – for every pair of eyewear sold, 1kg of plastic waste is collected and recycled. There are other projects too. Buy the Malizia glasses, made from 85 per cent recycled fishing nets, and VALLON donate 10 mangroves to the Malizia Mangrove Park, in an effort to claw back some of the third of the world’s mangrove stocks destroyed in the past 40 years.

As we mountain biked, kayaked, hiked, and drove across Washington, we had the opportunity to test the glasses as they were intended. Below is an overview of the glasses we tested.

Ventures

These have become my go-to sunglasses. The Ventures are some of the most ‘classic’ looking in the range – along with the Daytrippers and Howlin’, and therefore one of the most versatile. These are for beach days, driving days, mountain days, cycling days and, well, pretty much anything else in between. VALLON offer more specific glasses, but I really liked these all-rounders. They are fitted with V52 sports optics that offer a super-clear view – this is really noticeable on particularly bright days and also when moving at speed, for example, on a bike. According to VALLON, the ABBE 52-value polarised lens offers the highest optical clarity of performance sunglasses on the market, and is 100 per cent UV400 protected. They also have sport hinges for additional durability and rubber nose pads for comfort.

The frames, made of of 45% bio-based materials, weigh a mere 26g. They’re barely noticeable on the head, given their lightweight and fit effortlessly. They come in six colour combinations: Dark-Tortoise-Silver, Sage, Brown, Black, Black-Blue and Brown-Orange. The Ventures are now my go-to and have since protected my eyes from the sun in West Africa and California.

Heron Ocean

The Heron Ocean sunglasses from VALLON are designed specifically, as you’d guess from the name, for anything to do with the water. On our trip, we wore them sea kayaking and whale spotting where light glares from everywhere. To combat that, these are inspired by classic alpine mountaineering glasses, with leather side shields and a detachable leather centrepiece that blocks the sunlight and protects against glare and wind. And, needless to say, they genuinely work. There is very little uncontrolled light that gets to your eyes through these, and this summer, they’ve already seen several outings on the paddleboard.

The frames are made from incredibly lightweight polyamide that flexes around your ears… these are not coming off, even with my wobbly sea kayaking. And while I avoided tipping in, I’m convinced they would have stayed on my head had I done so. The category three lenses have an anti-fog coating and offer UV400 protection. They are polarised, which means they reduce glare on the water. They really do bring a sharpness and clarity to the water.

Heron Mountain

The Heron Mountain are classic mountaineering sunglasses – the type you see in old alpine photographs, designed for mountaineers, ski tourers, and anyone who needs protection from the high-mountain sun and glare from snow. Most distinctively, they have leather side shields and a leather centrepiece (there’s also a nose protector available for £13). The lenses on the Heron Mountain are shatterproof category three lenses that fully protect your eyes on mountain days at any time of year. The frame is incredibly light at 25g and has adjustable temples that won’t come off.

Watchtowers

The distinctive 1980s-style wraparound Watchtowers are designed for cycling, and we tested them on the classic Washington singletrack of Galbraith Mountain. One of the overriding sentiments I was left with using VALLON was the comfort. These are all exceptionally designed, for comfort first, and then functionality. Once they have the fit, it’s about adding as many features as possible. The Watchtowers use shatterproof lenses developed with ZEISS for a hugely impressive clarity. It was definitely noticeable as we sped through the forest, in and out of the sun, where seeing is believing and trusting. The Watchtowers offer 100 per cent UV400 protection and a hydro-oleophobic coating that repels oil and residue. The frame is made from 85 per cent recycled fishing nets and weighs only 23g. There is a rubber temple grip that feels secure and comfortable, and comes with three different-sized silicone nose pads.