Optic Nerve Omnium PM and Vahstro Review

Optic Nerve is based out of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, right outside of Denver.  They have been around for 25 years and are a smaller company that produces pro quality sunglasses that are tested not only by top athletes, but the average weekend warrior too.  They believe it is better to provide good service and top quality shades for a fair price instead of spending money on expensive endorsement.  I was given two sunglasses to test.  The Vahstro, which has interchangeable lenses, and the Omnium PM, which does not come with interchangeable lenses, but does come with photocromatic lenses.

Optic Nerve Omnium

The OmnuimPM has a photocromatic lens that adjust the tint according to various light conditions.  It comes with a hydrophobic lens coating that repels water, oil and dust.  The lens is called Rose to Smoke, meaning that it has a reddish tint which provides accurate colors, contrast and definition.  They darken in brighter conditions and the transition only takes 7-11 seconds, which happens without you even noticing. 

These are extremely light weight, weighing in at just over an ounce.    They come with dual injected an adjustable nose bridge and temples to keep the Omnium PM in place.  These didn’t move or bounce around and were so comfortable that I didn’t even realize I was wearing them after a while.  They are made for people with slightly narrow faces.  The one complaint that I had is that it just didn’t work with the shape of my face, it rode too high.  It is nothing against the sunglasses, they just didn’t fit my funky shaped head very well (this is a common thing for me).

Optic Nerve offers a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects.  The Omnium PM was picked as the 2012 Runner’s World Gear of the Year and is an excellent pair of sunglasses, if they fit you.  They are a great value too at $89.00. 

Pros:

Very light weight

Can use in variable light conditions

Great fit, doesn’t bounce or move around

Lifetime warranty against manufactures defects.

Great value ($89.99)

Cons:

Just not right for my face (but it will probably work for most people)

Optic Nerve Vahstro

The Vahstro (pronounced Va-Strow) is a great all-purpose sunglass kit.  It comes with four lenses, polarized smoke, copper, orange, and clear.  The clear lens lets 100% of the light through and is for extreme low light situations.  The orange lens lets 64% of the light through and is good for variable light conditions.  The copper lens lets 27% of the light through and is for general or variable light conditions.  The polarized smoke lens let 15% of the light through.  This is the lens I used most of the time and provides accurate color and definition in sunny conditions. 

The Vahstro also comes with the hydrophobic lens coating and the frame is made from TR90, which is an extremely durable nylon resin that prevents breaking and stretching.  This is the first of OpticNerve’s sunglasses to offer their “sideswipe” technology, which makes it simple to change the lenses.  These are the easiest sunglasses to swap lenses and I have tried quite a few in my days. 

The Vahstro has triple injected rubber at the temple tips and nose bridge, which does a great job of keeping them in place and deters bouncing while running.  They are made for people with average sized faces and I feel that they were a great fit for me. 

The only thing that I didn’t like is that the sunglasses come with a hard case and a bag with separators for the lenses.  While this works, you have two separate things to carry and I think that it would be better if there was a spot in the case for the lenses to be held along with the sunglasses.  Not a big deal, but it would be nice.

Pros:

Very light weight

Can use in variable light conditions

Great fit, doesn’t bounce or move around

Lifetime warranty against manufactures defects.

Great Value ($109.00)

Cons:

I wish the hard case had separate spots for the lenses. 

As with all Optic Nerve sunglasses, you get a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects.  These are great sunglasses that you can use in all different light conditions.  They were very easy to swap out the lenses and I would recommend these if you are looking for a great pair of sunglasses with a lot of features. 

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.