The Julbo Renegade is a very good all-around pair of sunglasses with a modern style frame and performance lenses. The Renegade looks great while riding or running and while hanging at the bar. For casual style sunglasses, these topped all others from XX2i and Zeal. They are incredibly comfortable and could be worn all day without much problem. The rubber inserts in the arms and nose provided nice cushion and good security. They were very lightweight and that goes a long way in all day comfort. They are also very stylish. With the bright orange lens and matte black frame, they definitely stand out. The frame is a little oversized and can bump into your cheeks. This is partly due to the design, but they are meant to fit a little larger size face. There is a female-specific model, the Resist, which is made much smaller but with all of the same features.

For a casual style frame, the lenses are packed with tech. They are a nice light brown tint that goes from almost totally clear (but the orange finish helps stop people seeing in) to a fairly dark brown tint when it gets bright. This feature is great when you are out on the trail but also works well while driving or hanging out on the rooftop bar after work. The Renegade, with all of its comfort and features, is still a little on the high end at $189. It is a very quality pair of sunglasses but is significantly more expensive than its competitors.

Comfort

The Renegade is very comfortable and lightweight coming in at only 28 grams. There are no hinges on the arms but there is still very little pressure around the ears. The soft rubber inserts provide a little padding as well. The Renegade was one of the widest fitting casual style frames and the most comfortable.

Lenses

The Reactive photochromic Zebra Light lens is a dramatic looking lens with its orange mirror finish. They tend to be on the light side, even so much that someone can see through the mirror finish. The photochromic feature is nice and does a great job when you are out on the trail in changing conditions. The downfall of these lenses is that they seem to be pretty sensitive to scratches. One nick from a branch while running and there is a noticeable divot in the lens. They also have a fair amount of wear that is more than expected from less than everyday wear. They are also difficult to keep clean and seem to attract dust and smudges. As with most high-end lenses they utilize Trivex NXT lenses that are lighter weight, more durable and have a higher clarity than polycarbonate lenses. That being said I felt that these specific lenses were not durable and showed some wear from regular use and were scratched after getting clipped by a branch while running.

Security of fit

The Julbo Renegade has a fairly wide fit but also sits securely thanks to the rubber inserts on the nose and arms. The rubber is soft and doesn’t pull hair and doesn’t slip or bounce when your sweating either. When riding over rocky terrain they did a great job of staying in place and did not bounce or move around. Even with a base 6 (“base” refers to the curvature of the lens/frame, 6 is fairly flat), they hold nicely when the going gets rough. The arms can be a little long when wearing with a hat but fit well under a helmet with no issues.

Peripheral vision

Peripheral vision is not great on these, mainly due to the full, square frame. The lens wraps pretty far around for square frames, so your forward vision is not obstructed at all. But peripheral vision and even trying to look to the side is not great. I did not have any issues with it and it was consistent with other similar style frames.

Coverage/Wind Protection

Coverage and wind protection were good thanks to the large square lenses. They also ventilated well and never had any problems with fogging up. They also did a good job of keeping dust and debris out of your eyes. Even with a wide frame they still sat snugly enough down on your face so that dust wasn’t able to blow in.