Recently brought to the market by R.A.C.E., the same company that engineers and sells Rudy Project, XX2i Optics is a new line of performance sunglasses packed into value-priced packages.

Fit & Comfort
Crafted of strong and light grilamid frame material, the USA1 has a lightweight design (even for a full-rim frame) that offers a comfortable fit. The frame also has gripping rubber nosepads and temple ends that help keep this thicker frame design from bouncing, even during more rigorous activities such as mountain biking and technical trail running.

The nosepads and temples are also adjustable, a feature that offers wearers the option for a more customized, comfortable fit. The frame does feel slightly stiff, a point that created a small amount of discomfort during longer activities.  

Lens Clarity
The USA1 comes loaded with a polycarbonate lens that offers shatter-resistance and solid optics. The wrap design of the frame also affords a nice, wide field of vision. The five-lens kit and the frames’ interchangeable lens system gives you a lot of bang for your buck: lens tints include gray and brown for sunny conditions, yellow and clear for low light situations (and visual protection for evening activities), and red for medium light conditions. This package does not include polarized lenses, which helps keep costs down.

Still, XX2i Optics does offer the USA1 as a single frame-and-lens kit with a polarized lens for $80 and a polarized reading glass option for $100.

The only downside was that we found the USA1’s thicker frame profile caused a very slight amount of visual interference. A nice bonus, however, is that the USA1 frame is able to take a prescription sunlens.

Wind Resistance
The USA1’s full-coverage wrap design kept the wind out efficiently, even in windier conditions out on the trail. A venting system located near the temple endpieces above the lenses also helped minimize sweat and lens fogging.