Set Your Sights on the Win with Under Armour Eyewear – Review

Ah, baseball season. Now being only a few weeks out from Spring Training, the countdown begins!

Baseball (or softball) has been a big part of my life for just about as far back as I can remember. From little league games to travel teams, it was my thing. I still remember the days of firing the ball from left field to first base or from home plate to second base just because I could, the “trick” of using soccer shin guards while playing third base, the constant bruises that lined my thighs between pitching and sliding, the pleasure you get in watching the other team back up when you step up to the plate (FYI, pitchers aren’t always the worst batters!), the sense of family amongst your teammates, the losses and the cries, the wins and the cheers, the love of the game. It was a way of life. ‘Til this day you can still catch me quoting phrases like “Legends never die,” “You’re killing me Smalls,” and “Can’t-hack-it pantywaist,” but “You play ball like a girl” is a compliment, not an insult, in my eyes. Any guesses as to what one of my favorite baseball movies might be? For my whole life, baseball has been so much more than “just a game.” Spring Training and opening day are reasons to celebrate and, last year, my love for the game was taken to a whole new level. You see, I got to play from the other side of the fence – as a parent.

Last year, our little guy began his own adventure as he started tee ball. Now, between the excitement for the season and the chaos of shopping for all of the necessary equipment there is one thing that I forgot about… the sun.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had a fly ball coming my way only to lose it in the sun. Over the years, I’ve had visors, sunglasses, hats, eye black, etc. and yet still never quite found the right product. For our little guy, however, I was determined to not make that same mistake. Instead of running through the massive amount of options all to no avail, I hoped to find him THE product the first time around. And, thankfully, with the help of Under Armour, I did just that.

I’ve been a fan of the Under Armour brand for quite some time now and, though I’ve primarily had my eyes on their clothing, shoes, and workout gear, I didn’t really take notice of their eyewear. You see, my sunglasses have always been the cheapy pairs that you’d usually find as a last minute grab somewhere in the checkout line. More often than not, they’d break a week or so in or they’d end up getting lost somewhere. The same held true for my little ones. For the most part, this worked decently well. However, the only downside was that they really didn’t fare well in the sun. Sure, they shaded and darkened the world around you but they really didn’t protect your eyes and, of course, this was a rather big “small” problem. Recently, however, I (or my little guy, rather) was given the opportunity to put Under Armour to the test.

This baseball season, Under Armour released a great new selection of youth sunglasses that are absolutely perfect for sport play.

At this year’s first practice, one of the little boys on the team forgot his hat. The result? He lost a fly ball in the sun and it came down only to catch him in the eye. Another little boy wasn’t paying attention as another child threw the ball to him; he got smacked square in the face with the ball. The result… broken glasses. I didn’t want that to be my little guy, my baby boy. And, thanks to Under Armour, it wasn’t.

You see, they were kind enough to outfit him and his little brother in their amazing new sunglasses and I could not be happier. The new line of youth performance eyewear features all of the same technology that the well-loved adult eyewear possesses. These sunglasses don’t only protect your child’s eyes from harmful UVA, UVB, and UVC rays but they also feature incredible impact-resistant lenses.

With this new line of eyewear, Under Armour took a page from the military’s book and got their inspiration from the tough aspect of tactical gear.

“The military-inspired ArmourSight polymer was created to withstand violent impact, translating into the ultimate protection in training and on-field play. ArmourSight provides the wearer with up to 20% enhanced vision edge-to-edge, delivered in a lens that is up to 10x stronger than polycarbonate lenses. ArmourSight lenses have rendered conventional decentered lenses obsolete.”

In addition to the build of the lenses themselves, their look is so much more than just great style. Each lens type has been designed to suit the wearer’s needs as well as prevent those ever so annoying scratches and water fogging.

For starters, the color of the lens has a lot to do with the eyewear’s performance.

“Under Armour recognizes that different situations and surroundings demand specific performance. One lens cannot be expected to handle all conditions. ArmourSight lenses have been developed to meet these needs head on with options that deliver performance how and when it’s needed.”

These lens tints are available in four different options:

• Gray: Ideal for speed, motion and true color recognition under bright sunlight
• Brown: Ideal for outdoor enthusiasts offering optimum depth perception
• Crimson: Ideal for low lighting conditions. A bright field of vision enhances color and visual acuity.
• Game Day: Ideal for ball sports to illuminate the object for quick and accurate recognition. Accurately pick moving targets out against sky or grass.

 

Then there’s the Multiflection feature.

“Multiflection is our patented lens technology that uses the most advanced lens coatings to eliminate staining and smudges. Multiflection lenses are also highly scratch-resistant, water-repellent, and easier to clean than traditional lenses.”

These Multiflection lenses are available in five different options:

• Infrared Mirror
• Orange Mirror
• Blue Mirror
• Gray Mirror
• Green Mirror

 

With a plethora of options to choose from, I let our little ones run through the collection and pick out their respective favorites. Our little leaguer opted for the Under Armour Youth Nitro L in Shiny Black with the Infrared Multiflection while our youngest chose the Youth Ace in Satin Black with the Blue Multiflection.

Our oldest is all about all things red so this was an obvious choice for him. Once we found out that his team color this season was white, opting for the all red everything in regard to his equipment and accessories was a no brainer and he was beyond thrilled to be able to add some spectacularly cool new eyewear to that list. Originally, I was a bit hesitant with his choice because the Youth Nitro L is actually a larger version of the original Youth Nitro option, hence the “L.” With our boys still being a bit young, I was worried that they’d be geared toward the older children as opposed to the younger ones. Worried that they’d be entirely too big on him, I was actually quite surprised to see that they actually fit quite well. While he certainly has some room to fully grow into them, they still work perfectly just as is. And best of all… he loves them!

I love that they protect him. From sunscreen for his fair skin and protective game equipment for his fragile little boy self, his precious little eyes were the one thing that I couldn’t truly protect from harm. Until now, that is. With Under Armour and this incredible line of performance youth eyewear, not only is he protected from the sun’s harmful rays and potential balls flying toward him but he looks mighty sharp with his stellar new gear.

Our little, little one on the other hand needed something geared towards children of a bit of a younger age. Thankfully, Under Armour did not disappoint in that department either. The original Nitro glasses were the perfect fit for him and he absolutely loves the color! After all, what little boy doesn’t love blue?

Now, for Mom and Dad, it was another story. As much as we, too, enjoy the game of baseball (only 73 days until THE Opening Day!), we needed our sunglasses to be suited for much more than a good ol’ game of catch. One thing in particular for our family is fishing. Once the warmer weather comes along, we are almost always out on the water. For that reason, the mister insisted on needing polarized sunglasses for himself. You see, when you’re out on the water, it acts as a giant mirror. The sun’s rays aren’t only shining down on you but they are bouncing off the water creating a harsh glare. In addition to this glare hurting your eyes sans sunglasses, it can also make it quite difficult to see. That is where polarization comes in.

He received the Under Armour Captain sunglasses in black and they have been a great asset to our on-water adventures.

Not only do these particular sunglasses help to keep the sun out of his eyes but they help to give him a clearer vision while out on the water. Although he is the one wearing them, my favorite aspect is the fit. He’s always been one to lose his glasses especially while out and about. With the Under Armour glasses however, they keep up with him and all of his craziness. Not only do they have an incredible fit that allow the wearer to truly go anywhere and do just about anything but these sunglasses further uphold the greatness that is the Under Armour brand. How, you ask? They are durable. That, of course, is the number one aspect needed for any sportswear product. If you asked him, he could probably talk your ear off rambling about how truly amazing these glasses are because he really does absolutely love them! Before getting these sunglasses, he was the guy that would walk around town with a goofy tan line from wearing a hat just about all day, every day. Since upgrading his accessories with these handsome little sunglasses, he’s become the “cool dude” guy according to the kids. Snazzy sunglasses – check. Cool dad status – achieved.

Now, that leaves me.

I’ve never been the girl that has too many shoes or too much jewelry. Instead, I’m the one that has too many sunglasses. Of course, I would chalk that up to the fact that, prior to now, I’ve always bought one cheap pair after another and they’d often wind up broken due to my wearing them so often. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those girls that are or ever was into the silly bug-eyed glasses that are five sizes too big for your face. I’m the girl that loves the outdoors but hates to be “blinded by the light” per say. Despite having lived in the south where the sun is almost always shining, too much light really does bother my eyes. Heck, even the sun peeking through on cloudy days and reflecting off of the car driving in front of me will get me squinting. For that reason, I always have some sort of sunglasses with me. However, despite having hundreds over the years, I’ve never found THE pair for me. Until now that is. While Under Armour outfitted my family with great selections for the guys, I was skeptical when it came to something for me. Thankfully, they proved me wrong with their Marbella sunglasses.

While I did love the pink version, they were a bit too girly for my taste. I ended up going with the black option featuring the Peapod Green rubber accents. Much like the aforementioned Under Armour glasses, these have an incredible fit. The rubber helps to keep the glasses in place regardless of what activity you’re doing. I was actually able to even enjoy many carnival and theme park rides with the kids without having to worry about needing to take them off. Boating? No problem! A day out on the jet skis? Done! Running around the park with the kids and the dog? Of course! These Under Armour glasses are, by far, my most favorite sunglasses to date and I cannot wait to be able to put them to use come springtime! As much as I am personally looking forward to the spring, I am glad to be able to say that these are also all season sunglasses! As I’m sure many of you know, the snow acts in the same way as water does in regard to the sun’s reflection. So, if you see me shoveling my driveway donning these snazzy glasses, know that it’s because not only can I enjoy the outdoors despite the sun’s ever-bouncing rays but when the sudden snowball fight comes along, I’m game! We’re game!

Thanks to Under Armour, we’re covered!

Buy:
You can purchase Under Armour eyewear as well as many more products direct from the Under Armour website as well as from many sporting goods retailers, both, online and in-stores nationwide.

Connect:
Be sure to keep up with the Under Armour brand on social media by following along on their Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages. There, you can stay up to date on all of the latest news, sale prices, special promotions, new product releases, and so much more!

 

*Randi received the above product(s), free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions featured here are hers alone.