For years, Costa has been the go-to for anglers, beach goers, and water sports enthusiasts. Their glare-reducing polarized lenses are perfect for any water-based activity. If you don’t spend much time on or near the water, Costa might not be the first name you think of when it comes to sunglasses.
Over the past few years, I’ve spent more and more time in Costa’s “lifestyle” glasses for everything from driving to cycling to running. The Paunch has emerged as one of my all-time favorite sunglasses for its timeless shape, the versatile design features and its crystal clear optics that cater to my active lifestyle. But most of all, especially in 2023, its durability. In mid-May, while practicing soccer with my daughter, one of her shots on goal ricocheted off the crossbar right into my temple. It hurt. But my sunglasses emerged undamaged. Two weeks later, while on a trail run, I tripped in a rock garden, and slammed my face into a large rock. The fall resulted in stitches, a swollen face, chipped tooth, and broken ego. My sunglasses…unscathed. Maybe other glasses would have also survived. Maybe not. Either way, if the Paunch can survive those two scenarios, provide protection from sun whenever and wherever I ask, and do so with style, it deserves to be crowned my favorite sunglasses of the year.
Technical Details
- 100% UV protection
- Costa 580® lenses – absorbs High-Energy Blue Light (HEV), enhances reds, greens, blues, filters out harsh yellows.
- Available in polycarbonate or glass lenses
- Fits small to medium faces. Also available in Paunch XL
$231 | Buy direct from Costa
Photo courtesy of Costa