SojoS Round Vintage Review

We tested the SojoS Round Vintage with Brown Gradient lenses. They're a Large fit pair of shades that come with a microfiber bag and microfiber cleaning cloth.

Performance Comparison

These oversized glasses are a bit much for some of our testers' small faces.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Lens Quality

The Brown Gradient lenses of the SojoS offer solid clarity and color. They're pretty true to life in their color rendering, rather than skewing shades too much. The gradient isn't too extreme, transitioning from a darker section (about two-thirds of the lens) at the top to a lighter section at the bottom. We like how this feels to wear and found it pretty useful to look through.

These glasses lack any anti-reflective coating on the insides of the lenses but are far from the worst when it comes to being able to see your own face. Since the lenses are quite large, it's possible to see reflections of some things around you on the outside edges but it's not horribly distracting. They're a bit too light to work well in bright light though; they're much better suited to lower light situations.

Not a bad gradient, though these lenses are very light in color.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Comfort

Weighing 30 grams the SojoS are on the heavier end of the spectrum. They're surprisingly comfortable for being so incredibly oversized, even on smaller faces. They have long bows to help even out their balance and stop them from sliding down the nose. Metal loops on the ends of the bows look cool but are fairly scratchy to put on and take off if you're not paying attention.

They're pretty well balanced for how big and heavy they are.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Style and Versatility

It's clear to see that the SojoS Round Vintage are a very specific style. They have an oversized retro look, rather than contemporary fashion. They are exceptionally large, appearing almost comically huge on some of our smaller-headed testers. Interestingly, the lenses extend over the front of the frame around the top, even extending out almost far enough to meet the bows. This gives them a pretty unique look, with some of the oddest-shaped lenses we've ever tested.

Not everyone loved these, but on certain faces, they are really stylish.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Frame Quality

These acetate frames are fairly average in pretty much every way. They feel fine and are relatively sturdy. Standard three-barrel metal hinges do a solid job, though ours were a tad wobbly. We're not in love with the metal sticking out the backs of the bows, but it doesn't seem in any danger of falling out.

The metal on the backs of the bows can be a bit scratchy.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Coverage

These exceptionally large lenses provide good coverage in areas where their flat frames may otherwise leave you exposed — like the tops and, to some extent, the sides. In an unexpected twist, the unique shape lets light come through around the bridge.

Large lenses add coverage, though they are quite flat across the front.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Case Quality

These glasses come with a microfiber double-drawstring bag and a medium-sized microfiber cleaning cloth.

Microfiber case and cleaning cloth to go along.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg

Value

If you're in love with this oversized style and don't mind the lack of serious sun protection, these low-cost frames make a good budget fashion accessory.

Conclusion

The SojoS Round Vintage are a very large pair of retro-styled shades with just enough of a flair to make them unique. They're a bit too light and oddly shaped to offer the level of sun protection we expect, but they're inexpensive and have an interesting look many folks enjoy.

Backyard birding in these light-colored lenses.

Photo: Maggie Brandenburg