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Julbo Vermont Classic — Leather side shields, unchanged since the 1950s
The classic

Leather side shields, unchanged since the 1950s

Julbo Vermont Classic

Category 4, leather shields, mineral glass option

4.3 on Amazon (22 ratings)

Still the reference for a reason, and the glass lens is optically better than anything plastic; it is also heavier, and the leather takes days to dry once soaked.

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What you get

  • Glass lens optics no polycarbonate matches
  • Leather shields seal properly against the face
  • Repairable and effectively permanent

What it costs you

  • Heavy on the nose over a long day
  • Leather stays wet
  • Glass will shatter if dropped on rock

Do not buy this if: Anyone who wants one pair for everything. This is a specialist tool bought by people who already own trekking sunglasses.

Treks we recommend this for

Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.

The alternatives

Everything else we recommend in glacier glasses, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.

Julbo Explorer 2.0 — Category 4 lenses for a day spent on snowBest overall

Category 4 lenses for a day spent on snow

Julbo Explorer 2.0

The right glasses for Island Peak or a snowbound pass, and the wrong glasses for everything either side of it — Category 4 is too dark to walk into a lodge or read a map in shade.

Skip it ifA teahouse trek. If your route never crosses a glacier or a long snow slope, Category 3 with side shields is enough and far more usable.