Moab, 1997: Two mountain bikers were sick and tired of subpar choices in lens technology. So, they struck out to make superior sunglasses for outdoor pursuits, and Zeal was born. Fast forward to 2017: Zeal Optics is now headquartered in Boulder, CO, and they’ve continued their quest to take outdoor lens technology to the next level. They had some exciting additions in both their goggle and sunglasses lines at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.
To me, the most “oh wow” product in the Zeal Optics booth was the Automatic+ Goggle. “One lens, every condition” is the tagline for these bad mothers, and the idea is simple: the photochromic/polarized lenses change tints to match contrast needed in a variety of lighting conditions. Anyone who’s ridden in the Wasatch Mountains can attest to the need for a variety of lens options. With the Zeal Automatic+, it’s simply a matter of letting your goggles adjust when it goes from bluebird to whiteout. No more carrying a backup lens in your jacket, and dealing with an often annoying swap out. The Automatic+ will be offered in two tint options: Zeal Grey Base (a light grey baseline for low light and rose tint for sunshine) and Zeal Yellow Base (yellow low light and persimmon for bluebird). Think of them as transitions lenses for your goggles, but way more advanced.
For those of us who prefer the frameless goggle look, Zeal introduced the Portal RLS series. RLS= Rail Lock System; these are swappable lenses that lock into place on a dual rail system. Magnets within the goggles help you line things up, and then it’s just a matter of sliding the guides into place on the rails. It sounds a bit complicated, but even my clumsy ass was able to figure it out with a little help from Zeal’s Brand Director, Mike Lewis. This is one of the fastest lens swap systems out there, and the rails assure that once your lock in, your lens won’t fly off the frames when your next yard sale happens. Both the Portal RLS and Automatic+ series will be on the market for Winter 2017-18.
Once it’s time for the apre scene, or just a different outdoor pursuit, you can keep the UVs out of your eyes with Zeal’s new lineup of sunglasses. These shades feature a modern look, and would be ideal for anything from fly fishing to mountain biking. The big kicker here: none of the glasses are made with oil-based technology. Yes, good old crude oil is used to make damn near everything we use these days, from stuff sacks to sunglasses. Zeal found a way to manufacture sunglasses frames with plant-based materials (castor beans of all things, thanks Walter White!), and the result is a good looking pair of shades that won’t make Mother Earth weep. The shades will be available for purchase later this year.
If advanced technology and clean design principles aren’t enough of a reason to check out the Zeal lineup, how about this: the company is serious about giving back. Second Mile Water, Protect Our Winters, and Adaptive Adventures are just a few of the foundations that Zeal has partnerships with in an effort to lessen their carbon footprint, and promote social change. See clear, save the world!