First Look: Smith Hookset Sunglasses

Photo: Courtesy Smith Optics

Smith Optics’ newest frame and lens combo has been out for a while now, and I’ve had the good fortune of wearing them for four or five months.

Sunglasses are hard to review because they’re arguably the most subjective piece of gear for anglers. A good fly rod is usually recognized as good, even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Sunglasses, though? They’re literally the lens through which we see the world, and folks will always differ on what they like and don’t like.

That said, I’d be surprised if someone didn’t enjoy the Hookset frames, paired with the Brown Green Mirror ChromaPop Glass PolarChromic lenses. Yes, that’s a mouthful, but those lenses are what makes this new pair of glasses worth consideration.

Smith spent the past couple of years working to release the first true revolution in sunglasses technology in years. Yes, new lens tints have been released, and every manufacturer has new frames ready to drop at a moment’s notice. But since the advent of ChromaPop, 580, or Prism lenses about a decade ago, has there been an intuitive leap forward in sunglasses design?

Not really. That is, until the ChromaPop Glass PolarChromic lenses.

These lenses marry Smith’s proprietary ChromaPop technology with a brand-new PolarChromic lens that changes its tint based on the amount of UV light hitting the glass. That means the lenses lighten up in low-light situations, and darken when it’s bright and sunny. Essentially, you’re getting two sets of lenses in one.

It’s not just a marketing gimmick, either. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve worn these lenses for four or five months now, and they’ve quickly become my go-to lens, displacing even the new Gold Mirror lenses from Costa. That’s not a knock on Costa at all, because I love their lenses (the Gold Mirror, especially, are just fantastic for trout fishing). Rather, it’s a bit of praise to Smith for raising the bar so high. With the ChromaPop Glass PolarChromic lenses, I can wear my sunglasses even in low-light, overcast days like you often experience in Alaska, and not need another pair when it gets too sunny.

The new frames are incredibly comfortable, as well. The Hookset frames are a good middle ground between the larger-framed Guide’s Choice that Smith makes, and some of their slimmer models.

Overall, I’m impressed as all get out with these lenses, and I look forward to seeing what’s next from Smith.