The Box sunglasses by Dragon Alliance are a tribute to the brand’s 30 years in the optics game, mixing 90s fashion with modern technology.
Harkening back to Dragon’s early days as pioneers of the SoCal action sports scene, the old-school, wrap-around design reminds me of days gone by when snowboarding, skating and surfing were going through their adolescent years. Dominated by untamed wildmen such as Shawn Palmer, Andy Irons and Tony Alva. Dem were the days!
While retaining its classic silhouette and shape, the limited release has undergone some subtle updates. The Box now boasts enhancements such as:
- Dragon’s exclusive Lumalens color optimization which evenly disperses light without diminishing specific portions, effectively eliminating the disruptive glare from water surfaces. This results in a genuine and unaltered perception of natural colors.
- Injection molded plant-based resin frame
- Performance Polarized lens, with a reflective, smoke tint
- 3 frame colorways – Black, White and Matt Black
The Box allows wearers, young and old to revisit the 90s while embracing the future, and looking pretty damn cool whilst they are at it!
The Fit
These shades fit like a glove! The main body and lenses of The Box model curve around your face with the straight legs further wrapping around the back of your head. This creates a comfortable but very stable fit for a wide variety of head and face shapes.
Such a design not only holds well to your face but also gives an even weight distribution which means that they won’t fall off when looking down, when doing sports or when head banging to old Pearl Jam albums. It´s no surprise that this style of shade was the top choice for extreme sports athletes in the 90s.
Wearing these again (I actually owned a pair in the 90s) makes me wonder why style moved away from such a comfortable, practical and good-looking style of sunglasses… I guess that’s fashion for you.
The Build
The build quality of The Box sunglasses is as can be expected from a premium brand such as The Dragon Alliance.
The Injection molded plant-based resin frame is both strong and flexible, able to deal with the rigours of both action sports and everyday life. What I liked about the build on these sunglasses is the large contact area between the legs and body. This adds lots of stability that many other sunglasses lack and adds lots of durability when being chucked around whilst out on adventures.
The Lenses
Dragon Alliance is well known for the high quality of their Lumalens technology, available in both their sunglasses and snowboard goggles.
These lenses are very scratch-resistant (Even surviving a few drops whilst drunk dancing in a busy bar). They should easily survive the pockets, glove boxes and backpacks of daily living without picking up any damage.
The smoke tint along with the polarized filter makes them ideal for both snow and ocean adventures. Vastly reducing glare while still providing clear vision and of course, protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays.
What’s more, the lenses can be popped out of their sockets making them easier to clean.
Dragon Alliance -The Box Sunglasses – The Final Verdict
I have owned and consistently worn these glasses for just over a month now and they have gone from a novelty throwback item to my daily drivers.
Whether it be driving, snowboarding, splitboarding or surf-checking these sunglasses provide amazing sun protection, unrivalled comfort and retro cool points by the truckload!
The only down point I could find with The Box sunglasses is that they can fog up quite easily when it is humid outside or during intense exercise. The tight fit and wrap-around shape of the shades is not the most breathable design and tends to hold humidity within the frames. This seems to be ok during exercise but quickly fogs up when I stop to catch my breath. Luckily the ergonomic legs of these glasses along with the super light frame allow you to comfortably run them down your nose or on your forehead without worry of them falling off.
Here are a few plus points about the Dragon Alliance – The Box Sunglasses:
- Comfortable and stable fit
- Super light
- Durable design
- Crystal clear vision, especially around snow and water
- Periforal UV protection similar to glacier glasses
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