When it comes to sunwear for action-packed patients, think Julbo Eyewear. Setting the industry standard for over a century, Julbo has built name recognition originating from its mountaineering heritage. Started in the Jura Mountains of France in 1888 (where the company is still family-owned and -operated), Julbo is known for its alpine mountaineering eyewear and for creating protective sunwear for the world’s most extreme athletes. In addition to an adult line, the company also produces Julbo Kids, a sensational sunglass collection for children.
Sunwear models Ozone L, Coach, Oxygen, Park, Kitty, Bowl, and Leeping.
ACTIVE KIDS Julbo offers a complete range of protective eyewear for children, from infants to teens. The company knows that kids are extremely active and demand a lot of their sunwear. That’s why it creates sunwear models specifically for kids. Julbo’s designers take into consideration the unique structure and dimensions of a child’s head and face to make sunwear ideally suitable and comfortable for youngsters. Equally important is protection from the harmful rays of the sun, which Julbo achieves with polycarbonate lenses.
HELLO KITTY Two new junior sunwear models for 2009 are the girls’ Kitty and boys’ Oxygen. Designed for kids aged 6 to 10, these models are rugged enough for outdoor activities. Full frontal and side coverage is achieved with a wraparound front that has a very prominent endpiece and wide temples made of nylon, which provide a firm but comfortable fit for a range of head sizes.
The combination of colors adds a great diagonal dash of contrast midway on the temples. Additional temple hinge and stem inserts of Elastomer provide shock resistance and optimal holding capability. The gray lenses are made of Spectron 3 polycarbonate, which blocks 88% of visible light and 100% UV. The lenses also boast a Julbo flash treatment that provides additional light filtering with the mirrored effect.
Kitty is a rectangular design with a 51mm eyesize and 13mm bridge, and is available in pink/clay/gray, white/blue, and black/fuschia. Oxygen is a great trendy modified rectangle shape with the same eye- and bridge size. Colors include gray/orange, nokia blue/aniseed, and army green/gray.
A DAY IN THE PARK Two more great 2009 sunwear styles for kids are the girls’ Bowl and boys’ Park, geared to kids aged 8 to 16. These models use the same frame and lens material as Kitty and Oxygen, and come in a 55mm eyesize and 16mm bridge size. Fashion-forward active girls will love Bowl’s feminine rounded rectangle lens shape, while boys are sure to be attracted to the Park with its narrow rectangle lens shape. Again, radical color combinations are sure to be winners, with both styles available in chocoblack/bleu, rose fonce, black/green, and black/red.
PARENT APPEAL Kids will want the style and comfort of Julbo’s new sunwear collection, but parents will be sold on the protection they offer. Be sure and emphasize to parents that Julbo uses the same technology and innovation on its kids’ sunglasses as it does for mountain climbers, sailors, and other extreme athletes, yet they are designed to fit comfortably on kids’ noses and temples as well as provide the impact resistance kids require. Add 100% UV protection and Elastomer temple inserts that ensure the frame won’t stick to hair and it can be put on and off with ease, and you’ll have one pretty impressed parent.
Inspired by years of making sunwear for extreme outdoor sports, Julbo’s sunwear collection for kids promises to be the ideal solution for active children.
Debra R. White is a former opticianry professor. She is currently an optical consultant, lecturer, and writer.
WHERE TO FIND IT Julbo Eyewear 800-651-0833 • julbousa.com
