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A good pair of sunglasses should do a few things: look good, feel like you’re not wearing them when you are, and withstand a beating. I don’t mind if they come with a case or a cloth; I tend to lose those or not use them anyway, but I do care that they can meet the few things I look for.
So when Distil Union gave me their Folly sunglasses (thanks guys!), I knew what I was looking for. For the past month, I’ve been testing them, and I’ll tell you what I think about them; likes, dislikes, and who they are really for. Let’s first take a look at the product itself.
Quick Note: Since creating this review, we enjoyed the brand so much we reached out to become a retailer, and they said yes! You can now find these sun glasses for sale here.
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What are the Distil Union Folly Maglock Sunglasses?
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- These are built to bend and last!
- The Magnets are helpful.
- The collapsable case is a practical improvement to an age-old problem
- The all around fit & style is great
- The soft sleeve looks and feels cheap
- The lens rattles, but only when cleaning them.
According to Distil Union, the Folly Maglock Sunglasses (Paid Link) are meant to be functional, durable, and have a classic style. They currently come in ten different color options. Maglock technology is built into the frame’s temples (arms), allowing you to clip them to your shirt or anything magnetic.
The classic wayfarer-style frame with a keyhole bridge is made of a Gnarlon material that can bend and flex a lot without breaking or remaining bent. The lenses are polarized, scratch-resistant, and have UV400 protection, blocking 100% UVA and UVB rays. They come with a protective hardshell case with magnetic closures and a soft sleeve. Overall, it is a very well-rounded and capable pair of sunglasses. After two weeks of testing, let’s talk about what I liked and didn’t.
What do I like about the Folly sunglasses?
1. These are built to bend and last!
I have not been nice to these sunglasses. All my past glasses have been either sat on or misplaced, so I tend to buy cheap sunglasses, and when I say cheap, I mean $20 at a big box retailer, or my last pair a few months ago was $10 knock-offs from a street shop in Cabo San Lucas. But this pair is a workhorse of sunglasses. I’ve bent them, sat on them (on purpose this time), and slapped them onto any magnetic surface near me, and they have remained unharmed and unbent.
2. The Magnets are helpful.
The magnetic closure of the sunglasses and case are simply invaluable when it comes to carrying and storage. The temples are held together with magnets, and this allowed me to place them on my shirt collar or sleeve when going into a building, and when bending over, they stayed where I put them as opposed to falling out or swinging around.
While we are at it, the case comes with the same magnetic closure, so opening and closing are effortless and secure.
3. The collapsable case is a practical improvement to an age-old problem
The case folds flat! This problem may just be mine, but in the past, I have never kept the cases that come with a pair of sunglasses. Why? Because they simply take up too much room, either in my vehicle consoles or a travel backpack.
Even when I wear the glasses (Paid Link), the case is still taking up valuable space, so I end up ditching it. Not with this case, though. It folds perfectly flat, and that makes this an amazing improvement that I can get on board with.
4. The all around fit & style is great
The classic wayfarer style combined with the features and durability make this a product that almost everyone will look and feel good in. I hate seeing a great pair of hats, glasses, or clothing that looks amazing… until you put it on. It fits weird or looks weird. I like that the design and style seem to just fit right in. These fit me very well, and I didn’t have to try different sizes or waste time trying to find the right pair.
What do I NOT like about the Distil Union Folly sunglasses?
1. The soft sleeve looks and feels cheap
The soft sleeve has a cheap look and feel to it, and the draw cord looks even cheaper. I may be completely wrong, but it could be premium material. I searched the Distil Union’s site but could not find what the material was made out of. So, without that information, I tested it.
I put my grubby fingers all over the lens and then went to whipping it clean without using a cleaner, and the cloth did a fine job of cleaning off the smudges, so that’s really what matters to me. If cheaper clothes will keep the overall price down, then let’s keep the cheap look!
2. The lens rattles, but only when cleaning them.
When cleaning the lens, it feels and sounds like the lens is breaking and is going to fall out. Although, they are not… just to be clear. This may be because of the required flexibility and the proper tolerance that the lenses need to keep from breaking when I sit on them, or they get crushed in my backpack. When wearing them and carrying them, there is no noise at all, and that’s most important. So, just know that if you pick up this pair (and I think you should), you’ll hear the same thing, but don’t worry, they’re not breaking. At least mine were not.
Who are these glasses for?
Anyone and everyone. When it comes to the right pair of sunglasses, I can’t think of a more timeless style, more durable material, or more convenient features like the MagLock closures that another pair of glasses can offer at under $100. I’ve got friends who paid well over $200 or even $300, and all they got was a brand logo to walk around with. At this price, I think this is an absolutely solid purchase that will make 99.9% of people happy and satisfied. Looking good and feeling good.
It’s also for the Do-It-All with One Pair person. If you want sunglasses, you can work in and play in. If you are going to buy one pair that will look good going from work to the mountain or grocery shopping, these are going to fit in just about everyone. Except for indoors, please make it stop! I have multiple wallets and other gear, but I really only use one pair of sunglasses, so if that’s you, too, then this may be the only pair you need to buy.
Where should you buy these?
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