ProView – Native Eyewear Raghorn

Aconcagua. . . 22,841’. . . the tallest mountain outside of the Himalayas. I put the Native Raghorn to the test in the alpine of Argentina, as I set out with two friends to climb Aconcagua via the False Polish Traverse. Each day was crystal clear, without a cloud in the sky; the sun sat overheard for over 13 hours each day, intensely beating down. 

As a mountaineer, high-quality sunglasses that perform in high glare and intense sun conditions are a critical piece of gear. On Aconcagua, the days are long, 14+ hours shuttling loads from camp-to-camp. The reflection off the ground, snow, and ice is relentless; without any cloud cover in the sky, the sun beats down from sunrise to sunset. 

The Native Raghorn was a workhorse for me on the trip to Aconcagua. From heading out of camp to crashing into the tent at night, the Raghorn would either be over my eyes or in my hands as I applied sunscreen to my face. Even when taking pictures, squinting through a small viewfinder, the Raghorn got the job done. 

Fit/Comfort

At first, I was a bit thrown off by the fit of the Native Raghorn on my face. I have been used to large fit sunglasses for the past three years; previously, I had used the Dragon Alliance MountaineerX lens, which has a huge field of vision. 

The Native Raghorn fit snugly to my face profile, more so than larger profile lenses I had used previously. There was not much airspace between the Raghorn and my cheekbones, which served as good wrap-around protection from harsh glare. 

The Raghorn has a wide field of vision, and I only slightly noticed the frame of the lens when scanning my peripheral vision. I was very pleased overall with the fit of the Raghorn, and the Cushinol rubber added to the nose bridge certainly added comfort. 

Look/Style

The Raghorn has a “functional” appearance, with its side venting slots and overall profile. It does not have the “lifestyle” appearance of a traditional wayfarer or aviator lens. I liked the style of the Raghorn, and it fit in on the mountain, as almost all the other climbers donned similar style sunglasses, meant to protect them from the harsh elements rather than make a fashion statement. 

Features

The most noticeable feature on the Raghorn are the three slotted side vents. These vents are placed strategically to reduce fogging from heavy breathing, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well they worked. With older pairs of wrap-around sunglasses, I noticed that when my breathing was heavy, especially on long uphill climbs, the glasses would fog. Not with the Raghorn. The side venting increases the air circulation around the lens; not once did I notice any fogging. 

The Raghorn are also loaded with Native’s Cushinol material in the nose bridge and behind the ears, which provide added comfort and grip. The Raghorn never slipped, slid, or moved around, even when leaning over. Other sunglasses that I have used that lack this rubber material slip and slide around. 

Finally, the Raghorn features cam-action hinges that are powerful and sturdy. This feature adds durability to the frame of the Raghorn, ensuring that after days of constant use the hinges do not break down. 

One of the most impressive features, though, is the Raghorn’s Interchangeable Lens System. I used the Raghorn with the Blue Reflex lens, which worked incredibly well in the high glare environment I tested them in. For a foggy, overcast day, though, I could switch out the lenses for a lower glare lens, similar to many ski goggles. Not all sunglasses have this flexibility, and Native’s craftsmanship shows through in this regard. 

Weight/Packability

The Raghorn comes in a compact, hard-sided travel case, and packs down such that you barely notice them in your pack. During the day I would slip the case into the brain of my pack and barely noticed its weight or volume. I really appreciated this for such a gear-intensive expedition like Aconcagua, where ounces add up fast to make your pack unbearably heavy. 

Function/Performance

I tested the Blue Reflex lens, and I was impressed by the crisp colors and glare resistance of the lens. The lens features Native’s N3 Polarized Lens Technology, which according to Native: 

“blocks up to 4X more infrared light than regular polarized lenses, pass Z87.1 testing, provide UV protection up to 400nm, and by significantly reducing blue light and selectively filtering UV, they deliver high contrast, crisp definition, and peak visual acuity.”

I agree, completely! I am an avid photographer and did not once feel I needed to take off the Native Raghorn to see true colors, even in the mid-day sun. On the glacier and snow, I did not notice any overly intense reflections or glare when I had on the Raghorn. 

As a glacier mountaineer, my favorite aspect of the Raghorn is the wrap-around, which is significant enough for skiing, glacier mountaineering, and snow travel, but also minimal enough to be comfortable as an everyday sunglass. The Raghorn does not have the protruding, obvious wrap around that glasses like the Julbo Vermont or other traditional glacier glasses do, but the Raghorn does not need it! It performs comparably and with significantly less weight, a bonus in my book. 

Durability/Construction

The Raghorn can take a beating, which is a necessity for all my gear. I am notoriously hard on my gear, and the Raghorn were dropped, bumped, and knocked several times in the course of three hard weeks in the field. They did not show any scratches, dents, or dings. 

More than that, the Raghorn are backed by Native’s Lifetime Limited Warranty: 

• If at any time in the first year, your sunglasses, goggles, or other Native product is defective, Native will replace it at no cost to you. 
• After the first year, Native will replace or repair damage to your sunglasses or goggles at a highly discounted cost. 

For adventurers who are looking for a day-in, day-out, workhouse of a sunglass, the Raghorn is a great choice. 

Friendliness to the Earth

Native uses bio-based resins in all their frames which helps reduce Native’s carbon footprint. The resins are based from the castor bean, which provide durable and lightweight strength. 

Native also uses minimal packaging when sending their products to customers, using recycled cardboard and only including the packaging required to mail your product to you. My sunglasses were shipped to me in a thin, recycled cardboard box with the hard travel case inside, no other packaging included! Good job Native! 

The Final Word

All in all, I loved the Native Raghorn and was happy to have it on the mountain with me for days on end. I trusted it to perform in extremely harsh and intense sun, was confident with its durability both on my face and in my pack, and was very pleased by its packability. Native’s craftsmanship and quality show through in the Native Raghorn. The image quality through the Blue Reflex lens was stunningly clear, allowing me to enjoy the natural landscape of the mountains around me while still being protected from the sun. 

The only hesitation I had about the Raghorn was the snug fit, which felt very different from previous sunglass models I had worn. I quickly got used to it though, and was happy with the wrap-around protection. 

The Raghorn will be in my bag for many more missions, and it should be in yours too!