by Jakob Schiller

SPY Helm Sunglasses (Happy Lens) $160 spyoptics.com

The Good: Specialty lenses block harmful UV rays but, according to SPY, also let in the right amount of long-wave blue light, which can make you feel better.

The Bad: Humongous SPY logo on the frame sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Unknown: We can’t verify that the lenses indeed let in the right amount of long-wave blue light because we’re not scientists.

I test a lot of gear. Skis, bikes, jackets, hiking boots, backpacks, tents, etc. While I always put everything through the wringer, I can only go skiing or camping so many times each year, which means accurate testing on some items can only happen at certain times.

Not so with sunglasses. I have a pair of shades on my face several hours every day (welcome to Albuquerque where we get more than 300 sunny days each year) and I’m constantly beating them up and evaluating whether they do the job.

For the past couple months I’ve been wearing SPY’s new Happy Lens sunglasses (the Helm model). Like most sunglasses, they block harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can burn the surface of your eyes and over time contribute to cataracts and cancer of the eyelids (no, thank you).

Unlike other sunglasses, however, SPY claims that their Happy Lenses also find a way to let in just the right amount of long-wave blue light, which they say can affect mood and alertness. Essentially, the glasses have the power to make you feel better.

It’s a big claim, and one that I can’t verify because I’m not a scientist. At first brush, it also sounds an overboard marketing ploy. But SPY doesn’t seem to be messing around because the company plainly cites a number of scientific studies on their website to back up the boast.

After days and days with the glasses on in the blaring sun I can say this. They are some of the best I’ve worn. The lenses create nice contrast and also have the right amount of color bump. Everything is enhanced but not so much if feels overdone.

I wore the shades on several long hikes, on my bike to work and around town and never got that tired eye feeling you sometimes get when you’re wearing a pair of cheaper shades. I can’t for sure say my mood was enhanced, but I definitely can say the glasses made me happy by performing like high-end sunglasses should.