What do Clydesdales and the Smith Longfin sunglasses have in common? They both wear blinders. Only for different purposes.
The Smith Longfin sunglasses are among the most comfortable of all of Smith’s fishing sunglasses. They are lightweight with durable, flexible frames, and the ChromaPop lenses provide excellent clarity and color contrast. Though they do let some glare in behind the lenses.
Benefits
- Comfortable medium-size fit
- Medium coverage lenses look good from the front
- Gray green lens option is excellent in all conditions
Drawbacks
- Blinders look funny
- Quite a bit of indirect sunlight sneaks in
Compare prices at: Sportsman’s Warehouse
Hands-on Review of Smith Longfin Polarized Sunglasses
This review of the Smith Longfin polarized sunglasses comes after months of regular use. From surf fishing to day hikes, I’ve done way more than just wear these for a photo op.
The main criteria we use to compare fishing sunglasses along with my assessment of the Smith Longfins can be found below. We give a score between 1 and 5 for each category, then average them together for a total score.
Comfort
Outdoor Empire Score: 5
Of all the Smith sunglasses I’ve tested, the Longfins were perhaps the most comfortable.
They are extremely lightweight with no pinch points and since the lenses are not enormous, they don’t feel obnoxiously large on your face.
The ear pieces are nice and grippy and fit snugly around your temples without feeling too tight. They really just feel good and fit well on my medium-sized mug.
Design
Outdoor Empire Score: 3
With Smith’s 6 base curve they have a modest wrap but sit somewhat flat on the front of your face. This gives them a nice modern look from the front but leaves the sides vulnerable to glare.
While the Longfins sacrifice some coverage for style, they don’t totally nail the looks they seem to be shooting for. Smith added some blinders to the sides that are awfully similar to the blinders worn by the Budweiser horses. They’re black and rubbery like the nose and temple grips. And since they’re not molded into the frame, they just look a little goofy. My wife tells me how it is and she was the first to chuckle and point this out.
A variety of colors for both the frames and the ChromaPop lenses give you lots of style options. I had the basic flat black frames with the gray green lenses.
The Longfins feel a bit more “plasticky” than other Smiths and they don’t have spring hinges. But they are also on the low end of the price range.
Coverage
Outdoor Empire Score: 3
Like the Smith Barra, the Longfin sacrifices a bit of coverage for style. As advertised they provide a medium fit with medium coverage.
Despite the less-than-cool-looking blinders designed to keep the side glare out, I still noticed quite a bit. Especially while driving. They also let some indirect sunlight in through the front underside.
These do provide sufficient sun protection for fishing onshore or off, just not as much as the alternatives like the Smith Castaway or Guide’s Choice.
Function
Outdoor Empire Score: 4
No question that the Smith Longfin polarized sunglasses work well, especially with Smith’s awesome ChromaPop lenses. The polarized gray green polycarbonate lenses I have are awesome in nearly every lighting condition, even if they don’t look the coolest.
The flexible ear pieces are thin and grippy on the temples, so they never felt like they were going to fall off and they’re super comfortable.
The goofy side blinders provide marginal benefit and there isn’t anything terribly interesting that stands out in regards to the functionality of these sunglasses. But I like them nonetheless and found myself wearing them more than I expected I would.
Value
Outdoor Empire Score: 4
While the Longfin is a cheaper pair of sunglasses than most Smiths, they lack things the others have like a hard case, a leash, spring hinges, or nicer materials.
That said, they are durable, comfortable, and come from a reputable brand that stands by their products, so you’ll get what you pay for.
Bottom Line
Outdoor Empire Total Score: 3.8
Compare prices at: Sportsman’s Warehouse
The Smith Longfin polarized sunglasses are excellent for fishing, water sports, and fun in the sun. However, you’ll probably want to have another pair for when you’re not with your fishing buddies because your lady might not be able to resist making horse jokes when she sees the blinders.
Much like my own silhouette, the Longfins look better from the front than they do from the side. But don’t let that hold you back if you like a lightweight, comfortable pair of shades that do the job they’re designed to do.
If you’re interested in the alternatives I mentioned, check out our roundup of the best Smith fishing sunglasses where we pitch a bunch of different pairs head to head.
There are lots of options besides Smith. We review a lot of the best in our Best Polarized Fishing Sunglasses comparison article.
