The Eyes Have It – Breaking into a Saturated Market: a Conversation with RLVNT Where Technology is Driving Performance Sunglasses
- Ken Perrotte
- 9 minutes ago
- 11 min read
PREFACE: My interest in sunglasses, related to both style and performance, began in the mid-1990s, spurred by innovations created for military operations such as Desert Storm. Companies like Wiley X were developing glasses and goggles for harsh conditions -- combat scenarios loaded with dust and blinding light. They designed frames with removable gaskets that largely conformed to your facial structure, keeping dust and debris out.
Wiley X had lenses that were Mil Spec ballistic rated and wouldn’t shatter if a small rock or other flying debris hit them. The company adapted these for the outdoor/sporting market. I immediately liked the protective lenses, having been in boats where lures suddenly popped loose from snags or fish and rocketed back toward my head. Wiley X still offers many sporting sunglasses with lenses that are ANSI Z87.1+ certified, meaning they can withstand something like a 1/4-inch steel ball flying at 150 feet per second (102 miles per hour), or 17.6-ounce pointed projectile dropped from 50 inches.
The more I looked at sunglasses over the years, the more I realized how saturated this market was becoming. People who regularly attend trade shows have seen the explosive marketing, and growth, of some of these brands.
Costa del Mar, for example, was founded in Daytona Beach but is now a brand of the multinational Essilor Luxottica holding company, which also owns the Ray Ban and Oakley brands. For years, Costa was the 500-pound gorilla in the room, spending lavishly on marketing, staging huge public relations promotions and sponsoring massive, legendary parties during shows like ICAST, which is owned by the American Sportfishing Association.
Such marketing seems to pay off in terms of winning recognition and generating brand awareness. For a decade, Costa won the “Best New Eyewear” category of ICAST’s New Product Showcase. That streak began in 2012. Wiley X won in 2011 and Maui Jim in 2010. In 2022, though, Bajio took top honors. Costa bounced back in 2023 and 2024, but Bajio again garnered the most votes in the 2025 best new products competition. Perhaps not without coincidence, Bajio also ramped up its promotional presence, with a creative, spacious exhibit featuring a hippie-esque excursion/beach van, free tattoos, cold happy hour beer and more.
I have tried glasses from Costa, Bajio and Wiley X. They’ve all done the job admirably, delivering years of service across countless trips afield and on the water. Yet, Wiley X didn’t even exhibit at the 2025 ICAST. Some brands, such as Smith Optics, seem to be gaining market share. Depending on which of the many industry reports you decide to use, the global market for hunting and fishing eyewear is about one billion dollars this year and is projected to double within 10 years. Researchandmarkets.com reports the global sports sunglasses market size was valued at $3.2 billion in 2024. This includes many activities beyond hunting and fishing, potentially reaching $4.1 billion by 2033.
Many of these glasses, a reported 36.8% in 2024, are sold in North America. Style counts and people want to be cool and fashionable, but consumer awareness of some of the finer points related to how sunglasses can protect vision health is rising and driving markets. Technology is driving the market for performance sunglasses.
So, that’s the preface to the question, “How the hell can small, relative newcomers to this market begin making a dent in it?” For this, we take a look at RLVNT, a small company founded in 2018 in Finlayson, Minnesota. https://rlvnt.life/
Pat Kalmerton, who manages public and media relations for RLVNT shared some insights into what he sees as driving the market, how technology is affecting consumer choices, and the challenges of building brand awareness. Norm Kester, owner of Quantum Innovations and the RLVNT brand, also offers his thoughts on the topic and how today’s consumers are increasingly sophisticated in assessing their options. Here is our conversation:
Outdoors Rambler: When people are looking at buying sunglasses, how tough is it to find a “one-size fits all” solution? Such as -- something suitable for fishing, driving, general outdoor activities?
Kalmerton: There are many things to take into consideration here. Are you looking for functionality and style? Are you looking for fit? There are small, medium and large frames that fit every face differently and, for the lenses, RLVNT has three types, a chameleon, a brown and gray. There is a wide range of tints depending on the lens selected. Depending on how sensitive your eyes are to sunlight, that is where the equation starts to get solved on what is the right pair for you.
Outdoors Rambler: I know that different color lenses have their individual strengths and weaknesses. For example, I’ve heard mirrored blue is best for something like offshore fishing, while amber may be better for river fishing in tannic water. And we’ll get into that in a little bit. But - are most people buying glasses related to their specific outdoor application or are they making decisions based on how cool they believe they look with a particular model/lens configuration?
Kalmerton: I would say only 10% of people know what they are looking for and those are the people who are doing things as a profession, such as pro guides and anglers. Ninety percent buy for looks.
Kester: Everything is moving to individualization and personalization. The day of the big brand and the uninformed consumer is dead. If companies, and products, are not moving toward this they will go away over the long term. Brand, and mass appeal, will work for general products. But most people have a computer at the end of their fingertips. The information on how I correct my slice or find the optimal anchor placement of my bow string on my face is seconds away. Getting improvements and maximizing gains is going to rapidly accelerate with AI and even more personalized information.
Outdoors Rambler: I know that when I’ve been ice fishing on bright days and there was also snow on the ice, sunglasses were indispensable – not only for seeing but also avoiding damage to my eyes. The ultraviolet (UV) light can be harsh and, maybe, exacerbated by the snow reflection? Any insights here?
Kalmerton: Our Hardwater Bronze lenses were specifically designed to tone down the glare and reduce the brightness. The bronze coating was created to enhance vision in snowy conditions. They reduce the brightness of white while keeping a grey contrast. Also, all RLVNT’s lenses have an AR (anti reflection) coating on the back side, the side facing your eyes, as well as the front side along with UV protection coating. The Reason this is important is if you get glare from behind you, it reduces the blow-back reflection into your eyes.
Outdoors Rambler: Is there an ideal level of lens tinting – something that offers maximum flexibility while also protection?
Kalmerton: Yes. Our Chameleon lenses are photochromic and adjust with light. Photochromic lenses are good for your eyes, providing continuous protection by blocking harmful ultraviolet rays, reducing glare and filtering blue light. Lenses that adapt to light conditions tend to be more comfortable for your eyes and even help prevent long-term damage like cataracts. These lenses make up 90% of our sales. The Chameleon lenses also have our Screen VU technology which allows you to better see the electronics on your boat or your smartphone screen. Anyone fishing with electronics can now see their graphs from all angles, which is huge advantage when fishing with something like forward facing sonar. Anglers usually cannot wear glasses while fishing cause they can’t see their graph, but this contributes to eyes being burned from the reflections off the water. People with diabetes really love this technology because they can see their pumps, as well. People also love that this technology helps them better see their dashboards while driving.
Outdoors Rambler: What are the advantages with your brand?
Kalmerton: Glass is heavy and can shatter. Polycarbonate lenses have a lower Abbe value (around 30), it causes higher Chromatic aberration-a splitting of light into colors- which manifests as blurry or rainbow-like hazy edges. RLVNT lenses are made with Trivex, which is a premium, high-performance eyeglass lens (Abbe value 43-45) made from an extreme lightweight, urethane-based material that provides high comfort for daily wear that offers a superior combination of extreme impact resistance 100% protection from both UVA and
UVB rays and, critically, clearer optics with less distortion. Eye relief is real. Without quality eye protection, full days on the water or outside leads to headaches and burnt retinas. UV rays will burn eyes. RLVNT’s “Screen Vu” technology provides an additional safety factor that lets you focus on operating your boat and not messing around with your glasses.
Every second of every day that you are awake, you are using your eyes. You plan vacations around seeing things. You drive around to look at the color changes in the autumn scenery. You go to your kids and grandkids’ sports events and school functions to see them. You hunt and fish or enjoy whatever hobbies you have by seeing what you’re doing. Your eyes deserve the absolute best technology and protection possible.
Kester: Having technologies that improve an individual’s performance, not just look good, are going to be the way of the future. We are RLVNT, operate in that space. We exist to give enthusiasts the edge. We want to help people be better at what they are passionate about. We do this by leveraging technology to bring the best visual experiences. We are doing this by optimizing prescription designs for the activity, not just general products -- very specific products for very specific uses. We also use technology to bring the best contrast experiences and visual acuity to specific activities.
Outdoors Rambler: Do you find many outdoorsmen and women are buying glasses with something like a wraparound frame – something that blocks the light coming in from the side of your face? What are the advantages here? What are a couple good examples of frame/models in your brand with wraparound features outdoors people may want to look at?
Kalmerton: Again it all depends on what is comfortable on your face. Ranger, a medium-fit frame, does not have wide arms, reducing the famous sun mark we inquire with outside jobs. They are more of an everyday stylish frame. Along with the Navigator. Renegade and Rogue on the other hand, they have the bigger side arm to reduce the side glare that some are in search of. Both Triton and the Tracker are wraparound options for bigger heads while the Maverick frames are for younger kids and those with smaller heads. These are all good options. Some have wider arms than others.
Outdoors Rambler: What is the most popular frame material? And why?
Kalmerton: Ranger and Navigator are sportier looking frames that medium-size heads gravitate to. The Outlander has the more square, stylish look that the younger generation seem to like. Triton wins the bigger head prize.
Outdoors Rambler: What is the most popular lens material...and why?
Kalmerton: Chameleon in the most popular base lens with the green coating. They look great, as well as are designed for lush green climates enhancing browns for sight fishing, making it ideal for identifying fish and rocks hidden below the glare on the water’s surface. Hunting is Chameleon with Concealment non-reflective coating which absorbs UV light reducing glare from sun and hiding your eyes from the UV spectrum – something deer, turkey, and waterfowl see very well.
Outdoors Rambler: Ideally, how can someone tell if glasses are a good fit?
Kalmerton: That’s a personal preference. You want eye coverage that does not hug your eye socket. You don’t want them too big that they slide down your nose, and you do not want them so tight that they pinch your head. We have the measurements on the site which makes it easier to pick out what glasses are best for each individual head.
Outdoors Rambler: Now, looking at prescription models...which I need until I get some soon-needed cataract surgery. Do you find a lot of people opting for bifocals – something that helps with tying fishing line – doing fine tasks?
Kalmerton: We have options here. We have prescription options which I will need your prescription to get you the perfect glasses. For those that only need close seeing help, we have a lens that is a Knot Vu technology with a reader window of 1.5 or 2 magnification on the bottom of the lenses making it easier for you to see the line when tying your knots.
Outdoors Rambler: Why do most sunglasses manufacturers seem to only offer bifocal lenses in a “progressive” configuration? Personally, I find these to be a pain with severe limitations on vision (peripheral and more). Can you get straight bifocals with your brand?
Kalmerton: Of Course! Our progressive allows for maximal peripheral viewing. That’s why they’re so great. But, if they want bifocal, no problem. Cheap and easy!
Outdoors Rambler: How important is marketing – lifestyle and functionality – in terms of consumer motivation and action?
Kalmerton: Very! Our biggest problem is people haven’t heard of us. When they try on our sunglasses and wear them, they love them. How do we become known? How do we get national brand awareness? Our efforts are to be in every place we can. We want to work with different clubs and organizations in every corner of the country! We love partnerships. We want you to reach out to see how we can support you the same as we want to be supported. We are confident that once you put on a pair of RLVNT, they will sell themselves.
Outdoors Rambler: How competitive is the broader market for sunglasses marketed to the outdoors enthusiast community? I’d guess it’s intense. How do companies work to differentiate and build brand awareness and, perhaps, loyalty?
Kalmerton: Great question. We are working hard to figure out that equation. For us at RLVNT...it is very important we stay true to who we are. We are a premium product that offer the world in a clearer vision...and in return, we see all our RLVNT family very clearly as well and we will never lose our site on that.
Kester: We’re working hard to focus on what we are good at - leveraging technology to improve experiences and outcomes. A perfect case in point is the testimonial of an exceptional golfer, amateur of the year multiple times, who has seen the ball in flight over 10 years. To allow him to see the ball take off from the clubface and follow it into the distance, that’s what we want to do. To put a pair of glasses on a pro fisherman’s face and hear how he saw a pike streak across the lake to hit his chatterbait and how he’d never seen that in his 50 years of fishing, that’s the space we want to play in.
Outdoors Rambler: What are your three top selling models/styles/configurations and what are the MSRPs?
Kalmerton: Ranger, Outlander, Navigator and Triton. Ranger, Outlander, and Triton are $250. Navigator is $200.
Outdoors Rambler: How important is recognition at things like the ICAST New Product Showcase in terms of building consumer awareness?
Kalmerton: Honestly, we thought, “Very.” I would love to hear thoughts on that very question. In today’s world, it seems that if you have the money to advertise, then news and outlets make you the best. But editors will write that there are glasses that are far superior to others and then, when they walk past me, they’re wearing RLVNT. When asked, it’s simple. Brands that have sponsorship money are the ones they write about. It’s the world in which we live.
Footnote: A need for bifocals doesn’t need to be a sticking point when it comes to prescription sunglasses. A cheap, easy option I discovered a few years ago are “Sticktite Bifocal Lenses.”
These “reading glasses” are made from a thin, very flexible polymer and they adhere to your lenses with water. But they aren’t glued or permanently bonded to your lenses. You can easiloy reposition or remove them. According to the company, these reading lenses also are being applied to ski goggles, safety glasses and SCUBA masks. They’re available in 6 diopter settings, ranging from 1.25 to 3.0. A pack with a single set costs $19.99. A two-pack set is $29.99
