BOLD Zippy Photochromic Sunglasses – Lightweight Speed with Light-Adaptive Clarity
Zippy by name, zippy by nature. These featherweight, rimless performance sunglasses are made for speed — whether you're charging a descent on your mountain bike, racing a 10K, or skiing spring corn before lunch. The frameless shield design maximizes your field of view while minimizing weight and drag, and the photochromic lenses adjust to shifting light so you're never caught squinting or fumbling with lens swaps.
Made for athletes who move fast and need gear that keeps up.
Photochromic Performance
Zippy’s lenses transition from clear to tinted automatically, giving you just the right amount of protection whether you're in full sun or dense tree cover.
UV Protection: Fully UV Protected
Color Options:
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Black
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Pink
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Blue/Yellow
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Blue
Includes: Custom box, hard case, lens cloth, and pouch — everything you need to stay light and fast on the go.
Browse the full BOLD sunglasses collection.
Also check out: Flash Photochromic Sunglasses — another top pick from the BOLD photochromic lineup.
Read our guide: Best Photochromic Sunglasses for Mountain Biking to see how the Zippy compares for trail riding.
Whether you're running a 10K, riding singletrack, or skiing corn snow, Zippy keeps pace.
Technical specifications
| Lens technology |
Photochromic, clear in low light and tinted in sun |
| Polarization |
Non-polarized |
| Fit |
Standard |
| Frame width |
5.47 in |
| Lens width |
5.39 in |
| Bridge width |
One-piece shield |
| Temple length |
4.92 in |
| Frame material |
TR90 |
| Lens material |
Polycarbonate, 1.8 mm thick |
| Prescription insert |
Not available on this model |
UV protection and certification
| UV protection |
UV400 |
| Measured UV transmission |
0.00% transmission measured across 280 to 400 nm (lab report, PC lens) |
| Certified to |
UV400
ANSI Z80.3:2018
ISO 12312-1:2022
AS/NZS 1067.1:2016
FDA 21 CFR 801.410 |
| Impact resistance |
FDA 21 CFR 801.410 impact resistant, drop ball tested. Certificate 3017185693 |
| Driving |
Suitable for daytime driving. Not suitable for driving at night or in twilight, because a category 2 lens is too dark for low light behind the wheel. |
What UV400 actually means
UV400 means the lens blocks 100% of ultraviolet light up to 400 nanometres. That covers the whole UV range that reaches the ground, both UVA and UVB. Independent lab testing measured 0.00% transmission across it.
Why UVB matters. UVB is the shorter, higher energy wavelength. Your cornea absorbs almost all of it, which is why the damage shows up fast. A day on snow without protection can give you photokeratitis, which is sunburn of the cornea. It feels like grit in your eyes and usually arrives six to twelve hours after exposure, often in the middle of the night. Long term, UVB is associated with pterygium, a fleshy growth across the white of the eye that skiers and surfers get, and with skin cancer on the thin skin of the eyelids.
Why UVA matters. UVA is the longer wavelength and it does not stop at the cornea. It passes through to the lens inside your eye and on to the retina. You feel nothing at the time, which is the problem. The damage accumulates over decades and is linked to cataracts and to age related macular degeneration. UVA is also present all day, all year, and it passes through cloud, so overcast days are not safe days.
Why it matters more on snow and at altitude. Fresh snow reflects up to 80% of UV straight back at your face, so you take it from above and below. UV intensity also climbs roughly 10% for every 1,000 feet you gain. A bluebird day at 10,000 feet on snow is one of the harshest UV environments most people ever stand in.
One more thing worth knowing. A dark lens with no UV protection is worse for your eyes than no sunglasses at all. The tint makes your pupils open wider, so more UV gets in. That is why the lab number matters and the tint does not tell you anything on its own.
What these standards mean
ANSI Z80.3:2018. The United States standard for non prescription sunglasses. It checks UV blocking, that colours still look natural through the lens, and that you can correctly recognise red, amber and green traffic signals.
ISO 12312-1:2022. The international standard for sunglass filters. It sets the filter category, verifies UV performance, and confirms whether the lens is safe for road use.
AS/NZS 1067.1:2016. The Australian and New Zealand standard, widely regarded as among the strictest in the world for sun protection. It is the one that measures UV blocking all the way out to 400 nanometres, which is where the UV400 claim comes from.
FDA 21 CFR 801.410. The United States Food and Drug Administration requirement for impact resistant eyewear. Every lens is drop ball tested. Impact resistant does not mean unbreakable, but it means the lens is built to resist shattering rather than breaking into fragments near your eyes.
