An Honest Look at Colorful Standard Biodegradable Sunglasses
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We were kindly gifted a pair of Colorful Standards sunglasses in exchange for an honest review.
As with all of our reviews, views are entirely our own. We weren’t asked to say any specifics about the products featured.
We chose a pair of Sunglasses, Style 12 in Sahara Camel / Brown, along with the Sunglass 15 classic style. There are 15 styles to choose from in over 24 colors; all of the styles and colors are unisex.
Let’s jump in.
First Impressions and Unboxing Colorful Standard’s Biodegradable Sunglasses
The sunglasses were shipped carbon neutral by UPS and arrived quickly within two days, packaged in a recyclable FSC certified cardboard box.
The sunglasses come in a protective felt case, created from recycled plastic bottles removed from the ocean. The case gives the glasses good protection without being too bulky and fits easily into my purse.
My second pair of Colorful Standard Sunglasses arrived in a cool black felt case, which offers great protection while being lightweight!
Sunglasses Frames
The sunglasses feel super high-quality and sturdy.
They have a sleek design, and what I like about them is the brand hasn’t covered the frames with their logo, which can sometimes be too “in your face,” something I have noticed with many other sunglasses brands.
Instead, Colorful Standard has opted for a more subtle logo on the inside of their frames, created with gold gilding which adds a nice touch to the already sleek frames.
The frames indicate the sunglasses have been handcrafted in Italy, which adds to the luxurious feel of the sunglasses.
What material are the frames made from?
Unlike regular sunglasses commonly made from plastic acetate, Colorful Standard has created a completely biodegradable frame from Mazzucchelli M49 – a bio acetate produced from natural materials such as cotton seeds and wood fibers.
Is the biodegradable frame of lesser quality than regular plastic acetate?
Overall I would say not. I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between these bio-acetate and regular designer sunglasses frames. The quality of these frames is just as good, if not better, than my Ray-ban pair, which I have owned for 10+ years.
Just because they are biodegradable doesn’t mean they aren’t sturdy; I can see my pair lasting for many years.
Colorful Standard says their frames will completely biodegrade at the end of their lifetime – I love these sunglasses and want to continue wearing them, so I don’t want to bury them in the back garden and test this quite yet. Still, we will take Colorful Standards word for it.
Sunglasses Lenses
The lenses are CR49, a highly durable lens that’s built to last. The lenses also offer UV400 protection, so I know my eyes are safe in the sun. In addition, they filter the light well and don’t strain my eyes when wearing them.
If you have sensitive eyes or want a lens that filters out a lot of the daylight, I would opt for a pair with the darker lenses, I love the light lenses in the style I received, but darker lenses would be better for driving and bright days.
Colors
I chose the Sahara Camel color for the style 12, and Classic Havana Brown in style 15. The fit and color are an exact match as pictured on the Colorful Standards website.
Colorful Standards sunglasses come in 15 styles and 24 different colors, so there is plenty of choices, whatever your style.
Their sunglasses are unisex and are designed to be worn and loved by everyone.
How Ethical is Colorful Standard?
Colorful Standard proudly handcrafts its sunglasses ethically in Italy. They are transparent about the materials and manufacturing that go into their products.
The fact the glasses are handcrafted is refreshing to see from a brand, as it is increasingly hard to find high-quality sunglasses produced both sustainably and ethically.
How Sustainable are the Colorful Standard sunglasses?
Overall, these sunglasses can be considered some of the best sustainable sunglasses on the market.
We’ve highlighted some of the key sustainability stand-outs for these sunglasses below:
- Plant-based and biodegradable – The frames are made from natural materials and biodegrade at the end of their life; this is a refreshing change to the regular plastic acetate frames of many other sunglasses, which will ultimately end up in a landfill.
- 100% recycled packaging – all from FSC certified forests.
- The felt case is created from recycled ocean plastic.
Wrapping Up
As Colorful Standard gifted these sunglasses, we didn’t pay the full price for a pair. They retail at 100EUR or 115USD. However, the quality these sunglasses ooze and the fact they’re produced ethically and sustainable mean they are definitely worth the price.
I’ve been complimented on them every time I wear them, and I’ll be looking to purchase another pair in the future.
If you want to check Colorful Standard out for yourself, you can click here, or shop through the button below.
