Lorraine Kelly
SunGod has taken a scalpel to its running range, and the result is a pair of sunglasses that looks less like a science project and more like something you would actually want to wear beyond the start line. With the new SunGod Ultras™ Air, the British performance eyewear brand has gone lighter, slimmer and more precise, aiming squarely at runners who want technical performance without looking like they are about to land a helicopter.
An evolution of the original Ultras first launched in 2022, the Ultras™ Air arrives as the leaner sibling in the family. The frame is sleeker, the lens more refined, and the fit pulled in closer to the face. It is built for movement, but just as importantly, it appears built for the modern runner who likes their kit to do the job without shouting about it.
A lighter frame with fewer distractions
At 24.5g, the Ultras™ Air is SunGod’s lightest frame to date. That matters because the best running sunglasses are the ones you stop noticing after ten seconds. Nobody wants to spend a tempo session nudging a slipping frame back up the bridge of the nose like a distracted headmaster.
That low weight is paired with a more compact shape than the original Ultras. The smaller lens and closer fit should appeal to runners who found oversized shield-style eyewear a touch too much, either visually or physically. There is a neater silhouette here, one that feels more road-runner than all-terrain gladiator.
For urban miles, race efforts and faster training, that makes sense. The design looks clean, purposeful and modern, rather than bulky or overbuilt.
What the technology actually does on the run
SunGod has kept the bones of what made the original Ultras popular, but sharpened the detail. The brand’s Grip-Lock™ hydrophilic rubber nose-pad and ear socks are designed to improve hold as effort rises and sweat follows. In plain English, the frame should stay put when things get messy.
That secure fit is a serious selling point. A bouncing frame can turn a good session into a nagging irritation, and irritation is the last thing you need when your lungs are already filing a complaint.
Then there is the lens. SunGod’s 8KO® spherical lens technology is designed to deliver clarity in changing light conditions, which is useful because British weather has all the consistency of a nervous three-putter. For runners moving from open roads into shaded sections, or from grey skies into low sun, visual sharpness matters. It is not just about comfort. It is about reading the road cleanly and keeping rhythm.
SunGod Head of Product, Ed Watkiss, put it this way: “We set out to create a lighter, closer-fitting, and more streamlined evolution of the original Ultras, designed to feel secure through every stride. The Ultras™ Air are built for performance, but with a refined silhouette that feels just at home on everyday urban runs, as on high-speed efforts,” said SunGod Head of Product, Ed Watkiss. “Every detail from the ultralight frame to the secure Grip-Lock™ fit and shaped 8KO® lenses is engineered to reduce distraction and keep runners focused”
That last phrase is the key to the whole thing. Reduce distraction. Good sports gear rarely performs miracles. It just gets out of the way.
Style, sustainability and the broader SunGod pitch
The Ultras™ Air will debut on the streets of London this month, worn by SunGod elite athletes including Phil Sesemann, which is a tidy bit of product timing for a model built around pace, pressure and public roads.
Like the wider SunGod Pace Series, the Ultras™ Air is fully modular and customisable. That means interchangeable lenses and a more personal setup for athletes who care about fit, colour and use case. It also gives the product longer life, which is a sensible move in a market too often addicted to disposable upgrades.
There is also a sustainability note worth mentioning. The interchangeable lenses are made from 100% Infinite™ recycled material, produced entirely from recycled plastic. Plenty of brands now talk a good environmental game, but modularity plus recycled materials is at least a more convincing start than slapping a green leaf on the box and calling it virtue.
SunGod is also offering custom options alongside signature colourways including Desert Sand, Smoke, Silver Blue and IRIS HV Blue.
Where it sits against the competition
This is a crowded category. Performance eyewear is full of loud, angular rivals from brands such as Oakley, 100% and Nike, many of them leaning heavily into oversized lenses and maximalist styling.
What sets the Ultras™ Air apart is not brute-force visual drama. It is restraint.
From the launch details, SunGod appears to be targeting runners who want technical credibility in a frame that feels lighter, tidier and less aggressive than some of the market’s larger shields. That will suit plenty of road runners, especially those who train in cities and want one pair that works for both serious sessions and everyday wear.
The trade-off is fairly obvious. A smaller, more refined lens may not offer the same cocoon-like coverage some runners prefer in bright, exposed conditions or harsher environments. If you like the full wraparound, almost visor-like effect, there are rivals that lean further in that direction.
There is also the price. Starting at £160, the Ultras™ Air is pitched firmly in premium territory. That is not outrageous in the modern performance eyewear market, but it does mean the product has to deliver more than looks.
Who is it best for?
The Ultras™ Air looks best suited to runners who value low weight, stable fit and clean styling.
That means road runners, half-marathoners, marathoners and anyone doing faster sessions where bounce, distraction and visual clarity can become annoyingly important. It should also appeal to athletes who dislike oversized sports sunglasses and want something more compact on the face.
Those wanting maximum lens coverage for trail running, mountain exposure or harsher conditions may prefer a bigger, more shielded alternative.
Verdict
SunGod has not tried to reinvent sports sunglasses here. It has done something smarter. It has taken an already successful model, removed some of the bulk, tightened the fit and leaned harder into what runners actually value when the pace rises: comfort, stability and clear vision.
The Ultras™ Air looks like a well-judged addition to the SunGod range, particularly for runners who want premium performance eyewear without the usual visual pantomime. It is light, sleek, modular and, on paper, technically sound.
In a category where many brands seem to believe more is always more, SunGod has made a persuasive case for less. And in running, as in golf and most things worth doing well, unnecessary movement is usually where the trouble starts.
