AllOutdoor Review: Leupold DeSoto Sunglasses – Performance Eyewear

Leupold is a renowned name in the world of optics, they have a rich history that spans over a century at this point. Established in 1907 by German immigrant Markus Friedrich “Fred” Leupold and his brother-in-law, Adam Voelpel, in Beaverton, Oregon, the company initially focused on repairing survey equipment. However, their expertise soon expanded into crafting precision optics, and by the 1940s, Leupold became a key contributor to the U.S. war effort by producing rifle scopes for the military. Over the years, Leupold has continued to innovate, setting industry standards for optical performance and durability. Today, the company holds its quality and reliability in high regards, with a diverse range of products catering to hunters, sports shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Today, we will be looking over an item from them that has nothing to do with optics! Their Leupold Desoto Sunglasses are a set of performance eyewear that are lightweight and should be able to protect you through an array of scenarios – whether it involves shooting or not.

Leupold Coverage on AllOutdoor

The Leupold DeSoto Sunglasses were sent to me by Leupold for this review and while I am allowed to keep them indefinitely, this will not change my current or future opinion on any Leupold products. Leupold has not been allowed to preview this review prior to its publication. For the past 9 months, every time I have been at a range, shooting a firearm, these have been the sunglasses that I have been using. There are a couple of reasons I’ll get into more in the review below. I have used the Desoto Sunglasses out in Oregon for long-range shooting, at many local ranges and at the Tactical Games last year in South Carolina.

Last year I was invited out to Leupold HQ in Portland Oregon to partake in a factory tour and then a lot of long-range shooting. The first night we were given a bag full of a few Leupold branded items like hats and shirts, ya know the usual stuff. At the bottom of the bag was a box of sunglasses and before that day, I didn’t even know Leupold produced or even sold their own Sunglasses. When I first pulled the DeSoto’s out of their box, I thought to myself “Hell No, these things are way too big for my face”. But soon I would find out how useful these seemingly oversized shades should be.

Specs – Leupold DeSoto Sunglasses

Frame Material – TR90
Lens Color – Bronze Mirror
Polarized – Yes
Lens Material – Polycarbonate
UVA Protection – 100%
Lens Thickness (mm) – 2
MSRP – $180

Sizing and Fit – Leupold DeSoto Sunglasses

As mentioned before, when I first put on the DeSotos I thought they were way to big for my face, and while I think that’s still that case, the size of the lenses really helped me out when I was shooting through a high-power scope. While I believe that using sunglasses behind an optic is not always necessary, when the sun is behind what you are aiming at, they can help. Out in Oregon, I was using my Gatorz sunglasses at first but noticed the smaller lenses and frames made getting a good-sight picture more difficult. This is kind of a weird thing to try and describe but I’m sure you understand what I’m talking about. Anyways, the DeSotos with their large lenses and frames make shooting even easier in my opinion.

Performance and Durability – Leupold DeSoto Sunglasses

One of my favorite aspects of the DeSotos is that the bronze lenses work exceptionally well to create contrast in foggy or cloudy conditions. I find myself often reaching for them as they just make a grey day at the range a bit more vibrant. Over the course of the past 9 months, I have not been kind on these sunglasses and never stored them in a soft case, mostly just through them in my bag and out the door I went.

The DeSotos don’t have a scratch on them at this point and I’m sure that’s due to Its shatterproof lenses with In-Fused polarization. Leupold claims that polarization won’t scratch or deteriorate over time and while that is a big claim, it seems to be holding true on my pair. It should go without saying that these are also ballistic-rated eyewear and while I have not had the pleasure of taking any hot brass or debris to the face while wearing the DeSotos, I believe they will hold up well.

Likes

Great Ballistic Protection
Available in different lens colors
Make Shooting a pleasure on cloudy days

Dislikes

Expensive
May look goofy on people with smaller faces
No replaceable lenses at the time of the review

Wrap-Up – Leupold DeSoto Sunglasses

If you are in the Market for high-performance eyewear that may or may not match your scope to your rifle then the Leupold DeSoto might be the right pair for you. They are pretty expensive but what from Leupold isn’t?

Patrik Orcutt

Patrik Orcutt is currently a writer for AllOutdoor who has chosen not to write a short bio at this time.