Christopher Cloos Review: The Cloos is Loose

Looking for more than just a few snippet reviews on the Danish eyewear brand, Christopher Cloos? Without feeling a pair in your hand, it can be hard to judge the quality online.

That’s why we created this in-depth Christopher Cloos review: so you can decide whether this well-known sunglasses brand is right for you.

If it’s the middle of the day, you stop for a Coca Cola in a glass bottle, poured over ice, with a slice of lemon.

And if it’s the evening, well, you get a Negroni for yourself and an Aperol Spritz for the lady. 

That’s what travelling through Italy in summer is like. Sure, you spent your day looking at art, but the true reward is in the finer things: kicking back and relaxing with a cold drink.

For me, the cafe-relaxation look is only complete with a pair of sunglasses. I was recently poking through the web (as one does) and I came across the Danish eyewear brand, Christopher Cloos. 

While they’re from Copenhagen, I was drawn to their laid back, vintage Italian-style frames. So I picked up a few of their sunglasses and a pair of their new blue-light blocking glasses to give the brand a shot. Keep reading for my full brand breakdown.

What Is Christopher Cloos?

The story of Christopher Cloos goes something like this:

The founder of the brand was spending a little idle time at the Paloma Beach Club in the French Riviera. They met a man named—wait for it—Christopher Cloos. 

Our boy ol’ Cloos loved vintage sunglasses and basically couldn’t be bothered to do anything besides have fun. 

Christopher Cloos model wearing sunglasses with background

An idea took hold in the founder’s mind—create sunglasses that have all those old-school vintage vibes, but make them with the best modern materials at an affordable price. 

After all, if your hobby is to hang out at one of the most exclusive beaches, there’s a good chance your shades cost a fortune. So while Christopher Cloos the man had pricey shades, Christopher Cloos the brand has frames with price tags that don’t make your eyes water.

Things to Consider Before Buying Sunglasses from Chistopher Cloos

Christopher Cloos x brady closeup with model

Before you buy sunglasses from Christopher Cloos (or blue light blocking and prescription glasses), it’s important to consider what you’re looking for in a set of frames. 

CC isn’t a trendy brand—their designs are based on timeless classics. So score one point for anyone aiming for a refined look, but lose one point with the Gen Z crowd. 

It’s also important to consider your budget. I’ll dive into specifics later in my review, but know up front that Christopher Cloos is playing with high-end materials and they’re not in the bargain basement game. 

So if you’re looking for a pair of beater shades to play beach volleyball in and you don’t really care much about build quality or material quality, you may want to search out another brand.

Christopher Cloos Review

Paloma Sunglasses

I need to kick this review off with my favorite of the three: the Paloma sunglasses. I picked them up in the Bourbon colorway, which is like a light and streaky tortoise shell. 

They have a distinctly summery vibe, and I feel the color provides a ton of vintage style. 

The Paloma shape really does balance vintage and contemporary, which is perfect if your ideal wardrobe consists of a few excellent casual pieces.

These are the kind of shades you wear when you pack a nice pinot noir for a picnic. Maybe I’m just dreaming of warmer days as I’m writing this in the dead of winter, but the Paloma in Bourbon give off a warm feeling.

Christopher Cloos makes their frames with Mazzucchelli Italian acetate, which has a robust feel, even in the thinner Paloma frame. They feature polarized CR39 lenses, so they’re a good accompaniment for beach days (polarized lenses reduce glare—something you need for long drives or when you’re near water). 

I’m really digging the round shape of the Paloma. It’s pretty universally flattering as the “wings” at the top give it enough structure to also work for folks with square jaws.

The brand uses spring hinges in all their models, which helps keep the frames snug and just generally helps durability. You know when you own a pair of sunglasses for a long time and the arms get a bit loose and floppy? With spring hinges, the arms stay secure for much longer because they have a little give in them.

Cloos X Brady Sunglasses

Listen, I’ve never been a football fan. But as a red-blooded American, I need to watch the Super Bowl. It’s basically a holiday. My signature move is to get a stomachache on cheese dip and drink just enough beer to have extensive coaching advice for each team, despite the fact I only watch one game a year. 

Because I only watch the Super Bowl, Tom Brady is the one quarterback I’ve seen play over and over again.

And he’s teamed up with Christopher Cloos to make a set of frames that compliment guys with more square, masculine jaws. 

I picked my pair up in Grey Tonic, which is a translucent deep smoke color. When I’m wearing them, the color appears pretty close to black, but I like the little extra dynamic look from the clear acetate.

The frames are made with biodegradable M49 Mazzucchelli acetate, and have CR39 Polarized lenses.

For all of my frames, the unboxing experience was excellent—Christopher Cloos does a great job setting the tone for their products. It’s not like Cloos throws their nice frames into any old packaging—they set you up for success with a thick microfiber cloth and a handsome clamshell case. 

Christopher Cloos model putting on cloos x brady sunglasses

As for the shape of my Cloos x Brady glasses: I like them, but they’re not my favorite of the bunch. They fit slightly large on my face (which seems to happen a lot across several brands). 

I don’t think you need an archetypal square face to pull these frames off, but it’s the most flattering if your jaw is a little more squared than mine. 

Still, I’ll get good use of these frames, especially because I don’t have anything like the darker Grey Tonic color. That said, I think the Paloma fits my face shape and personal style better.

My Thoughts Overall On Christopher Cloos

What I Like

• The frames balance tasteful vintage designs and contemporary style

• Christopher Cloos uses Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, which both looks and feels fantastic.

• Spring loaded double hinges keep the frames snug and also offer more durability.

• There are few designs so you’re not overwhelmed with choice, and for each model, you can select sunglasses, blue-light blocking lenses, or prescription lenses.

What I Don’t Like

• The frame shapes are all quite similar, and there aren’t many options for people with very angular or thin faces. 

Who is Christopher Cloos for?

Christopher Cloos is a go-to brand for anyone who’s looking to get a luxury sunglasses experience with simple, vintage-inspired frame shapes, but doesn’t want to spend a small fortune.

The Verdict

Pareto’s Principle goes something like this: 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions.