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Influenced: Roav Sunglasses in Review

Like many, I’m a sucker for targeted advertisements. This is the first (and possibly only) in a series of online item reviews that were influenced directly by online marketing channels. Each item was purchased without prior experience or exposure.

Channel: Instagram Ad

Product: Roav Sunglasses

Overall Satisfaction: 5/5

I lose sunglasses. For years my primary source of eye protection were knockoff-style Wayfarers either picked up at a convenience store or as swag from a tech office I photographed. One of two things happened to each of these glasses.

1. They didn’t fit and were discarded in favor of squinting in the sun.

2. They were comfortable enough but broke or were lost near immediately.

When I began to adopt a more buy-it-for-life mentality, I settled on a pair of the ubiquitous Ray-Ban Wayfarers. However, from experience I knew that if they weren’t small enough to fit in my pocket, I would absolutely leave them behind on a photo set or in a restaurant. So these weren’t any Ray-Bans, but a foldable pair that sat snug in a 2x2x1.5” case. I thought these were the endgame. They looked okay, and if I ditched the carry case I could drop them into my pant’s pocket when walking around town. Then Instagram prodded me with Roav’s targeted ads. These frames purported to collapse no thicker or wider than a pair of credit cards. Not only were they advertised as pocketable, but durable and fashionable as well. The tagline at the time was “Most Packable Sunglasses Ever.” I was sold.

My pair of Roav Baltos have traveled with me daily since the end of March, and have yet to fail. The all-stainless construction is wafer-thin, which raised durability concerns. But they have held up well for six months. The Baltos fit my face better than the folding Wayfarers, and because they are so compact, they actually go with me everywhere. The included rubberized case ensures they are not scratched in my pocket, and I wear them every day I have contacts in.

That said, a few things to note. By design the Roavs don’t have the thicker frame construction of traditional sunglasses, so they do have a unique look that may not appeal to all. More important, this design doesn’t allow the glasses to wrap around your face, so light can still slip through the tops and the sides of the frame. These are simply minor caveats from me, but could be a deal-breaker for someone else.

In this instance, Instagram’s targeted campaign definitely converted me, and this item has added small but consistent value to my life.