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Sunglass LensSmith Optics ChromaPop Most sunglass innovation these days comes from clever changes in frame designs or more environmentally sustainable materials, but Smith Optics has achieved something new with the lens itself. ChromaPop lenses, seen here in the Frontman model, make colors more vibrant and everything a little sharper and better defined than traditional lenses. How? Smith says that red, blue, and green light interfere with each other at certain wavelengths, muddling the view. ChromaPop, the company says, blocks those "wave intersections," giving you truer, more intense colors. But you won't care if it's pixie dust at work—all that matters is that the world looks happier, brighter, and sharper, like having rose-colored prescription glasses. Get It: $209; smithoptics.com

Photograph courtesy Smith Optics

Gear of the Year 2013

Must-Have Gear: Fall/Winter Most of the natural world hibernates when the days get short and the nights get cold. But the cycle of gear innovation never stops—and it doesn't even slow down. The proof is in these 24 game-changing new products, the best of the season.

BySteve Casimiro

October 30, 2013