Intro & Company Backstory
For a company that makes sunglasses and skateboards, Buero has a very impressive mission statement: “Buero was formed to find solutions for the growing issue of ocean plastic pollution, inspire future generations and initiate social change.”
Buero currently offers several different complete boards and deck options, as well as three sunglasses, an apparel line, and a few different collaboration pieces.
Buero’s main focus is on recycling plastic fishing nets used in Chile. (At the top of their website is a counter that records how many feet of net they’ve recycled to date, and the descriptions of their skateboards state how many square feet of net they are made of.) The fishing nets are gathered in Chile, then recycled into Buero’s Net+Positiva plastic material through a fully traceable process.
Their sunglass frames are made out of this recycled plastic, while the Carl Zeiss polarized lenses are added in Italy. Buero is a certified B Corp, and a member of 1% for the Planet
Review of the Bureo Newen Sunglasses
I spent my spring and summer in Buero’s Newen sunglasses. They’ve got a classic Wayfarer profile that fit my face well, and although they are very light, I was impressed at how stiff and durable they felt.
While I’m no high-quality-optic connoisseur, the Carl Zeiss lenses were crisp, and I appreciated the polarization. I wore them while skiing in Oregon and across a wide variety of summer activities around the northwest and the Tetons, and was impressed with their durability during a few crashes. I haven’t scratched the lenses — even after a hike where I foolishly put them in the same pocket as my knife.
I was using the Newen with their “Polarized Brown” lens, and I would describe the tint as being pretty neutral — it didn’t have any crazy effect on color temperatures (like Smith’s Chromapop or Spy’s Happy Lens) — yet it did a good job blocking intense light while still allowing me to function in the shade.
At an MSRP of $139, the Newen isn’t cheap, but they also don’t feel cheap, the optics are clear, and they help eliminate some of the waste that pollutes our oceans.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for high-quality glasses from a company that’s trying to have a positive effect on the planet, we can recommend the Newen.