Disclosure: This is a sponsored post containing affiliate links. We received compensation and courtesy product from MessyWeekend Copenhagen in exchange for our honest review only. All opinions expressed here are our own. Learn more.

Model walking toward camera wearing new depp sunglasses
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MessyWeekend Review: Sunglasses and Snow Goggles to Save the World

William Barton
Expertise:

Style, Grooming, Fitness, Boots, Workwear

William has been covering men's style, grooming, and fitness topics for The Adult Man since 2018 as both a writer and photographer. Based in North Carolina, he's also the face of premier men's boots website BootSpy.com and the popular BootSpy YouTube channel. If William could only wear one outfit for the rest of his life, it'd be slim blue jeans, a green fitted oxford shirt, Chelsea boots, and a nice watch. Read full bio.


Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024
7 min read

What’s a MessyWeekend? It’s much more than a vacation to Las Vegas. It’s a Danish sunglasses brand with something to prove. But are they any good?

Our review looks at their top models and answers that question so you can decide for yourself.

Anything but plastic
The Adult Man Image/Icon Image source: Messy Weekend
Messy Weekend

Bottom line: MessyWeekend offers top-of-the-line sunglasses and snow goggles at a fraction of what you’d find from designer brands. Their commitment to making the world a cleaner place is an example of the power small companies have to create change.

Ratings: The Adult Man Image/Icon  Design The Adult Man Image/Icon  Quality of Materials The Adult Man Image/Icon  Value for Money The Adult Man Image/Icon  Craftsmanship The Adult Man Image/Icon  Customer Service
Pros:
  • Great range of versatile, stylish looking sunglasses
  • All glasses offer 100% UV400 protection
  • Both styles of goggles have excellent clarity and sharpness
  • Goggles fit snugly and tuck into the helmet well
  • Each purchase removes 2kg of plastic from the Pacific
Cons:
  • The lens on the Float goggle was hard to change, especially with cold fingers
  • The lens on the Float goggle was hard to change, especially with cold fingers

I have a scar on my eyeball.

Beat that.

No, but seriously. I grew up in the desert in Southern California, where I’d engage in fun activities like standing in dust-storms and other things that punish the eyes. If you live in a desert, literally anything you do somehow damages your eyes.

So I started developing something in my eye that usually only affects people 70 and up.

And then it got taken care of and I have a cool scar. On my eyeball.

When the doctor finished up, his prescription was to wear a pair of sunglasses all day every day. And that began my quest to find the coolest sunglasses around.

So when MessyWeekend, a sunglasses and snow goggles brand from Copenhagen reached out to me asking if I’d like to try a few of their products, I was game.

I’ve got strong opinions on sunglasses, and to help me judge the goggles, I got the help of a friend, Emmy-winning photojournalist, and general snow-hound.

Now that we’ve had a few weeks to give MessyWeekend Copenhagen a chance, our verdict is in. Keep reading for our full review.

What Is MessyWeekend?

MessyWeekend Copenhagen celebrated its 2nd birthday last month (Feb. 2020).

Their first mission was to create designer sunglasses that looked great but cost half the price.

After raising $40k+ through Kickstarter, they launched their brand. But they didn’t just want to create cool-looking glasses for the heck of it. The founders wanted their brand to mean something, so they partnered with 4THEPLANET, an NGO that clears plastic waste from the Colombian Pacific.

Originally, MessyWeekend was clearing 10kg of plastic per pair of glasses sold, but they eventually found that the Colombian infrastructure couldn’t store and recycle at the rate they were cleaning.

A year after launching their glasses, they hit the slopes. Now the brand offers two designs of snow goggles, made with the same principle of bringing high-quality gear at half the cost.

And the brand is still cleaning the planet. For every purchase of MessyWeekend glasses or goggles, the brand commits to cleaning 2kg of plastic from the Colombian Pacific.

They’re still donating just as much as they did back when they were cleaning up 10kg’s per pair, but now that extra money goes to building the infrastructure needed to make a lasting change in the communities affected by plastic pollution.

The name MessyWeekend seems ironic when you consider how much cleaning they do.

We at The Adult Man love a feel-good story—especially when it comes to Danish companies trying to save the world.

Call us vain, but for us, it comes down to this: are the products high-quality, and do they look good? (And in this case, will it help my delicate eyeballs?)

So, how’d MessyWeekend do? Let’s dive in.

MessyWeekend Sunglasses Review

model walking face on toward with new depp messyweekend sunglasses

Sunglasses can be tricky. Some frames look good on you and some don’t. Luckily, MessyWeekend sent along four different models for me to try.

MessyWeekend Sunglasses Haul Tryon

Packaging

messyweekend packaging with green box black microfiber pouch and three sunglasses

Each pair of sunglasses comes in one of two packaging styles: a matte black and red box, or a patterned green box.

The glasses are tucked securely in a microfiber cloth you can use for cleaning your lenses. And the recyclable box is made from heavy cardboard so there’s no worry about your sunglasses arriving broken.

There’s also a small note inside that mentions the brand’s maintenance instructions, warranty policy, and their sustainability pledge.

New Depp

new depp sunglasses with green case on white background

My favorite pair of sunglasses is the New Depp. These, along with all other MessyWeekend glasses, offer full UV400 protection.

They’re a slightly larger build than the original Depp, and they fit me perfectly.

Brooklyn

product shot brooklyn matte black sunglasses with black box background

I also picked up a pair of the matte black Brooklyn’s. This is the largest design the brand offers, and the lenses get progressively lighter.

These felt large on my face and were my least favorite. If you have a wider jaw, these will fit well, but for my slimmer jaw-line they were oversized.

Still, the construction is excellent, and they feel sturdy. One drawback is that the matte coating picks up oil from your hands, so I had to wipe these down often.

Shackleton

chrome shackleton messyweekend sunglasses with green case on white background

The Shackleton has been growing on me since I first tried them on.

These retro-inspired glasses bring the funk-factor. While I haven’t been wearing them as often as my New Depp’s, they work perfectly paired with a blazer or chelsea boots—anything that recalls a bit of vintage vibe.

The metallic frame is lead and nickel free, meaning they’re safe to wear for people with skin sensitivities. And the Shackleton also comes with a gradient lense like the Brooklyn, which further amps up the retro look.

Jack

angled jack sunglasses tortoise shell color with green and black boxes on white background

I also picked up two pairs of Jack’s, one in their grey colorway and another in tortoise-shell. I’ll always have a soft spot for tortoise-shell. I don’t know what it is, but I just love the look.

The Jack is easy to recommend because the rectangular shape and happy-medium size fits most faces.

Full UV400 Protection

All MessyWeekend sunglasses (and goggles, too) offer 100% protection against UV-A and UV-B rays.

Because there are strict governmental controls when it comes to potential health effects, not every brand can stick the UV400 protection label on their products.

I only buy sunglasses that feature the UV400 level of protection (did I mention my eyeball scar?).

Luckily, there are a lot of brands around now that feature these special lenses, but it’s a bare-minimum requirement for me and I’m happy that MessyWeekend isn’t messing around with eye-protection.

MessyWeekend Snow Goggles Review

Float and inuit goggles on mountain in snow pine tree background

Now, I could have tried the snow goggles myself, but if I’m honest, I have little experience with them. I wouldn’t know how to judge whether they were good.

So I handed them off to my friend Travis Khachatoorian. He’s an Emmy-winning photojournalist who spent three years in Alaska and now lives in Colorado.

Denali Basecamp lone man against white mountain travis khachatoorian

Beyond that, he grew up in the snowy mountains above my desert town—so he knows a thing or two about snowboarding.

Plus, he’s the only person I know who’s experienced the Iditarod, so I figured he deserves a look at these goggles.

Float goggle rainbow lens on head

He spent a day in the Loveland Pass area in Colorado, and here’s what he had to say:

Inuit

inuit goggles on slate mountain stone

The Inuit was my favorite of the two styles I tried. Both goggles have a sleek look that fits my face well, and they both fit snugly within my helmet.

I like the Inuit because the lens seems to work better. There was more sharpness both in clear daylight and in cloudy conditions, which was great because I never had to change out the lens.

Photochromic XEP lens

inuit goggles with purple lens on head

Editor’s note: the Inuit goggles Travis tried came with the Photochromic XEP lens. This same technology is used with transition lens glasses, meaning that the brighter it is outside, the more protection the goggles offer. If it’s bright, the lens will darken. And if it’s cloudy, the lens will lighten.

At the moment, MessyWeekend doesn’t offer a Photochromic lens for their Float model, but they do pack a lens you can use for cloudy days.

Float

Float goggle on mountain in snow

I also really liked the Float goggles, but they fell flat in one area: changing the lens. When my fingers got cold, it became difficult to switch out the lens. I like that they had different options available so I could choose which level of protection I need, but switching them out on the fly was difficult.

Still, if you’re hitting the slopes in somewhat stable conditions (either cloudy all day, or sunny all day) you won’t have to worry about changing the lenses anyway, so it won’t be too big of a deal.

I really liked both sets of goggles, but for me, the Inuit has a slight edge because of the better visibility. Still, I can totally see going for the Float if you’re drawn to the style. The visibility was still excellent, so you’re not making a big sacrifice.

Carrying Case

messyweekend goggles case in truck bed durable

The carrying case that both goggles come in is excellent. It’s easily packable, sturdy, rugged, and fashionable.

Overall, these goggles are great for their price point. They have everything you need: good visibility, cool style, comfortable, durable, and no “luxury-brand” cost.

My Thoughts Overall On MessyWeekend

What I Like

  • There was a lot of versatility in their sunglass offerings—something stylish for every face-shape.

  • Every pair of sunglasses (and goggles) has 100% UV400 protection

  • Both sets of snow goggles allow clear and sharp vision.

  • The goggles tuck nicely into a helmet, so they look cool.

  • Each purchase removes 2kg of plastic from the Pacific Ocean, and helps communities develop plans to tackle plastic pollution for themselves.

What I Don’t Like

  • The lens on the Float goggle was hard to change, especially with cold fingers.

  • The lower-priced sunglasses don’t quality for free returns.

The Verdict

MessyWeekend has you covered all year-round. With warmer weather around the corner, their extensive collection of stylish sunglasses will keep your eyes protected while you’re turning heads.

And for winter, their fog-free goggles look and feel top-notch. You don’t need to make compromises on clarity, safety, and style.

As if those elements weren’t enough, MessyWeekend’s commitment to fighting plastic pollution means that every purchase makes an impact.

While we had a tough time changing out lenses on the Float, and we’d like to see them expand their free-return policy, the brand ticks all the boxes of excellence.

They’re still growing as a company, and I’m excited to see where they go.

As for me, wherever I go, I’ll have a pair of MessyWeekend sunglasses with me.

MessyWeekend

MessyWeekend offers top-of-the-line sunglasses and snow goggles at a fraction of what you’d find from designer brands. Their commitment to making the world a cleaner place is an example of the power small companies have to create change.

Shop Messy Weekend

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