Bleg: Sunglasses
I need shades. I’m very hard on sunglasses and keep busting them. Of course, I also buy cheap sunglasses (not sure if that’s why they’re busting or if I buy cheap ones because I bust them). I once had a nice pair of Nikes that I spent about $90 on. Had them for years. But when the Mrs. and I went to Mexico a few years back, I jumped into the ocean and there they went. I’d been swimming with them quite a bit and they’d never done that before. Now, I’m more inclined to buy cheap ones and not because of ZZ Top. I dunno why. But, I’ve had three pair in the last month and about to get a fourth because the shades I bought last Saturday broke on Tuesday. So, what to get? Caveats:
I prefer the wrap around style (you know, kinda look like this).
I don’t really need any sort of tacticool gunny shades but haven’t ruled them out.
They need to be tough. As far as I can tell, the only thing breaking my shades is either 1) rattling around in the truck or 2) the sheer strain of being wrapped around my massive melon.
I don’t dig the big oversized styles.
Suggestions?
August 24th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Can’t help you there. I wear prescription glasses with “transition lenses” so I look like a child-molester out in the sun.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:49 am
I’m a cheap sunglasses guy also. 5 bucks at the Exchange or 7 at Wally World is all I’ll do.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:51 am
Five dollars eyes, five dollar sunglasses :).
I dig the Arnettes. Stylish without being garish (I noticed in the hood that gangsta stunnaz are wearing very big, very feminine looking shades lately…weird).
Fairly priced…not overpriced like the Oakleys that you’re going to lose or break anyway. $65 gets you a decent set.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:56 am
WileyX Romer II’s, available at your local CCA.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Romer II pic.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Gargoyles.
Had mine since 1991. Don’t wear ’em all the time but still…
They fit my massive noggin and the ever-indulgent wife’s much more petite face.
Lunar grey, full mirror. The mirror makes them great for full sun and the grey means you’re not left blind when you walk into the shade (or indoors). They’re optically flat so you don’t get the weird distortion to the sides. Oh yeah – they’ll stop a .22. Not that I’ve needed that feature.
Not cheap to buy but I’m down under $10/year by now.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Think about going with sunglasses like you would a sidearm. You need everyday, serviceable and durable sunglasses that can take a beating but still function. Then there are times you want to dress up and look good.
For everyday ‘work’ sunglasses, check out an industrial supply/welding supply retailer. There are some pretty good safety rated sunglasses out there that will hold up to some abuse. Also, you can buy a box of 10 at a reasonable price.
Yeah, carry vs. dress, function vs. show.
BTW, I feel your pain. Sunglasses and watches have a brief life expectancy around me.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Another vote for the Gargoyles. I had a pair back when I was a medic, and those babies took a real beating, but still looked great. I have nightblindness that is brought on by too much bright light during the day. My Gargoyles made it possible for me to work full 24 hour shifts. Agree 100% with everything KCSteve said … they are well worth the price.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Take a look at Rudy Project glasses. I’ve been using my Rydon model for over 3 years for shooting, hiking, 3gun matches, etc. They are indistructable, the frame have 3 year warranty, the lenses (removable, impact proof, intechangable, multi color, polycarbonate or Impact-X, polarized if you need them, light reactive if wish them) have life time warranty with shipping charges only for replacement. They are not cheap but they are not to expensive. You can get prescription inserts if you need them like I do. They’ve been very popular with cyclists (who sometimes take spills) and now very popular with IPSC shooters. A huge number of styles to choose from, even tactical ones.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Wiley X SG-1s… extremely durable and shatter proof, as well, you can exchange the lenses later on if you prefer a different color. I got issued some on my latest Iraq trip, and was quite impressed. The only thing I didn’t like is that if you use the typical sunglass type arms instead of the headband, they are too big for my head. But, then you said you have a big head.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I’ve had no problem with my Ray Bans. (RB 3198). Mine are prescription but you can get flat lenses put in. I hate getting light leakage from the side, and these cover that without making me look like a biker. They are full blown glasses, though, so you probably want to go to someplace like Lenscrafters so you can get them tinted (“dark as you have”) and fitted. Plus I got a nifty Ray Ban case for them, so they don’t get banged up much off my head.
They have the spring type temples, so breakage shouldn’t be an issue. (That is where I see sunglasses wrecked the most.) And since they are real glasses, they can be repaired for things like lenses getting knocked out (or scratched all to hell.)
August 24th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
AO Safety.
http://www.aosafety.com/industrial/eye_detail.cfm?prod_family=Polarized&ind_prod_num=12236-00000001
August 24th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I wear Oakley Monster Dogs. For the $90 I spend per pair w/o polarized lenses, they are some of the best shades I’ve ever used. I used to wear Arnette, BlackFly, Spy and Nike. Now, I have a pair of Monster Dogs that rattle around in my range bag with empty brass, another pair that I wear on my motorcycle (that survived my 50mph faceplant just fine), another pair that fell into a mosh pit and survived, another pair with light grey transitions to eliminate the halo’s I get when riding at night. They are the most indestructable shades I’ve owned. I caught a piece of copper jacket in the frame of one pair, which saved the bridge of my nose.
Ever since I had Lasik 5 years ago, I’ve protected my eyes day in and day out. I feel best about the Oakelys, except when I feel I need to establish some gunny cred, which means I switch to the Revision Sawfly’s.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
My previous pair of shades were Ray Ban Wayfarer II’s. The II’s are the larger size frame. I have a fairly big head also and these fit great. These are the “cool” shades the Blues Brothers were wearing knockoffs of. I also wear prescription glasses, so I had my Ray Bans re-lensed in my prescription. I’ve actually had two pairs over the years, one in black and the other in tortoise brown.
My current pair are Vintage American Optical model 58 flight goggles in 12kgf with the bayonet bows instead of the more common ear hooks. I’ve had these re-lensed also, this time with my bifocal prescription.
I find transition lenses do not get dark enough in the sun or clear enough indoors to suit me. I also don’t like being blind while I’m waiting for them to transition. Unlike the mill-spec lenses that came with my AO model 58 flight goggles, I always get polarized lenses. They make a huge difference in knocking down the glare. Polarization can cause strange patterns to appear in the side windows of your car or the canopy of your jet fighter which could make it more difficult to spot the bombers you’ve been scrambled to intercept. That’s why the mil-spec lenses are not polarized.
My Ray Bans were bought new at an optical shop and were expensive. The model 58’s were bought at the flea market and cost much less. They came with their original issue plastic case with all of the military contract information on the flap.
Most of my glasses the past few years have been bought used and re-lensed in my scrip. They really don’t make them like they used to! My regular “indoor eyes” are a round lensed pair with riding bows (springy wrap around ear hooks) made back in the 1920’s in 12k white gold filled. I paid $15- for the glasses at another flea market and another seventy five or hundred to get my bifocals put in them. I found a pair of comparable vintage frames for my Mum in 12k solid gold at an antique shop for $10-. They obviously didn’t bother to check…
If you like them and they fit and are in good shape there is absolutely no reason not to use vintage frames! With a simpler scrip than mine and less expensive plastic lenses they can be built for very small money.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Oakley M-Frames.
It is a single-piece lens that wraps around and can be replaced from the frame, if needed.
I’ve had mine for a decade. They have some wear on the edges at teh contact of the folded arms. But I don’t look that way very often.
I have two pair – dark and medium.
My brother is stationed in the sand-box and he said they are standard issue – they don’t break and they work. Nearly every picture you see of a GI over there has them on, they are wearing them. If they are good enough for them…
They aren’t cheap. But I used to do the $5 – $20 pairs and I went through 6 in a year. People say; “You spent $100+ for a pair of shades, what if you lose them?” My reply; “At $100+, I DON’T.” My trick is to always wrap my keys on the frame. I can’t go anywhere without my keys, so I’ve never left them behind – for long.
As for not losing them while wearing them, you can get a strap, but I’ve demonstrated how well they fit by leaning forward and shaking my head like a dog (side to side), then like a head-banger (up and down). They stay on without pinching. I’ve forgotten I was wearing them many times.
Go try a pair on, make note of the exact colors and tinting, then order them online.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
I’m glad someone else said Oakley’s…lol. I was about to slink back to 1998 in silence.
The Monster Dogs are awesome.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Transition lenses royally suck. They don’t work while driving and even outside they seem barely adequate.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Whatever you end up with, go to a flyfishing outfitter and get an attachable cord to use when you’re in the water. Some of them float so you can recover your sunglasses even if they manage to fall off.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Yeah, probably a good idea. Those had never fallen off before then.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Mine are prescription so I can’t really help you. But, I will say this for anyone looking to buy frames, the Ralph Lauren frames I splurged on have taken a beating and survived no worse for the wear.
I got them because when it came down to comparing them with a knock off cheaper set of frames, they just didn’t compare. I could see the quality differences in terms of the lines being right on my face and several other obvious cosmetic differences. Since I only planned to upgrade lenses most of the time, I thought it might be worth the investment, but I wondered about durability since they are meant to be fashionable frames, not tough ones. But even since I stopped carrying them in a bulky hard sided case, they’ve handled the dangers of my purse very well.
That said, I look forward to when my eye sight levels out so I’m not replacing lenses every six months and can get Lasik in order to enjoy the variety of cheap sunglasses available to all you.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Just got a pair of Oakley Canteens, and I could not be happier with them. Kind of big (trust me, I do not like big frames or lenses either), but they wear so well, you hardly even notice it.
Of course, I have successfully killed two metal-framed Oakleys previously, so I hope these “O-Matter” ones stay the course.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Luckily I’m pretty easy on sunglasses. My last pair lasted six years before I smashed them in a shopping cart. My current pair, the same make/model, has lasted for four years now and I still love ’em. Smith Vector. Yeah, they’re kinda spendy, but like I say, I’m pretty easy on them.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Dollar Store sunglasses work for me. I picked up 10 pair of blue-mirror-lens and 10 pair of smoke-mirror-lens versions four years ago (for a twenty-spot, natch). Two pair have busted since then, so at that rate I’m still cool for the next 36 years.
That’s not to say I’ll be in style then, but who cares?
August 24th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I do have a pair of “heavy-duty” glasses in my BOB: Vuarnets, vintage 1986. I occasionally see them in thrift stores for cheap.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Spend 300 bucks on a pair, and you’ll be more careful with them. Be sure to get polarizers– they’ll make the world a much more beautiful place.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I realize these aren’t wraparound, and the name can be of putting but here’s a link to my “goggles”: http://www.aosunglasses.com/pilot.htm
I don’t know this web site and I’ve seen them for less on other sites. I chose this link because it has a good picture. You may be able to find them at a mil-surplus store for a good bit less than advertised. Classic military aviators.
Just my personal preference. Your mileage may very.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Just switched from Oakley E-wires to Bolle. I highly reccomend the polarized lenses. I had the Oakleys for seven years until a drunken idiot got to close and raked them off my face while floating on spring river. The Bolle Seem to work great and were reasonable priced.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:53 am
i wear oakleys for both my sunglasses (prescription) and for my normal eyeglasses… its amazing how well you care for glasses that cost a good bit… the cheap ones from mobil, i save those for things like rafting, concerts and the beach
August 25th, 2007 at 9:51 am
[…] the responses to my sunglasses bleg. Now, I need to make a decision out of the many […]