Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Sunglass recommendations?

What? nunya guys are recommending these?......

For me, it's more about the frame than the lenses...well when we are talking higher end glasses. The lenses all work well for me. I am prone to headaches and the frames they make these days most often squeeze my melon too tightly. I bought 3 pair of these when they had them on sale for $70 bucks. The 400g lenses are lighter in weight and the frames don't do the boa constrictor squeeze on my head. They are perfect. I stepped on a pair not too long ago. It made me sick.

https://www.backcountry.com/costa-grand-catalina-polarized-sunglasses-400g-glass-lens

BTW. Back Country and sister store Steep and Cheap have great deals on sunglasses.

Polarized Trivex with a back-side AR treatment, pick whatever frame/manufacturer meets your needs.

AR treatments help light pass through the lens, with sunwear, you don't treat the front side so that it rejects more light on it's own, light will "glare" off the front, but, you won't see/notice it except for the fact that your sunglasses block more light. The back-side AR keeps you from seeing your eyes/eyelash reflection off the backside when you blink or have significant light leaking in from the sides/behind. Wrapped designs help but won't eliminate backside glare, a backside AR treatment pretty much negates reflection as an issue.

Just an FYI, The best AR coatings are not compatible with mirror coating the front. The best AR coatings are done in a vacuum chamber with heat and pressure, the mirror coatings don't stand up to that and cannot be done after the AR. Mirror coated lenses get the AR treatment as a liquid that's run onto the lens while the lens is spinning to distribute it evenly and then cured at a much lower temp and ambient pressure. Spin coats are far less durable. There are some vacuum chamber AR treatments that are actually harder than glass.

In a non-prescription format, your Dr's office can have a "Plano" polarized Trivex lens edged for nearly any frame you like, they don't have to start life as "Sunglass Frames". Trivex has an ABBE value of 42-43, the average human eye can detect an ABBE value up to ~45. Trivex has all the durability of Polycarbonate minus Poly's dogshyte optical performance. Poly has an ABBE value of ~31-33 and is the least clear lens material available. Plastic (CR-39) has an ABBE value in the high 50's and glass has an ABBE in the low 60's but neither offer the safety factor that Trivex/Poly offer.

To reiterate, Polarized Trivex with a back-side AR treatment.

As already seen in this thread, you'll get a myriad of responses. Like the OP, I had had eye surgery last May. Removed cataracts in both eyes, and I only need cheaters for real close up stuff. After the surgery I ask the Dr what he recommended. His response was 'the best you can afford'. He went on to say that if he were to recommend a specific brand it would be WileyX. That said, I ordered a set of WileyX Wave's and have been pleased to this point.

If you are not interested in looking hip, cool, stylish, plain old American Optical original pilots work good in real life, dust, dirt, etc. I have different colors for different jobs, the gray ones are outstanding for good contrast with iron sights, but mostly the brownish/amber are the most useful, summer haze and smoke being the dominant condition in the west the last 10 years.

I have owned all of the ones listed and the majority of the time I wear my oakleys , non polarized. Second would be costa. Imain similar world and find the Oakley holds up

Depending on what you're doing, Hunter's Gold HD can be good for range use and some like them for hunting and fishing.

Thanks all. I'll do the research, and make an informed decision.

Meanwhile, the pressure to act in haste has been slightly reduced: This morning, I found some Stren (Line company) labeled polarized sunglasses, and vaguely remember getting those with a spool of line as a promotion item from Stren some decades back. Not unlike the Ray Scott or Roland Martin pro model ones that Bass Pro used to sell, IIRC, with the wrap around frame, and the peek-a-boo sidelights. They'll be an excellent companion to my 1972 Mil Spec ones....... until I can find something better, of course. Chortle.

Bill Dance Specials.

Wiley X are pretty stout as well.

Their frames are plenty durable and the lenses are tough and safety rated, but, they're still Polycarbonate which is optical dogshyte.

What you want is Polarized Trivex with a backside AR.

Maui Jim’s for driving and fishing. Wiley X for shooting/hunting. Polarized glass lenses are a must. Wiley’s have a Z87 safety rating but there lenses scratch to easy.

Smith techlite polerchromic glass lenses. They adjust brighter or darker depending on light. The glass lenses can be cleaned with a paper towel. Low light igniter in winter and snow and rain. Regular igniter for all others. Polar chromic brown is good too. Nothing compares to smith techlite. Plastic lenses suck because they scratch. Might as well wear $4 Walmart glasses if plastic.

That's it! The T-Rex of sunglassses back in the day!

I own one pair of Smith’s with changeable lens colors that I bought years ago for mountain biking. Lightweight and very useful. I have owned a few pair of Costa’s and really liked the clarity of the lenses, but had to send a pair back for a broken frame and the replacement ones were less than high quality. Both logos popped off the sides within 2 weeks.

My goto sunglasses for the past decade have been the Oakley Flak Jackets, in various color frames and lenses (camo, black, desert tan, polarized, non-polarized). Midway puts them on sale at crazy cheap prices occassionally and I stock up. I think I have 4 or 5 pairs, one still new in box. Ihave had to replace the rubber ear socks and nose pads on a few, but that is cheap. They fit my melon perfectly with little space around the temple / hinge region ans the lenses cover close to my cheeks which blocks crud from getting in my eyes - especially during golf from one of those “explosion” type lies.

I am going to cry if/when they obsolete them.

So does Trivex, while also being optically exponentially better than Polycarbonate. Additionally, your Dr's office can order polarized Trivex that has a scratch-coat on it that's demonstrably harder to scratch than glass.

Polycarbonate gets advertised and pushed hard in the US because it's easy/fast to edge. Trivex costs just a little more, but, takes 3x-5x longer to edge into a frame thus most manufacturers shy away from it and instead show you fancy numbers like Z87 and have the heavy spike for you to handle in their in-office display. None of that actually helps you see better though, just helps the manufacturer make more $$ while providing you an optically inferior product.

Hobie Polarized...

Great sunglasses.

They run sales all the time.




GR

Have been wearing wrap-around-style Maui Jim Kahuna for many years. By far the best made and most durable I've ever owned. And they fit my rather large head as if custom made for me.

Bought them for years and my brother has a bunch of them but we are moving to Maui Jims. Costa was bought out and their CS and offerings have gone to hell.

You can thank the French folks @ Luxxotica for your last statement.