Sunglasses

Old CW4 said:
Why do you need sunglasses? You are descended from generations of humans who endured the sun their entire lives, sometimes long ones. You can squint, your pupils contract, and you can shade your eyes. Have you considered the 'urgent need' to shield your eyes from ultra-violet could be more of the same BS our medical community continually pumps out about fats, don't use butter, don't eat eggs, drink excessive quantities of water, etc? Seems to me our so-called medical experts reverse themselves every few years. Why, they've even recently discovered that butter and bacon fat are actually better for cooking (and you) than the other artificial crap they've been pushing. Well, la-de-da, they woke up, huh? I'm 75 and have NEVER worn sun glasses in a lifetime of serving in the deserts and tropical areas of the world. Yeah, I'm not 20-20 but I haven't been since I was age 7. I thought sun glasses were a crock a long tlme ago and haven't changed my opinion. To me, they're akin to vitamin pills, food supplements, and diet aids, pure BS!
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I find sunglasses are of most use to me when im snowboarding, fishing or out on the motorbike for the day etc.

You try spending even a few hours up in the snowy mountains on a bright day or a day out on the water when its sunny and tell me how just "squinting" works out for you :D

I dont wear them to look cool and infact dont like wearing them much but they do make a differnce. :cool:
 
I love Oakley and Rudy Project for racing triathlons, marathons, mountain biking, hiking....I've had them for years and they work great. The warranty for each company is also top notch.

I think the comparison to Sebenza/Strider is a great one.

For "cheaper" (that being a relative term) brands, look at Tifosi or Smith glasses. Those are more on the sport side of things than they are on the classy side of things.

Eyewear is really important for cyclists - if it cracks, fogs up, falls off, etc., you could crash down the side of a mountain. It's probably not necessary to get a super expensive pair for hanging out at the beach or low adventure stuff.

I leave a pair of these in my hiking/camping pack. They work okay. If they break, get lost, etc.,...I don't really care. Ten bucks!

Rudy Project and Oakley will also do great things for prescription glasses.

Good luck! Get something nice to match the sebbie!
 
gcgcgc said:
I love Oakley and Rudy Project for racing triathlons, marathons, mountain biking, hiking....I've had them for years and they work great. The warranty for each company is also top notch.

I think the comparison to Sebenza/Strider is a great one.
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If that is true is Oakley like Sebbie or like Strider?
 
Old CW4 said:
Sorry, Esav. For damned sure I wasn't trying to specifically tell you 'BS.' Just stating a general comment. We have all been subjected to so much generalized 'wisdom' from the medical community as to 'what is good or bad' for us that it has caused me, an old timer with a lot of surviving in various entironments, to come to look upon much of it as so much pure theoretical BS. My comments certainly weren't personally aimed at you. I do apologize and I'll stop posting to this thread.
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It is easy to do, but don't confuse the News sensationalizing a study or two vs. the ongoing progression of what is known about the human body.
 
Bolle for me; my last pair was about $40 on sale at a sporting good chain. Big 5, maybe?

But you gotta buy the brand/model that best fits the shape of your head and face.

Your planned activity will also affect the choice - driving, skiing, desert hiking... Fashion-oriented glasses won't stop the reflected sun from snow or water. Few designs are sufficient to block blowing desert sand. And many pairs I've tried have a gap on top where sunlight blasts right in my eyeballs when driving.

...out on the motorbike for the day etc.
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My helmet hangs over far enough that the sun is almost never directly in my eyes. Once in while in the evening or early morning when the sun is low on the horizon...

Happy shopping!
 
Bob W said:
My helmet hangs over far enough that the sun is almost never directly in my eyes. Once in while in the evening or early morning when the sun is low on the horizon...

Happy shopping!
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I have a motocross style helmet and usually wear goggles but on those hot sticky days I get here in the summer I find glasses are just the ticket. :thumbup:
 
zenheretic said:
If that is true is Oakley like Sebbie or like Strider?
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Yikes!

Tough question...

Oakley does a ton of work with military/law enforcement. Rudy Project is of Italian heritage, and has designs that have a little more flair if you like it, a little less functionality if you don't like it.

My girlfriend much prefers the Oakley's on me...

I think, just like Sebbie/Strider, you're going to find loyal followings of each brand that may believe the hype so much that they refuse to even consider the merits of the other product. Also, it's a very personal thing. I go back and forth on which I like more.

My favorite Rudy's:

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Strictly for racing. Silly looking, but it doesn't have a nose bridge or a lot of interference on the sides, which means more visibility.

My favorite Oakley's:

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Much more of an everyday type of sunglasses.

Each brand sponsors a lot of different groups, if you can get it on a sponsorship, it's a really nice bargain.
 
zenheretic said:
If that is true is Oakley like Sebbie or like Strider?
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I'll have to think about that. Next time I have to open an envelope, I'll try my sun glasses instead of my knife. :D


Old CW4: Some of us folks who ancestors came from areas like Russia and Latvia don't do well in the sun. We have to protect our eyes and skin. What the hell am I doing in Arizona? :eek: :D
 
UffDa said:
Old CW4: Some of us folks who ancestors came from areas like Russia and Latvia don't do well in the sun. We have to protect our eyes and skin. What the hell am I doing in Arizona? :eek: :D
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When working in the desert I always wore sunglasses. The sun is one problem, but blowing sand and dirt is a worse PITA that's easily fixed with proper eye protection.

Instead of glasses, the "old timers" also wore large-brimmed hats to protect their eyes from the sun; they had to since there were no UV sunglasses back then. ;)

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High end sunglasses and eyeglass frames have some of the highest markups of any commercially available product. That's just how it is and one can bitch or get over it. Me personally I bitch and get over it at the same time.

A good example to explain the difference between cheap and expensive sunglasses would be optical glass used in camera lenses or field scopes. Sure you can get the same magnification or focal length in an off brand or even a known but lower end brand like Tamron or Bushnell. But those guys don't live in the market segment that expects glass companies to have the expertise to create glass that focuses light precisely on one point with the minimum humanly possible of aberrations, astigmatism or distortion, with the highest possible color fidelity. A bushnell scope will spot a bird just the same as a Zeiss or Leica scope, but the colors might be off, or there might be some distortion. In a camera, that distortion can cause real problems of perspective or sharpness that can fuck a good picture. So pros and serious amateurs (or people who want to show off) spend thousands on the best glass.

Oakley (for example) has some of the best research facilities in the world for optics, and goes to great lengths to remove all possible aberrations from their glasses. Like other posters have mentioned, they use materials that are exotic and highly functional (not always necessary of course) and do a lot of product testing for impact resistance and rigidity. For me personally my eyes are my most valuable body part and I need them to be in as good working order as possible so I spend the extra $ for a good proven product.

Also, for what it's worth, Oakleys are made in the US.

So yes, markup $$$ but since that's the name of the game for quality, I fork over the dollars and move on.
 
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gcgcgc said:
The warranty for each company is also top notch.
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FWIW the Oakley warranty ain't what it used to be. I have a few pair of Oakleys from back in the day when they had a lifetime warranty, and I'm SOL on one pair that they no longer have the parts to fix. Instead of switching out for a pair of comparable value like they used to, they will only give me a $35 credit towards a new pair, which, well, no thank you.

And new glasses only have a one year warranty. So if you're used to buying Oakleys for the warranty, you'll need to move that out of the equation.
 
bobofish said:
FWIW the Oakley warranty ain't what it used to be. I have a few pair of Oakleys from back in the day when they had a lifetime warranty, and I'm SOL on one pair that they no longer have the parts to fix. Instead of switching out for a pair of comparable value like they used to, they will only give me a $35 credit towards a new pair, which, well, no thank you.

And new glasses only have a one year warranty. So if you're used to buying Oakleys for the warranty, you'll need to move that out of the equation.
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That's why I buy my Oakley's from REI. 100% Satisfaction. Even for scratched lenses. :D
 
For a cheaper set of shades ($40-$75) I like Anarchy sunglasses. I like the Anarchy Rail in a polarized. They fit pretty well and hold up great. I work outside alot and have fairly sensitive, light colored eyes so my shades on from the time I get up til the time I go to bed. I still manage to get a few years out of every pair I have owned (excluding the ones that have been lost) If I were not so bad about losing shades I'd go with a polarized Oakley. They are nice and light and the clarity is second to none.

Edit to add: I also like Spy, I just have trouble getting frames from them that fit my big fat head. :o
 
I won't buy expensive sunglasses. They always get lost or broken, so it just isn't worth it to me. I wear $12 aviators bought from the Army/Navy store, or $20 blue-blockers from a chain pharmacy like CVS or Rite-Aid.
 
WOW! 36 posts on the subject of sunglasses. :D

I suspect that there is a certain amount of "snob appeal" in sunglasses. Like many things, people pay for the brand when a less expensive product is just as good. My Sebenza is a good example. ;) I doubt that one person in 10,000 would know what it is, or even care.

When my boss started wearing Oakleys I kind of did this:rolleyes: After reading through this thread, I may have a different opinion now.
 
here's me and my $325.00 oakleys that keep slipping down my nose oakleys service center sucks anymore paid big money for these ti frames lens keep popping out sent back several times they tried to charge me $100 for lens each time when their were less than a yr old bitch for three m onths and they gave me a new pair that did the same thing now what i've owned oakleys all my life and didn't think they were ever worth the money where you but a strider smf/sng and well worth the $$$$$$$

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Old CW4 said:
Why do you need sunglasses? You are descended from generations of humans who endured the sun their entire lives, sometimes long ones. You can squint, your pupils contract, and you can shade your eyes. Have you considered the 'urgent need' to shield your eyes from ultra-violet could be more of the same BS our medical community continually pumps out about fats, don't use butter, don't eat eggs, drink excessive quantities of water, etc? Seems to me our so-called medical experts reverse themselves every few years. Why, they've even recently discovered that butter and bacon fat are actually better for cooking (and you) than the other artificial crap they've been pushing. Well, la-de-da, they woke up, huh? I'm 75 and have NEVER worn sun glasses in a lifetime of serving in the deserts and tropical areas of the world. Yeah, I'm not 20-20 but I haven't been since I was age 7. I thought sun glasses were a crock a long tlme ago and haven't changed my opinion. To me, they're akin to vitamin pills, food supplements, and diet aids, pure BS!
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I wear sunglasses for three reasons. 1) They help me to see when it's bright out. 2) They protect my eyes. 3) They look good. I don't wear any jewelry (bracelet, wring, chain/necklace, etc.) but I do like sunglasses when I'm outside.

Some medical doctors are full of BS, but a lot of the ones who push natural foods, decent supplements, and in general good health are spot on. I've known people in their mid 60s that look to be in their 30s and are as physically able as someone in their 30s.

I look at professional athletes and Olympians and people who perform physically at a much higher level then average people and they all have a pretty good diet and/or take supplements.





BTW I wear Electric ECDC most of the time. When I'm shooting or doing work/yard work I wear safety/shooting glasses.


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