polarized sunglasses

[mongo]

has anyone compared expensive polarized glasses to cheep ones .do they cut reflection more or is it just that the lens quality (clarity) is better . if they cut a glair more id buy a pair .

[wildlifebio]

Hi,
I definitely believe that the more expensive pairs are better. I worked as fish biologist for a few years so I was used polarized glasses on a regular basis in a wide variety of water conditions. I used to just buy the cheap rapala or whatever brand at walmart or cdn tire and thought they worked fine, but I found they would not last very long (often less than a month) as they were truly made very cheaply. So I eventually bucked up and spent more money on a pair of Oakleys and noticed a huge difference in how much better I could see in the water. I don't know for sure if this was because they had better "polarization" or if it was just because like you mentioned the lenses are better. But my point is that I found a big difference between the two. Now I'm not sure if there would be a difference between a $200 dollar pair of polarized Oakleys and maybe a $80 dollar polarized other brand. But I've had my Oakleys for over 2 years now without any issue (and I'm hard on them). They have been worth every penny. I have the Oakley Fives with the amber/bronze lens and think they set me back about $200 bucks, so although they are pricey at the start I think in the long term they are cheaper then the cost of repeatedly having to replace cheap pairs. I also really like the bronze/amber lenses as they don't make everything as dark and are great to wear even on cloudy or overcast days and find black lenses make things too dark on days like that.

Anyways thats just my two cents. Good luck.

[Scott N]

I'm a big fan of Oakleys too. There is a noticeable difference between cheaper sun glasses and ones of better quality in my opinion.

I have worn polarized glasses every day for the past 4 summers and noticed a few things. The cheap plastic ones are only good if you can get a new pair every few days, the slightest scratch makes them useless. If you can find glass lenses you should be in business. My favorite pair weighs about a pound and are the size of ski goggles but they work great. Wholesale sports had them in stock last spring, $40 or so on clearance. If you're more worried about style than me definitely spend a bit more rather than going with the wal mart specials.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Ill tell you folks what I bought a fine pair of Babe Winkelman's sun glasses best 20 bucks plus shipping and handleing Ive ever spend , If i hadnt dropped and stepped on them Id still wear them today they were great they out beat the 200 doller oakleys I had and theyve out beat the everyday walmart special, Ill post the info here if yall wanna go check it out and possibly order some for yourself.

Babe's 18 CTC Gray Lens
Stylish soft touch frame, lightweight 9construction, very durable and a comfortable fit. You'll forget that you have them on.

$19.99
Quantity
https://secure.chambermaster.com/sho...gs.jsp?catg=14

[unclebuck]

I have used Zeiss glasses for many years, and have found them to be superior to any others that you might buy. I have used Oakleys, but IHMO, Zeiss is far superior.

[uicehole]

Cost aside, the biggest diff you will find is glass vs. plastic/polycarbonate. Glass stands up so much better against scratching that you'll be going through many pairs of plastic ones before you retire your glass pair (assuming you don't drop/step/sit/lose them first). Looking into the sun through a pair of microscratched ones is like the effect of driving into the sun with a dirty windshield. Downside is glass is heavier.

After that, it's up to you what you're willing to ante up for namebrand, style or colour. Differences will range between subtle to noticable. I will say though, amber seems provide better contrast and a lighter tint gives me a longer day with them.

[mongo]

looks like i might have to $$$$ up & try some expensive ones.

[theduke]

big difference, the main things that can be a difference is lens materials, and coats, a high quality lense will have a anti-refelection coating on it, brands to look at are oakleys, raybans, and muai-jims, and if u wanna go more intense, a photochromic polarized lense works awesome, because whe its low light the lenses wont be so dark, and when it is bright the will be dark, i own a optical shop in calgary if u need and help

[Smokey]

I drove over my Oakley's with my quad by accident, left them outside in the winter till May, found them later, bent them back into shape, and they still work. Nothing beats Oakley's, worth every penny...

[The Fisherman Guy]

Looks like most everyone is on the Oakley train. I will offer this supporting advice that you might find intresting.

Oakley eyeware is the tested and proven best eyeware in the world. In cahoots (loosley) with the American Military, Oakley has produced the most impurity free lens material ever made. It also happens to be the strongest lens material as well. If you have had the chance to notice that most SWAT / Tactical teams wear Oakleys, because of their strength. I have personally seen them take a 12 gauge from 6 feet, and retain their integrity. The fighterjets in the american military uses the same lens material to make the cockpit canopies that protect the pilot.

As far as polarised glasses goes, Oakley is far superior to the competition. Money well spent. If you are concerned with the cost and that you are hard on sunglasses, think this; Oakley has the best warranty in the business, if you do not wear glasses, why wreck your vision with 20 dollar lenses, most of the arms on their sunglasses are designed to be sat/stepped on and snap off, only to be snapped on again. If you are really hard on your glasses, get a neoprene sleeve that slips over the rear arms of the glasses so that when you take them off, they hang around your neck, or if they fall off (which in most cases for Oakley, never do (depending on individual head shape)) they will last you much longer.

One last very important thing to remember!:

Polarised glasses of any kind remove glare from water, or water covered surfaces. If you are driving you are advised not to wear polarised glasses, unless the roads are dry. This is because the driver will not see the glare from black ice, frost, oily, or wet roads.

[mudkid]

It really depends on the type of fishing you are doing and the conditions. I have done a fair amount of salt water fishing where you are sight fishing in bright sunny conditions in shallow water(5 feet or less). amber, copper and brown colored lenses are usually the best. In Offshore or deeper water fishing the color of lense is less important and most people use grey or any of the lense colors above. The more expensive are well worth the money when it comes to sight fishing all day and the coatings on them will last longer than the cheaper models. Also make sure they are the wrap around style or have shields on the sides to keep sunlight from coming in on the sides. Costa Del Mar makes some of the best polarized glasses and are very popular in the US. They make a world of difference but will make your wallet quite a bit lighter.

[Redfrog]

"I have personally seen them take a 12 gauge from 6 feet, and retain their integrity."

So they are bulletproof??

[The Fisherman Guy]

As in, the lens absorbed the impact of every shot, without cracking. Perhaps I should have been more clear. Some models are more efficient in absorbing impact from foriegn objects of variying sizes. I also saw a pair take a 1lb spike dropped from 5 feet onto the a pair of sun glasses, on a mannequin's head. The lenses withstained the impact, in addition the spike did not hit the eye, or eye socket of the mannequin. I would not believe it unless I had seen it myself.

[elnino54]

Get the Action Optics by Smith..........you won't regret them.