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Posted By: Lloyd3 Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 03:47 PM
I've been using a great pair of Smiths now for over 20-years, for both hunting and fishing (& even driving) but they're getting a bit long in the tooth these days. I know the technology in eyewear has advaced several steps from where it was when I bought these units, so who's got the better option these days? Costa "sunrise silver" mirrors were reccomended to me a while back, to deal with that strobe-like tree shadow, open light, tree shadow stuff that makes it tricky for a lot of sunglasses. I used-to flyfish alot here (before Colorado became overrun by all the refugees from the left coast) but I still really rely on my shades to navigate the local (& other) waters when wading, so very good polarizing is absolutely essential as well. Cheap sunglass have also come a long way but... cheesy plastic stuff leaves me cold, so I'm willing to pay the freight for the right suff. What says the cognosenti here?

I don't need prescription shades just yet, so I'd still be looking at over-the-counter options. Maui Jim and Glacier have also been mentioned to me as well.
Posted By: ClapperZapper Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 04:08 PM
I just spent six weeks shooting quail in the desert wearing Bolle’s.

Prescription, bi-focal, polarized, poly carbonate, wraparound.

Absolutely no complaints whatsoever.

1 caveat though.

Some automobile surfaces are tinted with polarized film. And if you look at them wearing your polarized glasses, you will get constructive interference, and the surface will look black, or striped. That’s just physics.
Posted By: Karl Graebner Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 04:16 PM
Lloyd,
I've used Ray Ban Aviators my entire life with good results, both polarized and not. The lens coverage and shape just suit me. I like the sportsman frame as well with the cable temples. A neutral tint is important to me as well.
Being ex Air Force, I've also used Randolph's aa well. Search slowly, It's important!
Karl
Posted By: FlyChamps Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 04:40 PM
Keep in mind that if you have a car with a HUD (heads up display) like my wife's Hyundai Palisade you cannot see the HUD display with polarized glasses. Polarized glasses also don't work with the tablet I use in our airplane for navigation. I now use polarized sunglasses only for fishing.
Posted By: Tom Findrick Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 04:41 PM
Check Oakley
I believe that they have water-specific lenses.
I wear Oakleys cycling and think highly of them.
Posted By: GLS Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 04:43 PM
Shady Rays. I tend to keep sunglasses too long and scratch the Dickens out of them. I've run the gamut in prices and styles. Shady Rays are comparatively inexpensive, come in a variety of styles, and are well made. They typically have a sales price. When I bought mine, it was two for the price of one. Buddy bought a pair and had a minor issue and they replaced them without asking for a return. Gil
Posted By: Tom Findrick Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 04:44 PM
Originally Posted by FlyChamps
Keep in mind that if you have a car with a HUD (heads up display) like my wife's Hyundai Palisade you cannot see the HUD display with polarized glasses. Polarized glasses also don't work with the tablet I use in our airplane for navigation. I now use polarized sunglasses only for fishing.

My HUD in my GMC truck is still visible with polarized lenses, but at full brightness it is noticeably less visible than with conventional lenses.
Posted By: Hussey Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 05:17 PM
I’ve been wearing Maui Jim’s for years for everything. High quality, they stand behind the product, and comfortable on my melon of s head.
Posted By: Gr8day Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 05:29 PM
+1 on Maui Jim.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 05:33 PM
I'd like to stick with glass lenses, but since there is a shooting component here.... I'm flexible. The bad thing is that I want one pair that does it all (much like my Smith's have done). Aviators are fine (ie. Ray Bans) because I think they look great, but they don't seem as rugged as some of the competition (and for fishing I suspect their coatings aren't as advanced).
Posted By: Tamid Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 06:26 PM
Maui Jim or Julbo. Mostly Julbo because they make a glacier style
Posted By: John Roberts Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 08:00 PM
Been through about four or five pair of these. Still like 'em. Glass lens are non-polarized, which is true of all brands, afaik.
JR
https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/RB3136%20UNISEX%20caravan-gold/8053672494501
Posted By: AZMike Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 11:15 PM
Vuarnet for driving, 3M tinted safety wrap arounds for work. I get 4 for $13. When you are cutting hay and hit a gopher mound they work well!
Decot's for shooting, vermillion tinted cause I'm pretty colorblind.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/03/22 11:52 PM
I'm hard to please, I guess, but I can't get along with one pair of sunglasses for everything. I use three kinds. My longtime favorite for driving, either highway or in the field on a tractor, is RayBan aviators with the mirror coating. For shooting shotguns there is nothing better, IMO, than Pilla, and I prefer the aviators with the orange enhancing coating and the maximum percentage of light transmission. I've tried other major brands of shooting glasses but can't leave the Pillas. For work and driving my Allison boat (sometimes up to 85-90 mph) I prefer a pair of cheap safety glasses that have a brown/amber tint, and are wraparounds. If you look back at the motor for a split second, at any speed above 60 mph, aviators blow off and sink in the lake or river. They are branded Bullheads, and will not blow off if you look back. They are the best inexpensive glasses I've ever found. I have to wear aviators as opposed to wraparounds when farming during the summer heat and humidity because wraparounds will make me sweat behind the glasses due to lack of air movement.

Another very good brand of driving glasses are the Serengeti branded aviators with the brown tint.
Posted By: dukxdog Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 02:04 AM
I've been using Pilla glasses for hunting the last few years.

I like Costa for my truck and boat.
Posted By: HomelessjOe Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 11:56 AM
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
That's the same glasses I use....I found these on a golf cart.
Posted By: Tom Findrick Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 01:06 PM
Originally Posted by Stanton Hillis
I'm hard to please, I guess, but I can't get along with one pair of sunglasses for everything. I use three kinds. My longtime favorite for driving, either highway or in the field on a tractor, is RayBan aviators with the mirror coating. For shooting shotguns there is nothing better, IMO, than Pilla, and I prefer the aviators with the orange enhancing coating and the maximum percentage of light transmission. I've tried other major brands of shooting glasses but can't leave the Pillas. For work and driving my Allison boat (sometimes up to 85-90 mph) I prefer a pair of cheap safety glasses that have a brown/amber tint, and are wraparounds. If you look back at the motor for a split second, at any speed above 60 mph, aviators blow off and sink in the lake or river. They are branded Bullheads, and will not blow off if you look back. They are the best inexpensive glasses I've ever found. I have to wear aviators as opposed to wraparounds when farming during the summer heat and humidity because wraparounds will make me sweat behind the glasses due to lack of air movement.

Another very good brand of driving glasses are the Serengeti branded aviators with the brown tint.

Stanton, many cycling glasses have vents along the frame to promote air flow.
Oakleys have them.
Posted By: muchatrucha Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 04:28 PM
I have been using Maui Jims because the lenses are glass and yes, they are polarized.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 04:49 PM
Stan is clearly onto something that I hadn't considered. Each particular situation will have components that are critical for success. I had always treated sunglasses as something of an afterthought until I started wading gnarly rivers or started seriously hunting grouse in dappled sunlight. It sounds much like guns or any other tool, you must focus on your real needs first. My Smiths were my first pair of really good sunglasses (before that they were all basically cheap and disposable) that I got at "cost" at my nice gunshop job. Because the Smiths were so-much better than anything I'd ever tried before, I used them for everything and the surprise here is that they worked so well at all of it. Is there room for improvement now....probably yes, but at what cost? I guess I need to prioritize my needs and then rank-order each first. After that I need to consider the down-side of using one good set of sunglasses for all my applications (if there actually is a down-side). Because good fishing glasses most-directly keep me from getting hurt in a bad fall, I'll likely get a good pair of them first and see if I can make that work again for me. Keeping track of more than one good pair starts to become a pain at some point (which is why cheap sunglasses are just so darn useful). After that then maybe some Pillas....

You folks are a treasure, as always. Thank you all for the input.
Posted By: John Roberts Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 04:57 PM
Originally Posted by muchatrucha
I have been using Maui Jims because the lenses are glass and yes, they are polarized.

Thanks for the correction, mucha. I see Randolph offers polarized glass lenses also.
JR
Posted By: BrentD, Prof Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/04/22 05:01 PM
Although I tend to avoid amber or any nonneutral lense color, Orvis's house brand glasses with bifocals are excellent for spot and stalk fishing. I ordered them with double strength bifocals to make bloodknot tying easier.

I have considered ordering grey polarized glasses for my Ranger Edge shooting glasses for hunting, but mostly I use Maui J's or similar quality, all with bifocals, but otherwise, uncorrected lenses. My only complaint is that they tend to be a bit too dark when consulting OnX or my Garmin collar gear.

Glasses for grouse, however, are a real hard one. Nothing seems perfect all the time, or even most of the time.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/05/22 12:19 AM
BrentD: Boy do I get that one, bought some Smith "Low-light Ignitors" a while back to see how they would work for grouse on those flat grey days up there. Not one of the better Smith models (not even glass lenses) and ugly as hell so maybe not a good sample but... they didn't (and still don't) roll my socks down for that application. Newer Smiths have "Chroma-Pop" color-enhancing and even a new version of the old "photo-grey", meaning that they will lighten in lower light conditions and darken in brighter. So hard to separate the facts from all the "fluff" here because all the makers really pile on the sales jargon (most of which is meaningless or nearly so).

After much consideration, I want: 1. real glass and 2. good polarizing, 3. decent quality (no crappy or ugly plastic), and if possible 4. the latest coatings to add clarity and reduce "clutter". In rifle scopes the newer "coatings" seem to enhance light-gathering and eliminate superfluous input (blue light, glare, clutter, etc.). I'm hoping the "new" sunglass lines can do that now too.
Posted By: muchatrucha Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/05/22 04:31 PM
I purchased my Maui Jims at the Cabelas store in Denver while on a recent trip to the big city. Lenses are polarized glass and the frames are metal. I won’t own plastic lenses!
Sometimes they are a little dark. Haven’t shot with them yet, still recovering from my vitrectomy (for floater elimination) which went very well BTW.
You are correct in saying that one pair may not be the answer to all conditions. I ski, shoot targets, fly fish and drive. All in varying light conditions. Start with one good one and expand from there. Our eyes are WAY too important to take shortcuts.
Posted By: John Roberts Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/05/22 09:04 PM
Originally Posted by Lloyd3
After much consideration, I want: 1. real glass and 2. good polarizing, 3. decent quality (no crappy or ugly plastic), and if possible 4. the latest coatings to add clarity and reduce "clutter".

I may have to get me a pair of these. They meet your criteria:
https://www.randolphusa.com/products/aviator-military-special-edition?variant=39494532366476
JR
Posted By: old colonel Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/05/22 09:11 PM
I fell in love with polycarbonate lens through several deployments, the eye protection provided is important.

I could not easily determine the level of eye protection the Maui lens provide.

For driving not important, but for shooting in the uplands it cannot be minimized.

Not cheap but I know there is prescription support available for both Wiley-x and Oakley
Posted By: GETTEMANS Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/06/22 08:14 AM
Wy nobody speak about Serengeti drivers, is this not available in the US ?
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/06/22 12:51 PM
Originally Posted by GETTEMANS
Wy nobody speak about Serengeti drivers, is this not available in the US ?

Perhaps you missed this in my earlier post on the previous page?

Originally Posted by Stanton Hillis
Another very good brand of driving glasses are the Serengeti branded aviators with the brown tint.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/07/22 06:57 PM
Well...in the interests of protecting my now "older" eyes I bought some new fishing sunglasses Saturday. After much research I settled on yet another set of Smiths (their top-end Guide's choice). The tipping point was, of course, that I got them for "cost" yet again at my old gunshop/flyshop job(!). So, for almost no money I got ChromaPop, the new lightweight high-resolution glass, spectacular polarizing, & darn good fit. Other fishing glasses probably look better to me but...this was a deal I couldn't ignore.

Their sales pitch...

Lightweight, scratch-resistant Techlite™ polarized glass lenses cut glare
ChromaPop™ Glass polarized lenses cut glare and enhance color and contrast while being highly scratch-resistant
Smudge and moisture resistant coating for easy cleaning and clear optics
Anti-reflective coating improves clarity and reduces eye strain
100% UV protection

Fit / Integration
Medium-large fit, medium-large coverage
8-base lens curvature offers a wraparound fit
Megol temple and nose pads provide non-slip grip so glasses stay put (whatever the hell "Megol" is)
Spring hinges self adjust to your face for a snug, comfortable fit

I really wanted to try the competition's offerings (Costa, Maui Jim, etc. ) but I couldn't even find any to try on here, at least not conveniently. With the money I've saved I can possibly find other sunglasses to focus on my other outdoorsy passions, like maybe grouse-hunting? So taking my own advice, I also just ordered some discount Costa 580 "Sunrise SIlver" units on eBay with the lighter yellow tint. My new hunting and shooting glasses perhaps? Again....time will tell.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/13/22 09:42 PM
Got my Costa sunglasses the other day and wore them yesterday walking the dog. They seem very-much like my "Low-light Ignitor" Smiths in many ways (everybody's frames now come from Italy, it seems, and they all look a bit "clone-ish" to me), with perhaps a bit brighter yellow tint. They have very good clarity and resolution with that "580" coating that Costa heavily advertises so... they should be good shooting glasses as well. I had hoped that sunglass technology had advanced significantly in the last decade or so but from my initial comparisons to my 12-year old Smiths, I'd have to say these "new" versions are seemingly just "newer". The temples are nice and tight (not loose and worn) and they may have a few advances I've yet to notice, but it's not the dramatic difference my older Smiths were when I first got them. A mild disappointment perhaps, but really... too-soon to tell. Hard use in the field will be the real test.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/13/22 10:09 PM
Bought two more sets of the Bullhead Swordfish safety glasses last week. One brown/amber and one smoke/black I got them at a hydraulic supply business for $8.50/pair. Anyone who laughs at me for buying such cheap glasses, I understand. I paid nearly $300 for the last set of Pillas. But, I dare you to try a pair. If you aren't impressed I'll buy them from you.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/13/22 10:26 PM
Stan, they even have them in "readers" with is a serious plus for me these days (& I have several now, not Bullheads but similar). Cheap sunglasses have come a very long way, obviously. With my recent eye-issues (posterior vitreous detachment) I've responded by delving into these more-pricey items a bit more deeply than I would have otherwise. For the retail price of one good pair I got two to try out, so....all good here. The newer Smiths I picked-up are really...darn nice and I need to spend more time wearing them to get a better comparison.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: Good sunglasses? - 03/13/22 10:52 PM
Hope you find what you need, Lloyd. I have with the Pillas, the Ray Bans, and the Bullheads.

Satisfied is a good place to be.
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