Sunglasses...recommendations sought

[mireland]

For those like me who wear glasses it gets very expensive buying prescription sunglasses. I now have a pair of sunglasses designed to fit over my glasses. They are very good quality offering proper UV protection and are polarized. Got them from Boots for about 25 quid. Puts me in the same position as someone without glasses - brilliant!

 

[noelex]

For those like me who wear glasses it gets very expensive buying prescription sunglasses. I now have a pair of sunglasses designed to fit over my glasses. They are very good quality offering proper UV protection and are polarized. Got them from Boots for about 25 quid. Puts me in the same position as someone without glasses - brilliant!

Next time you get prescription specs get some lenses with UV protection. It is possible with a clear lens to get close to 100% UV protection, generally better than most sunglasses give.

 

[CreakyDecks]

It's another "Emperor's new clothes" thing! If you pay £100+ for sunglasses you are paying for the name and the style statement. I do have Ray Bans that I wear when posing on holiday. They are a rip off but not quite as bad an investment as their price suggests because the lenses do last for years, it's the hinges that eventually give up! I also have polarized ones with +3 inserts for fishing, £15 off Ebay. What I wear for sailing are wraparound polarized ones that I picked up on an offer at my local garage for £1.99! I like them because they feel like there is no way they can fall off and they stop light reflecting in at the sides. Whatever you buy seem to come with a tag saying UV protection, I see no reason to believe that tag is any more true on dear glasses than cheap ones.

PS. Richard, my £20 Box motorcycle helmet has the same four star safety rating under the governments SHARP scheme as the £150 AGV helmet it replaced.

 

[keyfonts]

i'm on the oakley polorised train. Had a few close calls loosing them over the side but have found that a short length of 85lb braided fishing line does the trick. The key seems to be having the line short rather than the traditional long glasses savers. Worked so far and use them for racing, cruising, powerboating and fishing in all weathers. Just ordered some new lenses (non oakley) that are polorised and photochromic to try so hopefuly they will solve the problem of low light when there is still glare around. Best i've found are the Flak jacket XLJ. These have removable lenses, a tight fit and are wrap aound.

 

[noelex]

Expensive sunglasses are generally a good guarantee of adequate UV protection. Cheap sunglasses can also have good UV protection, but you take much more of a risk. Optically expensive sunglasses are better sometimes much better and have more scratch resistant coatings, better designed tints, better frames etc.
The problem is that these "features" should be available in sunglasses that cost £20 or so, but then the marketing and fashion people take over and the costs become much higher.

 

[mr_brittass]

Never buy cheap glasses. Worse for your eyes than wearing nothing at all.

 

[RobbieW]

Apparently cataracts are more common in professional seamen than the population as a whole. Glare off the sea etc etc so protection very necessary. I'm not a pro-sailor but had a cataract in one eye diagnosed at 45 and lens replaced at 50 so I'd go along with that. Most likely explanation was sailing with insufficent protection.

 

[noelex]

Apparently cataracts are more common in professional seamen than the population as a whole. Glare off the sea etc etc so protection very necessary. I'm not a pro-sailor but had a cataract in one eye diagnosed at 45 and lens replaced at 50 so I'd go along with that. Most likely explanation was sailing with insufficent protection.

It's not actually glare it's UV that causes the damage to lens, other factors also play a role, but UV exposure is a major factor in this and few other eye diseases.

 

[wotayottie]

As a motorcyclist I was told "if you don't value your head, buy a cheap helmet". Same applies to sunglasses... if you don't value your eyes, get cheap sunglasses. .

PS. Richard, my £20 Box motorcycle helmet has the same four star safety rating under the governments SHARP scheme as the £150 AGV helmet it replaced.

Same with my crash hat. But people assume there is a significant difference between the £2 sunglasses and the £200 ones and there is - poser status! And good marketing.

People kid themselves that they are buying on rational criteria when what they are doing with most upmarket products is buying into a brand image. Applies to Harley bikes or German cars or Swedish boats and even to such mundane items as trainers and sunglasses and Musto oilies.

 

[lenseman]

. . . . But people assume there is a significant difference between the £2 sunglasses and the £200 ones and there is . . . . .

Yes, there is, £198.00

 

[Fire99]

Any reason why you shouldn't use Sunglasses designed for Cyclists, with switch-able lenses for different light conditions??

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Any reason why you shouldn't use Sunglasses designed for Cyclists, with switch-able lenses for different light conditions??

None at all, keep a set on board for the winter-just plain glass is useful just lately

 

[Hornet_UK]

I find my polarised sunglasses make LCD instruments look weird and difficult to read, for that reason I wouldn't recommend them.

Plank

Polorised if you can't see your instruments then tilt yer 'ead!

 

[Fire99]

None at all, keep a set on board for the winter-just plain glass is useful just lately

The way it's looking outside my window at the mo, lenses that INCREASE light may be needed

 

[mobeydick]

Those paying a lot more for sunglasses to get the extra UV protection are fooling themselves. You can get full UVA, UVB and UV400 protection for under £10. Sunglasses from most reputable manufacturers and high street retailers (Boots, M&S etc) are fully compliant.

You are only buying name, and possibly construction + style.

I have had RayBans, which feel nice and 'rattle' less than cheaper makes, but the screws holding the lens/hinges always come out after a year or so.

(If I don't sit on them first!)

MD

 

[noelex]

Those paying a lot more for sunglasses to get the extra UV protection are fooling themselves. You can get full UVA, UVB and UV400 protection for under £10. Sunglasses from most reputable manufacturers and high street retailers (Boots, M&S etc) are fully compliant.

You are only buying name, and possibly construction + style.

I have had RayBans, which feel nice and 'rattle' less than cheaper makes, but the screws holding the lens/hinges always come out after a year or so.

(If I don't sit on them first!)

MD

Sunglasses that are certifed to conform to an standard such as BS 2724 or AS 1067.1 have to conform to reasonable levels of UV protection. If you can get them at a cheap price they will probably be a good buy.
UV 400 is a higher level of protection and if the lenses do conform to this they are better again.

 

[Tidewaiter2]

The way it's looking outside my window at the mo, lenses that INCREASE light may be needed

I'll Change to the yellow lens then

Our youngest wears safety sunglasses on site and driving, they are up to spec, and cheap too as he gets all the new H&S kit to review for his firm's region, I reckon he's on the ball- but they aren't dimming enough for me- see my earlier post.

 

[Hazeltine]

Gills, there not a bad price, look pretty smart, float and the 'gill racing' have a built in retainer-type strap

 

[chinita]

After about five years sailing in the Med I developed a basal cell carcinoma on the lower lid of my right eye.

Throughout that time I wore Ray Bans virtually every day - certainly every day when the sun shone.

I have no idea how the UV rays got in there - but they did - and it took three operations to sort it out.

 

[BAtoo]

Polarised prescription varifocal Oakleys for me - not in double figures though

(They are so expensive that they become an insurance claim if lost.....)