I can remember my first trip into a mall sunglasses store in my late-teens. I wanted everything, and could afford nothing. Display upon display, filled with $200+ designer frames – encasing the latest and greatest UV and polarized lenses. In my mind, this level of eye protection was the Holy Grail. Without them, my eyes would fry in the mid-day sun.
Over the past few years, an interesting category of sunglasses has emerged. Often, sub-$100 – they provide not only amazing clarity and features in the lens optics, but are built around current and fashion forward frames that can compete head-to-head with the big boys.
Gone are the days of buying gas station sunglasses because you’re afraid you’ll lose or break them – the future is here…and it’s bright. It’s time to wear shades.
Sunski understands the lifestyle of the outdoors people wearing their glasses. They’re built light, meaning that you can wear them all day – and not notice. They aren’t going to dig into the side of your nose, or compress behind your ears. The amazing thing? They’re built light without compromising quality, and are backed by a lifetime warranty – no questions asked. Combine that with stellar optical clarity and a polarized, hardcoated lens – you’ve got a winner.
$58.00
Zippo : Orange Oversized Sunglasses
Known as one of the great brands of Americana, Zippo is expanding their footprint out of lighters and fire-starting with an equally hot offering in their new sunglasses line. I spent a week tromping through the swamps and bayous of the South wearing their Orange Oversized model, and while they aren’t polarized – you’ll be looking at the world as a green-tinted, UV treated paradise. The color-combo is an attention getter all by itself as well.
Ryder Eyewear : Nelson veloPOLAR + antiFOG
I’ve come to accept the downside of polarized sunglasses – most of the time – but sometimes it’s just too much. LCD screens go black, and if you’re a cyclist, they often hide slick spots on the road. DANGER!
Ryder Eyewear overcomes these obstacles with their veloPOLAR lens, utilizing just the right amount of polarization – leaving the things that need to be seen visible. They’ve paired this technology with their anti-FOG coating, creating a lens that’s optically clear to the point that it almost doesn’t feel like you’re wearing any lenses at all.
Comfy eyes are happy eyes, and Nectar sunglasses deliver on that idea. They compare their UV and polarized lens to a pair of blinds on a window, preventing glare from ever making it to your eyes. We’ll take it! While we tested out the Coltic, their entire lineup is backed by a replaced for life guarantee, making them the last pair of glasses that you’ll ever buy (… at least that’s what I told my wife.)
Revant Optics : Replacement Lenses
If you’ve invested in a “premium” pair of sunglasses, you already know the golden rule: “Off the face, in the case.” Let’s face it, you’ve probably thrown your sunglasses onto your dashboard, and/or sat on them at some point – likely more than once!
This is where Revant Optics lenses come in. They’re custom cut replacement lenses as good (if not better) than the expensive lenses you just thrashed. They have the ability to fit hundreds of thousands of frames, and their customer service is killer.
