Looking to get a pair, but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg. Actually, I’d like to keep it under $50 if at all possible. Is that realistic in terms of quality? I don’t know much about these past their effectiveness for seeing into the water/cutting glare. What I’m wondering specifically, is there a certain point on the cheaper end where saving bucks is giving up performance? Is there a mid-range at which you get what you paid for? Any links to reviews? And what tints are suggested? Thanks!!!
That’s really what I have in mind. Even $50 seems way too much for something that, as you say, I know I’m going to break or lose at some point. My history with sunglasses of any type isn’t a shining one. Just wondering how much of a “you get what you pay for” proposition buying a pair of polarized shades is.
I use the brown polarized and they even work great even over glasses if you need them. At $30 a pair they are priced right too. Because I often fish in places where sunglasses can make things too dark; I have always liked the flip-up option. The Brimz are great because IF you don’t want them you just flip them up and out of the way.
Oh yea, you can’t lose them unless you lose your hat!
Nice! Wonder if I can find them locally? That would be ideal… I wear a baseball cap and generally just throw my shades up on top of the brim when I don’t want them. I’ve lost 3 pair that way because I’ll take the hat off and forget they’re there…
I was just pondering this question myself. I don’t mind paying a price for one pair, but I think of the pair that is sitting on the bottom of the ocean with my hat and another pair that is sitting on the bottom of a lake, and another pair that is somewhere in a New Jersey arboretum. Countless others that have been broken. I am sure you get my drift.
I doubt you will find them in a store except possibly a store that sells softball equipment since they’re very popular with softball teams.
I just order them directly off the Brimz website. I can’t rave about them enough. The only thing you may want to do if you get them is wrap a bandanna around the lenses when you stash your hat just so you don’t accidentally scratch the lenses because they are plastic.
Nice! Wonder if I can find them locally? That would be ideal… I wear a baseball cap and generally just throw my shades up on top of the brim when I don’t want them. I’ve lost 3 pair that way because I’ll take the hat off and forget they’re there…[/quote]
used to do that, now i have one of those string things on em. you can eve get ones that float
I lose my fishing shades at least once or twice during a season. I ended up buying a few pairs of the same brand from wally for about 12 bucks. I think they were called “Strike Kings”, and they aren’t half bad. I stash one in my vest, so if I forget them, I still have them. I try to keep the other in my car so I have a pair around if I get into a fix. They do their job thats for sure. Granted they cannot compare to other polarizers that cost over 100 bucks, but they work just fine. And when I sit on them, I’m not too upset. I wore a friends glasses that price out for $150, and I’ll admit, I was awestruck. They remove a lot larger area of glare than my cheap shades. I keep thinking that I might buy some one day, but only when I have money to burn. I just know I’ll destroy them eventually.
How much do you pay for all your other fishing gear? Waders, boots, rods, reels, lines, and all that jazz? Cuz if you can’t see, you’re pretty much done fly-fishing. Food for thought.
With that said, I have found the Strike King glasses sold all over the place in fishing sections to be a good mix of quality and economy at about $30-45. They come with one of those soft neck straps that floats. But I got a pair of Maui Jim’s for my birthday from my wife in gold iridium lenses and ultra-light frames that are just incredible! They are about $150. They look stylish enough to wear anywhere with anything, AND they are far and away the best fishing glasses I’ve ever had. And that includes some more expensive RayBans and Oakleys and such. The Maui Jim’s are also unbreakable/bendable. And the gold iridium actually improves contrast in low light situations as well as eliminating glare.
You don’t get high quality optical grade lenses until you are pushing $100. Below that, you’re getting “cheap sunglasses.” That means you’re dealing with a certain amount of image distortion, less flexibility across the light spectrum, etc. You can get polarization and good UV blocking without terrible distortion starting at about $30. But you can forget photo-sensitive shading, contrast enhancement, and near-zero edge distortion.
I only have one pair of eyes. So I’m all for good glasses. And I have also found that I still own a couple of pairs of the $200+ sunglasses I bought in the 1980s. But I lose and/or tear up cheap sunglasses after a month or two. You tend to take better care of stuff you pay a king’s ransom for…or at least I do.
I bought a very inexpensive pair last year that I have loved using. They are are very sporty looking, light weight and chicks dig em. (aka my wife!) I’ve never used an expensive pair of polarized lenses so I don’t know how they compare, however, I can see MUCH better in all conditions except darkness. I paid $12.00 for them in the fly fishing area of Parks Sportsman in Orem, UT but I’m sure you could find them just about anywhere. They are Chili brand sunglasses and I’d recommend them anyone. Since buying them, I wear them every chance I get. I’ve decided that life is so much more beautiful when viewed through polarzied lenses! 8) 8)
I’ve two pairs of Action Optic’s, one the Kenai style ( $135.00 ) with amber glass lenses that are now seven years old, they are still in excellent condition in all respects and are by far the best pair I own optically. The other, an older pair of A/O Pilot framed glasses ( $100 or so back around 1990 ) with grey polycarbonate lenses. They’ve got a few very minor scuffs off center, but nothing that would detract from their use. While the glass lenses are heavier, they are also much clearer with minimal peripheral distortion.
This winter I also added a pair of SunClouds ( around $60.00 ), a name that I haven’t seen around since the mid eighties. These are also polycarbonates, deep amber in tone. While the fit and feel of the frames are very good, they are a bit on the flimsy side and their optical distortion is fairly obvious once you get out on the water. They’ve since been relegated to the role of cycling glasses.
When it comes to optics quality, I really don’t see anyway around a higher price tag ~ In the case of the A/O’s I own, the price tag is part of what convinced me to keep track of & take better care of my glasses.
Tip for the day: 8) Treat your glasses like you would a fine fly rod, when they’re not in use, they’re back in their case. If your glasses didn’t come with a case, get one. Buy a glass cleaning kit, ( cleaning solution & cloth ) and keep it and your glass case together. Both the kit and case can purchased at most Rx stores. A pair of Croakies probably wouldn’t hurt either.
I too usally buy an inexpensive pair w/o any problems. However the last pair my wife bought were distorted,so make sure you look through them carefully before you buy them
I have had the expensive glasses (mostly Gargoyal and Oakley) but they weren’t polorized, so I bought the Wally World ones and thought they were great (still do I guess to a point).
I have a habit of sliding my glass up on my head and found that my hair was scratching the lenses. I clean them with a glass cloth and realized I was wiping the mirror finish off of them. As as mentioned, you get a pair that distort, it not only can ruin your eyes, but give you headaches.
I go on week long outings and I tell you, I HATE SCRATCHED LENSES!
I also have a pair of Smiths that I love, but recently, I bought HVO’s (a glass lense put out by Orvis) in the Brown and they are INCREDIBLE! What a difference. Buy some chums and good to go.
I even have a brand new pair on order that I should receive in a week or so that are suppose to be the ULTIMATE
Thanks for the info, folks. I guess at this point I’m just going to grab a relatively cheap pair… over $50 right now I simply can’t justify(gotta pay for my wheels!), unfortunately, but the points made in regards to cheaper/more expensive I’ve certainly taken to heart. So for now, cheap… but will plan on a more expensive pair in the near future… hmm… got a birthday comin up here soon :lol:
I cant buy the cheap ones, need glass to see, I am looking to replace the current scip glass I have now and I was wonding if any of you out there that need to see what brand and color you get. I ware bi-focal and hate cover still opting to buy scrip glasses.
Ghost.
I can’t stress enough how important good optics are! I used to buy 3 to 4 pair of wally world polarized glasses a year from dropping, sitting on them scratching the lenses etc… I broke down and bought my first pair of Costa del mars in 1995 and kept them in great shape until 2002. I have since bought a pair of Costa 580 lenses in a copper and would never think of using anything less. The clarity and sheer quality of the lens speaks worlds over other lenses. I was right next to a guy on Dry run creek in AR and was spotting huge fish left and right. He thought I was crazy. I began to try to show the white mouths opening, then the concept of blur your eyes and look for parallel lines…nothing then I said here try these!
The response…“HOLY CRAP!” I have been missing out for how many years!!! IT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. I can see fish I never saw before in a river.