Tell me about Sunglasses

[Grant Lamontagne]

I need a new pair of sunglasses- in fact, I've needed a new pair for some time.  Mine actually broke a day before I left for the Maine Meetup.  Well, actually they broke long before that, but they finally broke for good the day before I left for Maine.

Long story short, it's about time I got a new pair.  Ordinarily I just buy a cheap set at the gas station or department store since I used to lose or break them so often.  Nowadays I rarely take them out of the truck, so they tend to stay intact for a while longer and thought I would get a set of decent ones.

I am looking at some Oakleys, Hobie and Gargoyle on eBay since I can't bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on them in a retail store.  What do you guys all wear, are the $100+ glasses any better than the cheap ones, and do you have any suggestions?  I would prefer a set that are polarized since that's all I can use at work, but it's not a be all, end all kind of thing.

One more thing, I don't wear glasses or contacts, so that's not a huge issue.

Def

[Leatherman123]

I have a small collection of sunglasses. I have two pairs of Costa Del Mars, a three pairs of Oakleys, and a few others like Ray Ban and such.. I use the Costa Del Mar's the most. They work the best, IMO. I am colorblind and the polarized lenses help me see better.. I have used Costa Del Mars warranty numerous times and it is top notch.

[cgjones]

I've had a pair of Dragons for a very long time. I like them, but I don't wear them that often. Mainly just when I'm driving.

[glorn]

Okay, for the man who likes things that fold up into a compact package, are well made, function as described, and have a timeless design, I give you:

http://www.uncrate.com/men/style/sunglasses/rayban-folding-wayfarer-sunglasses/

Of course this picture below is of a fake pair (I thought they looked a little odd, so I checked the shot against mine), but it shows the folding mech well, and the nice little leather case they come with. Case has a magnetic flap closure, which is very nice.




So skip the tacticool glasses and the Terminator shades and get down with the new old school. 


Did I mention that they fold up into a compact leather case?

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Those are nice...

I ordered a pair of Hobie Capris (now discontinued) and the arrived last week.  I really like them so far, although I think they are made from cast iron!  I don't mind though as I like things that are overbuilt.  With the round frames and long hair I think I look like Ozzy Osbourne when I wear them!  I'll post some pics later on.

Def

[Sea Monster]

Buying Sunnies follows the same rules as buying multis - 9/10 - the expensive ones are better.

However the rule of not forking out a few hundred bucks, just because that's what the nearest retailer wants to charge also applies.

I lose and break sunnies far too often to cough up for nice ones now (so I strut about town with ill-fitting face goggles that turn things in the corner of your eye into hypercoloured demons)

Oakleys are, in my experience, very good, and also sold at a 60% margin by half the retailers - so keep an eye out for sales, or just buddy up with a store manager.


If you can't find a pair that fits, just get aviators. No one ever picks a fight with a dude in aviators.

[Grant Lamontagne]

So that's why no one has pummeled the increasingly insane Tom Cruise...



Unfortunately due to an odd shaped head I look like some kind of bizarre bug-man (help me!  Heeeeeellllpppp meeeeeeee!) when I wear aviator style glasses.  I usually have a hard time finding a pair that looks halfways decent so I was a bit paranoid about ordering a pair online.  Fortunately I lucked out, as the only thing worse than looking stupid is paying $150 to look stupid....

Def

[Schaferhund]

The company called "The North Face" do some nice stuff, comparable to oakley, material wise, bombproof pretty much, and half the price.
I have a pair of "pulse" model ones that look almost like new after a tour of Iraq and numerous kayak trips.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I had one set, I think it was Wiley X but I'm not sure.... their ad showed a pair of glasses that had withstood a shotgun blast at three feet.  Great idea- at least your eyes would be intact so you can see that the rest of your head is missing!

Def

[Leatherman123]

Great idea- at least your eyes would be intact so you can see that the rest of your head is missing!