Oakley sunglasses--opinions on lenses?

[Capt. Dan]

I was about to order a pair of non-prescription Oakley sunglasses, but have now become hung up on which lens to purchase. I was pretty set on the gray polarized, but with all the other options, I'm questioning if that's the right choice. I know there are probably better glasses out there, in fact I have a pair of prescription Costa del Mars, but I can't find another pair of glasses that fit my face as well as the Oakleys... thus Oakleys it is.

See some of the options below, yikes!


Black Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 9%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Ice Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 9%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Gold Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 9%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

VR28® Black Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 10%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Fire Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 10%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Black Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 10%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Titanium Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 10%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Ice Iridium
Rate of Transmission: 10%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Titanium Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 12%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Gold Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 12%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Emerald Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 13%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

24K Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 13%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Emerald Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 13%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Leather Gold Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 13%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

VR28® Blue Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 14%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Ruby Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 14%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Bronze Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 15%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

+ Red Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 15%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Blue Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 15%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Gold Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 15%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

VR28® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 16%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Fire Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 16%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Violet Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 17%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

Grey Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 17%
Light Index = 3 (Sunny)

VR28® Black Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 18%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Amber Black Iridium® Polarized
Rate of Transmission: 18%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Grey
Rate of Transmission: 18%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Bronze
Rate of Transmission: 22%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Slate Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 23%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Emerald Slate Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 24%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

G26™
Rate of Transmission: 26%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

VR28®
Rate of Transmission: 28%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

G30™
Rate of Transmission: 30%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

VR50® Gold Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 35%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Black Violet Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 38%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Light Grey
Rate of Transmission: 39%
Light Index = 2 (Partly Cloudy)

Black Persimmon Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 44%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

Blue Black Iridium®
Rate of Transmission: 44%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

VR50™
Rate of Transmission: 50%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

Titanium Clear
Rate of Transmission: 54%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

Violet
Rate of Transmission: 55%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

High Intensity Persimmon
Rate of Transmission: 59%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

Persimmon
Rate of Transmission: 61%
Light Index = 1 (Overcast)

Light Blue
Rate of Transmission: 66%
Light Index = 0 (Indoor)

High Intensity Yellow
Rate of Transmission: 90%
Light Index = 0 (Indoor)

Clear
Rate of Transmission: 93%
Light Index = 0 (Indoor)

[Capt. Dan]

Ooops, just saw gibbsb post, pretty much the same question I was asking...

In August I had a Custom Half-Jacket in Carbon Fiber with polarized lenses built. I ordered them with Black Iridium lenses but got Gold Iridium lenses instead because the Blacks were out of stock. The gold is nice, but the black goes much better with the frame. Theyre great on the boat and really comfortable, but wear croakies or something so you dont lose them. I payed $175.00+Shipping. Here are mine...




FYI, theyre customer service is superb (or at least they were with my order).

[flyau98]

I have both the gray and black iriduim (both polarized). The black iridium is darker (which I like), but has a bit of a "mirrored finish" so it hides your eyes from everyone. The gray is just a dark lens. You can see through it both ways. My preference is the Black Iridium. The others (other than the strange VR28...stay away) are basically just a color preference, there will be a little difference in the wavelengths of light transmitted, but they are all pretty "normal". If you like a blue-ish lens or whatever, get the iridium polarized that fits your color preference.

Good choice on the Oakleys...I've been wearing them for years and years...and they take good care of the Military...

[Capt. Dan]

Cool deal, I think I may go for those Black Iridium versions. I find that even with the gray polorized I am still squinting some on very bright days.

Squid-How do you like the gold compared to the black?

[BrooklynJoe]

Dan,,,I have two pair of the half jackets....

I have the G30 lens for golfing in one pair and have the Fire lenses in the other pair for real bright light.....Great glasses....

Call Oakley and tell them what your going to use them for and they will recommend a lens for you....There customer service is very helpful...

Good Luck,,,
Joe

[WEAKFISH]

Capt. Dan....look at Native sunglasses. Made to compete with Oakley, cost abot $115.00 with interchangeable lenses, including one polarized set.

[Capt. Dan]

Joe--Good idea, I did call Oakley and basically it comes down to personnal preference. The different colored lenses cut down on different wave lengths. The colored lenses allow more color through, but not more light. It may be that the blue lenses let more blue light through which may make them better in blue water, not sure.

[Capt. Dan]

Hey Weakfish, I have a pair of the Natives and like them, but they don't fit me as well as the Oakleys. I had a great pair of glasses that fit perfectly, absolutely loved them (can't remember the brand), but I lost them on the Four Seasons beach on Nevis, in a drunken stupor, before pushing off in the dingy back to our boat. It was ugly!

[kingair]

I have the Gold Iridium lenses and love them.

Capt. Dan - 1/24/2006 4:52 PM

Squid-How do you like the gold compared to the black?

The gold is nice because some things are easy to see in certain light conditions, but with the Carbon Fiber frame the black looks much nicer. Oakley said I can send them back and have the blacks put in at no charge, but Ive just never gotten around to doing it.

[rockn n rollin]

captn dan, have you ever tried a pair of revo sunglasses? i really enjoyed mine for several years. they have great vision on the water and really detailed everything better than the eye alone in my opinion. mine went overboard last year. they were give to me 8 yrs ago and retailed for 375.00 bucks. 35mm camera lense glass. they had a number stamped on them indicating that they were in a class of their own compared to revo,s other styles. they were very fine shades. i haven,t seen another pair yet that could compete with them on the water.IMO.

[rippedzilla]

if your on the water alot you might as well go ahead and get the best bang for you buck with costa del mar. if you want to spend more than that look at maui jim. they are great but expensive. i have owned several pair of oakleys and my costa del mars blow them off the map. My fishing buddy has maui jims, seem nice but 50-75 dollars more expensice then costa del mar, dont know why. costa del mar offers two price levels, depending on the lenses. basically to upgraded the lenses on any frames it cost about $150. So your are looking anywhere from $125-$300+, if im right, brought my pair a few years ago, so prices may be wrong.
one thing for sure forget oakley, get some fishin glasses, either costa del mar or maui jim...it will be worth it...

[rippedzilla]

though, like you said....you cannot argue with what fits the face...

[radioshop]

I realize I must be seem like the king of negativity here, but I'll share with you my Oakley story and you can be the judge. I bought them on a Friday afternoon, after I deposited a paycheck. By six o'clock the boat was splashed and they had their first lense scratch from an unknown source. I did wear my shades on neck cord back then. Over the next few months they acquired at least one scratch a week. Finally I left them on the roof of the work truck and took off without them. That was the end of them. From then on I bought Ray Ban's because they had glass lenses, which I could never scratch. Up until ten months ago I've owned Ray Ban's in several forms, usually new sunglasses are my birthday gift to myself each year. One year I bought Costa Del Mar's for myself and loved them for two months, until my dog ate them. I am now on my second pair of Costas and have not scratched the lenses yet, eight months of total service. The Costa's can be less expensive than Oakleys and my experience has been that the lenses, though plastic, are more durable. Just my .02 cents.

[2020is]

For all around use stating what you did earlier about your light sensitivity I would strongly suggest the Black Iridium Polarized. They are one of the darkest lenses made and if you squint in the sun with those, you need to see your eye doctor. All you guys keep in mind that you can visit your local eye care provider or optician and get answers to some of these questions while trying some of the different colors even if you do not need prescription glasses ordered.

[Capt. Dan]

Hey Radioshop, I didn't read your post as negative, you were just relaying your experience, much apprecitated. With my prescription costas, I went with the plastic lens for fear of the glass lens shattering in an accident, such as flying hooks and weightsd from someones backcast. Even though the plastic is more suseptible to scratches, I feel safer with them.

2020is, now I get your screen name! Sounds like the black iridium may be the way to go for me.

[KevinM]

Whether they really are any good or not, at least for the money you are making a fashion statement! Didn't Oakley start out as surfer wear?

[Capt. Dan]

Don't care about a fashion statement. I want good vision from a sunglass that fits me comfortably, the Oakleys have been the best fit thus far. Have tried lots of others.

Alls I know is that Ive been wearing Oakley's for many years now and Im very pleased with them and their service. Top notch stuff