Oakleys

audiobliss

I'm really thinking about getting a pair of Oakleys, though I won't be able to drop that much dough on some sunglasses until I get a job during the summer. Anybody have any general comments on their sunglasses?

I really like their sports styles, and only two of those have their hydrophobic coating (which repels water, oils, and dust/dirt): the Radar and the Flak Jacket. I've always assumed you want to get polarized lenses...but they're a good bit more expensive than regular lenses, and the regular ones seem so much more popular and are available in so many more colors, I was wondering if polarized really is necessary.

Also, I've been really thinking about their 'photochromic' transitional lenses. I've never worn sunglasses a lot, but I have worn them enough to know how annoying it is when you're wearing sunglasses dark enough to keep out bright, direct sunlight and then you step into the shadows or the sun hides behind a cloud. It's annoying to have to have to keep taking them off or just putting up with not being able to see. I'm hoping the 'photochromic' lenses would do away with that annoyance. And I know that transition lenses for regular prescription glasses aren't the greatest things, but I'm hoping 1) technology has improved and 2) that since the sunglasses would just be going from dark to darker they would transition faster and that a slow change wouldn't be as noticeable/problematic.

Anybody had any experience with Oakley's transitional lenses?

Any advice you wanna throw my way would be appreciated. Thanks!

bruss

I love my oakleys. I dont even know what kind they are though. I just know i make them look damn good.

Mine are they kind that you raise to your forehead when its dark. Im not sure what they call that.

MikeC78

I'd personally try to spend the extra dough and get the polarized glasses. They do make a big difference with glare.

INMO, Oakleys seem way to overpriced for what you get, they just seem cheap to me compared to others. The only reason I use them is because they offer a good price for Gov workers and they make good work glasses. Otherwise, my good pair are Maui Jim's.

Fireman32

I have always loved Oakleys. Go for the polarized lenses it is worth the money spent. I currently own a pair of Rayban perscription sunglasses as the Oakleys would have cost me an arm and a leg to get perscription as they have to go to the oakley factory to get done.

BigMac

Here is how I think of sunglasses:

Oakley=very good for sports and other rigorous outdoor activities. They actually stay on your head when you are all sweaty during physical activity.

Maui Jim=overall good quality but pricey (I don't like wire frames personally, I break them very easy)

Revo=overall good quality but pricey

Serengeti=fantastic driving glasses and have the lenses that adjust to the light making them darker or lighter. A drawback for some is that they use real glass lenses so they are heavy on your nose.

Polarized is good for reducing the glare. I think they work best at the pool,river,beach,or where there are alot of bald people. The glare off their heads in the middle of summer can be a real pain in the arse.

zingo

I've never been one who was into expensive sun glasses, but I really notice polarized lenses when I'm on the water during the summer. Without the polarized, I tend to get a headache after a couple hours.

NJPOLKER

I wear Maui Jim's or Peak Visions.
The Maui's are cool, I have the titanium's and when/if they break I have them sent back for replacements at no charge and ya can't beat that. On not so sunny days the Peaks are great because they seem to brighten things up a little. My discount's are great because I pay dealer cost so that helps.

edbert

I personally go for the $15 polarized Panama Jack's from Walmart! Between kids and overall hard use, I just can't justify more expensive sunglasses. That and the fact that I never lock the doors to my car, so they would be gone anyway. I highly recommend the polarized though. Even on my cheap ones, I insist on wearing them when fishing(even if it isn't all that bright) because it takes the glare off the top of the water and lets you see the fish below the surface(I primarily fly fish).

Good luck man!

seeclear

Oakley===paying for the name and fashion. Quality is mediocre at best.

+1 for Maui Jim, Costa del Mar is also good. Definitely consider polarized.

Style similar to Oakley and better quality===Rudy Project

mantis

i own 2 pair of Oakley sunglasses. I have a pair of Flak Jacksets Polarized which I use to go Mountain biking and a pair of half jackets that I use for Driving, just about everything else.
The Polarized ones are also fire lens which make everything brighter. This is awesome for going in and out of the woods. polarized are great for making everything clear and bright. I really like them.
My half jackets are from 1999. Yes they are 10 years old and still are in grat shape. I took them in to sunglass hut and they could not believe that where that old. They are exaclty the same as the current model. They changed nothing. I want to get new lenses for them as they are getting alittle ruff. They are just dark with a slight mirror finish. I'm gonna try out a pair of transitions next. The guy there told me they may not work as good as the polarized, but I wanna try them anyway.

Oakley glasses cost a lot up front but they last forever.

Dan

exalted512

I've owned 2 pairs of Oakleys. First pair are similar to the square wire now. I had those for at least 5 years...probably close to 8. Wore them when I was a lifeguard...jumped in the pool with them on many a times...they started to turn green in spots over the years...I'm guessing the chlorine got to them. I was going to send them off to get refinished when they disappeared. No earthly idea where they are now.

I now have the Bottlecap. I needed something fairly small that would fit in my helmet easily when I'm out riding. These fit the bill perfectly. Cant comment on their longevity though, as I've only had em for maybe a year...but I dont think its been that long.
-Cody

brettw22

Oakleys are for people with small heads........unless you get the gigantic oversized lenses that were styled back in the 90's....

Once you wear Polarized lenses, you won't ever go back to basic......not having to squint all the time is great.

Transition lenses look idiotic IMO......and at best they're a smokey color and not dark enough.

If you have to save and save and save to get a pair, you're gonna be REALLY pissed when you do something like leave them in a store or sit on them and they break........maybe don't spend so much if it's THAT big of a purchase........

W WALDECKER

I have never been a fan of Oakley's, I like the classic Vuarnet #002 with the skylynx lenses

mhardy6647

brettw22 wrote: »

......unless you get the gigantic oversized lenses that were styled back in the 90's....

You say that like it was a long time ago... :-P

Once you wear Polarized lenses, you won't ever go back to basic......not having to squint all the time is great.

I'd concur.

brettw22

I'm not even sure that the 90's is when those huge M frame glasses were made.......might have been late 80's......I just dont' think they have much of a *style* look to them......and for what they are, they charge a ridiculous amount IMO.........

I-SIG

Being in AZ, I don't leave home without my Oakley's. I have the M-Frames for work, shooting and athletic endeavors with several lenses to choose from for various lighting conditions. I also have a couple of pairs of Half-Wires for dressier or casual occasions.

A couple of things to consider with Oakley's is that all the different styles fit way different be sure to try them on and be sure that you can return or exchange them if they don't fit properly.

The other thing is clarity. Oakley lenses are so much clearer and cleaner and truer than many other manufacturers it's not even funny. I've seen charts of aberration tests with Oakley's, cheap stuff, and way high-end stuff. Oakley smoked them all by a sizeable margin. Why does this matter? Headaches can be caused by your brain trying to correct for those aberrations. Huge deal if you're driving, wearing them for hours on end, dangerous tasks, etc.

If you don't have trouble tearing other stuff or have CD's that are 10 or 12 years old and still look good, you shouldn't have any problem taking care of Oakley's and keeping them for a long time. Worth every penny, especially here in the desert.

Wes

audiobliss

bruss wrote: »

Mine are they kind that you raise to your forehead when its dark. Im not sure what they call that.

Hahaha. Very good!

ND13

Serengetis are the shizit, especially if you do a lot of driving. They block all the blue rays and sharpen the image you see. Can be worn from dawn to dusk without impeding on your dim-light vision. I've worn mine while driving at night when oncoming traffic lights were just too glaring.

http://www.serengeti-eyewear.com/index_en_na.cfm

A similar less expensive, but still well built glasses are Oceanics.

audiobliss

BigMac wrote: »

Here is how I think of sunglasses:

Oakley=very good for sports and other rigorous outdoor activities. They actually stay on your head when you are all sweaty during physical activity.

Maui Jim=overall good quality but pricey (I don't like wire frames personally, I break them very easy)

Revo=overall good quality but pricey

Serengeti=fantastic driving glasses and have the lenses that adjust to the light making them darker or lighter. A drawback for some is that they use real glass lenses so they are heavy on your nose.

Polarized is good for reducing the glare. I think they work best at the pool,river,beach,or where there are alot of bald people. The glare off their heads in the middle of summer can be a real pain in the arse.

Thanks for the break-down. I checked out some of Serengeti's and just don't care for their style. I did, however, find some Maui Jims that look pretty nice. And I had never heard of Revo before, but found a pair I like. Thanks for the heads up.

seeclear wrote: »

Oakley===paying for the name and fashion. Quality is mediocre at best.

+1 for Maui Jim, Costa del Mar is also good. Definitely consider polarized.

Style similar to Oakley and better quality===Rudy Project

Totally didn't dig the Costa del Mar stuff, but thanks for letting me know about the Rudy Project stuff. Had never heard of them, either. They certainly have some nice looking (expensive!) stuff. There are a few places back home that sell them, so I'll definitely go check them out, if for nothing else than out of curiosity.

brettw22 wrote: »

If you have to save and save and save to get a pair, you're gonna be REALLY pissed when you do something like leave them in a store or sit on them and they break........maybe don't spend so much if it's THAT big of a purchase........

Thanks for the input. As for the finances...I'm not 'saving' now 'cause I have NO income now. I'll actually have a job over the summer and then have some income I can save for a week or two in order to get them.

I-SIG wrote: »

Being in AZ, I don't leave home without my Oakley's. I have the M-Frames for work, shooting and athletic endeavors with several lenses to choose from for various lighting conditions. I also have a couple of pairs of Half-Wires for dressier or casual occasions.

A couple of things to consider with Oakley's is that all the different styles fit way different be sure to try them on and be sure that you can return or exchange them if they don't fit properly.

The other thing is clarity. Oakley lenses are so much clearer and cleaner and truer than many other manufacturers it's not even funny. I've seen charts of aberration tests with Oakley's, cheap stuff, and way high-end stuff. Oakley smoked them all by a sizeable margin. Why does this matter? Headaches can be caused by your brain trying to correct for those aberrations. Huge deal if you're driving, wearing them for hours on end, dangerous tasks, etc.

If you don't have trouble tearing other stuff or have CD's that are 10 or 12 years old and still look good, you shouldn't have any problem taking care of Oakley's and keeping them for a long time. Worth every penny, especially here in the desert.

Wes

Thanks for the input. I certainly do appreciate and take care of my finer things. I was trying to decide if I should get one of the sportier frames that I really like, or try to get something more reserved for those more formal occasions, but I think you've got it figured out...yes. One for each.



As for trying them on, I went to the store down the street to try on the Half Jackets, Flak Jackets, M-frames, and Radar, as those are the four I had narrowed it down to. Unfortunately that didn't help me out at all, as I really liked the looks of all four and they were all really comfortable. However, their hydrophobic coating only seems to be available on the Flak Jackets and Radar, so I suppose that narrows it down.

I am planning on trying on more Oakleys, Maui Jims, and hopefully some Revos and Rudy Projects, too, before buying.

Any other brands I should be looking into?

Thanks for all of the input! Really appreciate it.

audiobliss

mantis wrote: »

I'm gonna try out a pair of transitions next. The guy there told me they may not work as good as the polarized, but I wanna try them anyway.

You'll have to try those out soon and let me know how they work for you!

nooshinjohn

I have a pair of 15 year old Serengetti drivers... they are the best I have ever owned. I love the lense they use in them.

huggies

I love my polarized Revo's. It's hard to find a comfortable pair that will fit my Charlie Brown head. Maui's are nice too, but I've worked up a brand loyalty with Revo. Yea, they are expensive. Wear them for a couple days though, and you'll never go back to cheap sunglasses.

Grimster74

I've been wearing Oakleys ever since I got my drivers license and I refuse to ever wear anything else. I've purchased many other pairs and I've always gone back to Oakley. Right now I own a pair of Polarized that I've owned for over two years. Many people say they are over priced but I beg to differ.

Rob

shawn474

I've owned upwards of 15 pairs of oakleys and still have 3 pairs that i wear regularly. I have lost a few and given a few to my brothers. I have never broken a pair of oakleys. One of the nice things that they offer are the "breakaway arms". I think all of the plastic frames have the feature - obviously the metal frames don't.

The price is a little steep, but they are comfortable, durable and functional. Are their better lenses out there? Sure there are, but for the price you have to pay, it isn't worth it IMHO. The Oakleys have more than adequate lenses.

Right now I have the half-jackets, e-wire and the five's. I believe all are availale with polarized lenses. The five's are the ones that I wear the most.

polktiger

When I wore sunglasses as a fashion accessory, I wore Oakleys.

When I wanted better performing sunglasses, I switched to Costa Del Mar and relegated the Oakleys to yard work duty.

When my eyes started to go south, I switched to Maui Jim for the prescription lenses, starting leaving the Costa on the boat as a back-up pair and still wear the Oakleys while doing yard work.

disneyjoe7

I wear Oakley's Prescription sunglasses which I like and don't like. I don't wear them much as I have Transitions subscription glasses also, so I only use them on long drives in the car. So on my 4 wear I destroyed them by **** up the mirror coating in attempt to clean the finger prints off them. I got them fixed just last December so we see, I noticed they gave me a different cleaning cloth this time.