go and get yourself some cheap sunglasses - gear review

[peakbagger]

Over the years of hiking I have noticed I have far more need for sunglasses, although I expect someday to have cataracts from too many years of not using them enough. Even though I don't have perfect vision, I can hike without prescription glasses or contacts so I can get away with off the shelf sunglasses. Given the amount of time I try to be hiking in the sun up on the ridgelines, I do look for glasses that have high UV protection, good optics and antifog. I have tried many over the years but the best option I consistently have found are UVEX tinted industrial safety glasses. I leave them in my pack continuously and they to do tend to get beat up or lost so I really don't want to shell out a lot of bucks for them.

I have been very impressed with the latest version of the UVEX's that are called the Genesis series, with dark gray extreme anti fog lenses. They are comfortable and the lens wrap around the sides as well as many glacier glasses yet the extreme antifog treatment seems to keep them fog free in most conditions. They also have a very good anti scratch coating. They also have a ballistic rating which is much higher than industrial impact ratings so I get some eye protection along with the sun protection. I do have some far more expensive sunglasses for driving and in general I prefer these. My latest pair cost $10.44 and if they last assuming I don't lose them I expect I will get a couple of years off of them.

If you are in the market for a pair I would consider them.

 

[summitseeker]

Over the years of hiking I have noticed I have far more need for sunglasses, although I expect someday to have cataracts from too many years of not using them enough. Even though I don't have perfect vision, I can hike without prescription glasses or contacts so I can get away with off the shelf sunglasses. Given the amount of time I try to be hiking in the sun up on the ridgelines, I do look for glasses that have high UV protection, good optics and antifog. I have tried many over the years but the best option I consistently have found are UVEX tinted industrial safety glasses. I leave them in my pack continuously and they to do tend to get beat up or lost so I really don't want to shell out a lot of bucks for them.

I have been very impressed with the latest version of the UVEX's that are called the Genesis series, with dark gray extreme anti fog lenses. They are comfortable and the lens wrap around the sides as well as many glacier glasses yet the extreme antifog treatment seems to keep them fog free in most conditions. They also have a very good anti scratch coating. They also have a ballistic rating which is much higher than industrial impact ratings so I get some eye protection along with the sun protection. I do have some far more expensive sunglasses for driving and in general I prefer these. My latest pair cost $10.44 and if they last assuming I don't lose them I expect I will get a couple of years off of them.

If you are in the market for a pair I would consider them.

Wow. A pretty sound investment. Thank you for the tip.

I did a little research, as I am always skeptical of the protection offered by "cheap sunglasses". These lenses are purported to block 99.9% of UVA and UVB rays.

Weight-wise they are a good alternative to bringing high quality glass lenses along for the ride. My Costa Del Mar 580 glass lenses weigh a ton compared to other polycarbonate versions.

Z

 

[peakbagger]

Be careful on the lens options, some of them are optimized for specific uses. I picked up some selective type "blue blocker" lens that are designed to block out a very specific spectrum of blue light (they are supposedly handy for circadian rhythm issues).

 

[Biji]

Thanks for the pointer, peakbagger. I see among the lens options they have bi-focal types in various diopters for us old timers living with presbyopia. Was almost ready to pull the trigger on a pair from a catalog outfit in Maine costing nearly 10X as much. You saved me!