Sunglasses Help

[Noun Sequitur]

I'm looking to upgrade from my typical cheapo shades. I could use some general advice and I also have some specific questions. Is Native a good brand? They seem to be on sale everywhere. Is there any reason I should choose glass over polycarbonate lenses? Clarity without distortion is what I primarily want. Is there a particular type of frame design or lens coating that handles condensation well? When I get moving I sweat a lot. Finally, is there any practical reason not to choose polarized lenses? Thanks!

 

[Mike K]

I've had several salesman steer me away from Native at a few different stores. Can't remember the reasons. The only practical reason that I can think of to not go polarized is cost. I like having them on almost all of my outdoors activities. I've liked Smith. I also got a few pair of Suncloud glasses that treat me well. Got some decent polarized ones for cheap ($25) on amazon. I would recommend trying them on before purchasing, too. That's all I can contribute. I'm not sunglasses pro. =)

 

[Nick]

I'd never go with non-polarized. I'm also hooked on brown lenses. They make things so warm and nice, especially the red rock in the desert. Smoke/cool shades are not as nice in the outdoors, IMO.

I've gone between cheap Peppers type sunglasses and the highest end Smith glass lenses over the years. Unless the expensive ones are on super clearance with a coupon, I'll never buy them again. Peppers or Suncloud are my latest preferred lenses. Usually $30-$50 for a pretty decent polarized set. Higher quality and better looking than the $20 ones you can find most anywhere and last just as long as the ones you'd pay $200 for. And you don't cry when you inevitably scratch/destroy/lose them. When weight is not an issue, I always bring an extra pair.

With that said, I've had several friends say they like their Natives. Every time I've tried them on, I thought they were way tight on my head. I do have a pretty big head though.

 

[Dave]

Not the most stylish option but I've enjoyed the polarized Timberland sunglasses from Overstock.com. Cheap and effective. I second Nick in his assessment that brown tint sunglasses are awesome in the outdoors. Only downside is when you pull them off to shoot a picture and realize the light isn't actually as good as you thought.

 

[Opi]

I really like the Coyote Bob sunglasses. They are polarized, light weight (0.5oz) and reasonably priced at around $35 and they float too. Sunglasses will last me about a year before I break or loose them. I stopped buying the expensive ones because these are just as comfortable on the face. And when I loose them I won't
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&tag=backcountrypo-20&linkId=SHZG5YBSLZGV7WCU
They are ok looking too

 

[pstm13]

Rayban polarized are incredible with a crisp lens. My wife has a pair and they are great but were $200 or so. My Oakley Fuel Cells are with Jesus now as they snapped at the bridge of nose. They were polorized and the lenses were very clear. They run about $100. My Sunclouds are polarized and are more of a best buy. My current pair were foun abandoned on the Teton crest trail but are about $60-$80. They are not as clear but I will not be overly pissed if they are lost or broken. In other words if money is an issue I vote Sunclouds. If not Raybans. They all tend to fog up a little even with anti-fog spray.

 

[Nick]

My current pair are Sunclouds. My only complaint is that their brown lenses have too much of a green tint.

 

[Dustin Gent]

Another vote for Sunclouds! For $50 or so, great quality. Native are decent. They have quite a few models that have swappable lenses. And if you break the glasses, they will warranty them for $30. Not a bad deal.

 

[Nanda]

Costas 580G (Glasses) and you will never go back to any other brand.
But they are pretty expensive, sometimes they show up in SteepCheap and SierraTradingPost but are gobbled up fast.

 

[Mike K]

Seems like Suncloud is getting a lot of love (I like 'em too). I think someone told me (maybe at REI) that they are "related" to the Smith company. Can anyone confirm that?

 

[pstm13]

Seems like Suncloud is getting a lot of love (I like 'em too). I think someone told me (maybe at REI) that they are "related" to the Smith company. Can anyone confirm that?

The website says they are owned by Polaroid (as in instant cameras).

 

[Noun Sequitur]

Seems like Suncloud is getting a lot of love (I like 'em too). I think someone told me (maybe at REI) that they are "related" to the Smith company. Can anyone confirm that?

Not exactly confirmation, but I also had an REI employee tell me that Smith and Suncloud use the same lenses.

 

[andyjaggy]

You guys must be more careful than me, I lose my sun glasses about every 6-9 months, so it's always cheap 15 dollars specials from the store for me.

 

[Nick]

I'm thrilled to get 6-9 months out of a $50 pair, but I still find them well worth it compared to the quality of the $15 pairs.

 

[Noun Sequitur]

After the posts here and what I've read elsewhere, it seems you can get by fine without paying big money for sunglasses. I went the clearance-on-expensive-glasses-ordered-off-the internet route (risky for big head people like myself!). I ordered a pair of $100 Julbo sunglasses from REI for $21 (not polarized), and a $120 pair of Natives from Amazon for $33. Both styles are discontinued, which meant I couldn't try them on at a store before I bought them. All in all I am pleased with both even though the Natives are a bit tight around the ears as Nick mentioned. Both pairs are a HUGE improvement over the cheapo glasses (goodbye distortion headaches). Will try the buy-value-brand-at-store route next time (Suncloud, Coyote etc). Thanks all for the help. I'll write up a review or something later.

 

[Bryan Mordt]

One of my favorite brands...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_5?url=search-alias=fashion-mens-accessories&field-keywords=jimarti sunglasses&sprefix=jimar,aps,210

I have had to buy a couple of pairs over the years and they never disappoint me.