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07-24-06, 08:06 AM
A new helmet without the built-in face shield required a modification of my eye protection. For a short time I used my regular sunglasses, but they were not suitable because of their shape, so I went shopping for a replacement. I ended up purchasing AOSafety Landscaper Safety Glasses for ten dollars at Home Depot, and used them for the first time today, and have a short review for anyone interested.
The problem with the sunglasses is that they are two oval lenses joined by the part of the frame that rests on the nose. Because of that shape, the distance from the place where they rest on the nose, to the top of the frame, is small, and if the glasses slip down the nose at all it is possible, because of the bent-over posture of bike riding, to see over the top, and for light to get in over the top.
The safety glasses have a lens that is one piece. In the center of the one piece is the cutout for the nose. There is a nose support built in, then about half an inch of lens material above the nose support, then the top of the frame. The frame runs across the top of the lens only, and not down the sides or along the bottom, and it arches up in the center, in contrast to the sunglasses frame which dips down in the center. This shape gives a lot of material above the eyes, so that in the bent-over bike position one still can not see over the top of the lens. The wrap-around lens, with the absence of side frames, gives good visibility when looking over the shoulder for following traffic. The ear hooks are good so they don't slip down the nose.
If I rotate my eyeballs up, I still can see just a sliver of light over the top, but in normal viewing I do not. This morning, with the sun in the 8:30-9:00 position, there was just a little bit of annoying light coming in the left side. I don't think the tinting is as dark as regular sunglasses, and it might possibly be a little lighter at the outside edges. That is good for me, however, because I sometimes find sunglasses too dark for my liking.
In relative terms, I would give the safety glasses a high rating, because I have not found anything better (although I haven't done much looking--how many pairs of sunglasses does one need). In absolute terms, I would rate them slighty lower because they are not the ideal that I personaly would like. I would like them just a few millimeters taller, and I would like them to wrap around just a fraction of an inch more, so that I feel like I am totally enclosed in tinted sunglasses material.
Over-all, I am satisfied with them, expect to use them for many years, and do recommend them, especially considering the ten-dollar price. They do block 99% of UV light according to the package.
Sincerely yours in budget commuting...
The problem with the sunglasses is that they are two oval lenses joined by the part of the frame that rests on the nose. Because of that shape, the distance from the place where they rest on the nose, to the top of the frame, is small, and if the glasses slip down the nose at all it is possible, because of the bent-over posture of bike riding, to see over the top, and for light to get in over the top.
The safety glasses have a lens that is one piece. In the center of the one piece is the cutout for the nose. There is a nose support built in, then about half an inch of lens material above the nose support, then the top of the frame. The frame runs across the top of the lens only, and not down the sides or along the bottom, and it arches up in the center, in contrast to the sunglasses frame which dips down in the center. This shape gives a lot of material above the eyes, so that in the bent-over bike position one still can not see over the top of the lens. The wrap-around lens, with the absence of side frames, gives good visibility when looking over the shoulder for following traffic. The ear hooks are good so they don't slip down the nose.
If I rotate my eyeballs up, I still can see just a sliver of light over the top, but in normal viewing I do not. This morning, with the sun in the 8:30-9:00 position, there was just a little bit of annoying light coming in the left side. I don't think the tinting is as dark as regular sunglasses, and it might possibly be a little lighter at the outside edges. That is good for me, however, because I sometimes find sunglasses too dark for my liking.
In relative terms, I would give the safety glasses a high rating, because I have not found anything better (although I haven't done much looking--how many pairs of sunglasses does one need). In absolute terms, I would rate them slighty lower because they are not the ideal that I personaly would like. I would like them just a few millimeters taller, and I would like them to wrap around just a fraction of an inch more, so that I feel like I am totally enclosed in tinted sunglasses material.
Over-all, I am satisfied with them, expect to use them for many years, and do recommend them, especially considering the ten-dollar price. They do block 99% of UV light according to the package.
Sincerely yours in budget commuting...