hannathing

I was wondering what glasses wearing folks do for sunglasses while riding. I know Oakley does prescription version of their sport line sunglasses - does anyone have them? Are they any decent?
Do folks just wear standard prescription sunglasses? Or contacts + the sports sunglasses?

Right now, I have my usual wear everyday prescription glasses. They have transition lenses, so I also wear them cycling. But I have major issues with them slipping all over my face when I start sweating on a hard ride. They also don't vent at all, so they frequently fog up while riding.

delbiker1 

I use prescription polarized sunglasses. I use progressive lenses and I get my glasses from Glassesusa.com. You can also get sunglasses that fit over or clip onto your prescription glasses. Transitions do not get dark enough for me and when driving they do not darken unless there is direct sunlight on them. Some people say they have problems with depth perception with polarized lenses but that does not bother me.

philbob57

Something like these work for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Halfpoundbobby

Prescription sunglasses.
I can not endorse zenni enough.
I haven't gotten another pair from an optometrist since I stared ordering from them. My most expensive pair from them was like 50 doll hairs altogether.

DaveSSS 

I've had a pair of Rudy project cycling sunglasses with progressive bifocals for 10 years. Try sportrx.com.

hannathing

I've had these before and honestly I hated them. Doesn't matter if they're a cheap clip on or an expensive clip on, they either don't stay in place or make glasses super front heavy. I already have issues with my glasses slipping down. Clip on sunglasses will probably make this worse.

hannathing

I can't endorse Zenni. I tired them, I gave them an honest go, I really did! About 2 years ago, I ordered like 6 pairs, and the script in every single pair was wrong. I double checked the script from my doctor, what I entered, what they verified.... everything was correct. The glasses were all wrong. The return process was an absolute nightmare. I ended up having to do a charge back through my credit card company because Zenni kept claiming I never initiated the return process, even though I had emails dating backing with the customer service trying to sort the lens issue and then asking for a return authorization when they weren't helpful.

But from what I understand, my experience is an outlier. Most people I know who have tried them have said they're great. I didn't have that experience. Sadly, the experience I had was so poor that I'm unwilling to give them another chance.

Wileyrat

I use clip-ons, and I'm going to go with prescription sunglasses for all the above reasons.

Arthur Peabody

I use clip-ons. They're light and they stay on. I don't just ride, but stop to shop or library or ..., and want non-dark glasses. I buy glasses at Zenni, have always gotten a proper prescription, get their clip-ons.

hannathing

Per my post above, I really not interested in giving Zenni another chance. They refused to give me my money back after authorizing my return, they threatened to sue me to issuing a charge back through my credit card company when they refused to issue the refund to my account.

Your experience and the experiences of many other may have been amazing. Mine was decidedly less so. I'm not interested in giving a company with poor morals my money again.

sdmc530

I have Oakley and have been nothing but happy with them. I have had mine for 2 or 3 years now. I got them from my regular eye doctor and not online. I did it that way because when I get a new script every few years I can just have them put in the new lenses. No complaints! They were $190 after all the insurance and customer discounts were applied.

terrymorse 

I've been using Rudy Project RB3 Flip-Up Sunglasses with a progressive prescription insert for at least 15 years. They were not cheap, but they have served me well for a long time.

The ability to flip up the sunglasses when going into a shady area, or when starting a ride before sunrise, is great for a nearsighted person who can't see much without prescription lenses.


This model has been discontinued, but Rudy Project now has a new similar model called Exception.

delbiker1 

I do not like clip ons or fitovers either, but it is an option. I use a Costa strap to keep my glasses in place when riding, or anything else that causes me to sweat a lot. My bigest problem with having to wear eyeglasses is that I am obsessed with clean lenses. It drives me crazy when I get specks, grime, mist, and worst of all, SPF lotion or any other similar product. Trying to wipe that off just makes it smear everywhere and it is then worse. I use soap and water, rinse them well, and dry them with a soft lense friendly cloth.

Camilo

I have a relatively mild correction but do need reading glasses/cheaters.

I have a pair of Oakley Flak (not sure which model, I think the original?) with progressive lenses. These are the first and only real good (expensive) sunglasses I've ever owned. Next pair I get will be a different style since I don't really like the full-on athletic aero type style of the Oakley lenses, but the clarity and comfort have me sold on getting another pair of good glasses after years of being perfectly satisfied with cheap ones (see below). I wear the Oakleys all the time driving or riding and usually don't take them off when I go into a store shopping rather than mess with cheaters. They just "disappear" when I'm wearing them in terms of comfort and optics. The lenses themselves seem to be very durable in terms of standing up to abuse, more scratch resistant, for sure and seem to resist fogging better when I'm xc skiing.

Otherwise I have always worn safety glasses (recently with cheaters) and keep pairs as backups scattered around the cars, and when I'm traveling. They are fine comfort and function wise, but the tinted lens color and clarity perfection are not the same. But well worth the price. I have a few different pair of these in brown tint, and a some in clear and yellow. I wear the clear and yellow when the Oakly's aren't suitable for the conditions, which is rare, and the brown ones when I have forgotten the Oakleys.

Mtl01

I got a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses with my progressive prescription. They were quite expensive but work very well for me. I use them for driving and cycling.

I haven't had any issue with then slipping or fogging up when I sweat.

To be fair, I don't ride huge distances (my usual rides average only around 20k per day - not sure that makes any difference though).

canklecat

I only need reading glasses so I got a couple pair of Radians safety glasses/bifocals, in dark and clear lenses.

The 1.5 diopter is an adequate compromise between quickly glancing at the doodads on my handlebar (computer, etc.) and jussst barely being able to use most phone apps. I really need 2.0 diopters to be comfortable with the phone, but the 1.5 lens encourages me to pay more attention to meatspace friends on group rides, rather than bury my face in Facebook.

Those particular Radians glasses have held up well despite indifferent handling and dropping them a few times. No bad enough scuffs, scratches or nicks to interfere.

They're comfortable when worn for hours. No interference from my helmets (Bell Formula MIPS, Poc Omne Air Spin). The frames/ear pieces will support a Take-A-Look mirror, no problems. However the Poc strap occasionally hangs on the Take-A-Look clamp on the earpiece. I'll probably mount the mirror directly on the Poc helmet, as I've already done with the Bell. I always want my mirror (old neck injury), but sometimes it's too muggy to wear any glasses without fogging up.

My only gripe is the brow frame support interferes with the view when I'm in the drops. Otherwise no problem.

jideta

Oakley.
Just got some Double Edge and Holbrook frames.
Hard to beat for customization and lens selection (depends on your script).
Some bucks, but I used my last ones for over five years.

DrIsotope

From what I have personally used,

Good: Wiley-X
Better: Nike Vision
Best: Oakley

Wiley-X should be considered because they make a wide array of comfortable frames that are relatively cheap. Nike's lenses and coatings are better. Oakley (with the pricetag to match) are the best of the bunch. I have a pair of Oakleys I've been wearing daily since 2003, and am about 2 weeks away from getting a dedicated pair for cycling.

Ruckusdog

I have Tifosi cycling glasses with prescription lenses from Sportrx. Very comfortable and durable with great customer service.

JanMM

Broke down and got prescription sunglasses through my optometrist in Spring of 2018 and glad I did. Nike frames with tinted progressive lenses. Keep the wind and stuff out of eyes much better than my everyday Buddy Holly-framed glasses. I still wear those if I am riding after dark. Nice not to see lens frames with the Nikes. I had worn cheap bifocal safety glasses for a number of years when riding but my vision needs now require prescription lenses all the time.

JGM411

I have prescription sunglasses (Nike) through my optometrist. My regular glasses are progression and transition lenses. I ride early in the morning so most often I ride with my regular glasses.

Also one of my helmets (older Giro aero type) has a removable tinted eye shield. I use that sometimes with a old pair of glasses that are smaller and fits behind the eye shield. That works fine.

However, on sunny days, I will just use the Nike glasses.

dmanthree

I use Oakley Flak Jacket 2.0 with Oakley varifocal transition lenses. One pair does it all. I bought them from SportRX.com, and while not cheap they are excellent. Clear and wide field of vision, and I can still read the bike computer up close.

indyfabz

Rudy Project with bi-focal inserts and a transition lens. Worth the money. (Not as expensive as Oakley.)

JasonD67

I'm the contacts + regular cycling glasses option you listed. I've used prescription sunglasses or clip-ons in the past, but just got tired of having to swap multiple pairs of glasses all the time. I had regular glasses, glasses for driving, glasses for sailing, glasses for biking. The biking glasses looked silly while I was sailing, and the sailing glasses were too heavy for biking and slipped down my nose when I sweated. Contacts make it easy and they don't get covered with water when it rains (important for sailing and biking).

I have the new, fancy multi-focal contacts that are for both distance and reading (for those of us w/ "mature" eyes). I can go from reading to distance instantly w/o have to hold my head just so or having to fiddle with the glasses on my nose so I'm looking through the correct part of the glasses. Highly recommended.

Ogsarg

I got some prescription Oakleys about a year ago. Very nice but dang expensive. No way would I have bought them if I didn't have double VSP benefits. Even at half off, I considered the purchase an extravagance.