I'm not sure if this should be here or somewhere else, but anyways
I'm trying to pick a new pair of cycling shades. Sadly my last model got lost somehow, and they're now long since out of production. (Got them 2-3 years ago)
So I'm trying to decide between a few different glasses. Main purpose of them being Road riding, a bit of mountain riding, hiking, and running.
The glasses I'm trying to decide between are -

Oakley flak jackets
Oakley straight jackets
Rudy Project swifty (w/ clear impactx lenses)
Rudy project rydon/rydon 2s (w/ clear impactx lenses as well)

I haven't heard much about the rudy project glasses, and I don't know anywhere locally I can try them on. so I'm kind of iffy on those. But as far as the oakleys, I'm leaning more toward the flak jackets for 1. changeable lenses (go from black for road riding/running to brown for hiking/dirt riding) and 2. semi-frameless design. Less frame = more air flow = less fogging?

I've tried on both pairs of oakleys and the fit was great for both. I still have to go back in with my helmet though and see how they are again.

Anyways, what I'm mainly looking for - Does anyone have any comments on if the above glasses worked well, didn't work well, etc.? Or perhaps other recommendations?

edit: I forgot to mention I've tried out the tifosi tyrants, they were too small for my head and gave me a wicked headache after 2-3 hours of riding. And my last glasses I don't remember the exact model they were, but I know they were a pair of scattante glasses with a pair of photochromic lenses, and a pair of yellow lenses. I wanna say they were the 2010 team glasses, but I honestly don't remember. They were incredibly similar to these https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...chTerm=40-4772
I would buy those, but I'm interested in getting a pair of polarized glasses now, which they sadly aren't.


tl;dr: I'm looking for good polarized cycling shades. any suggestions?

i have that scattante photochromatic lens.

i like it a lot, doesn't slide on my nose, pretty durable and pretty cheap. the photochromatic thing works well enough for me that i ride with it even at night

I got the Nike cycling glasses (cannot remember the style, but I think they have three - on their website). I usually wear progressives, but got these in single vision with transition lenses. They have been wonderful. I don't know the full cost, but after my insurance I paid about $110. Not quite as well ventilated as I would like, but better than the Scattante shades I had before.

oakley radars or jawbones. because theyre sweet.

I tried on radars at the store, and eh. I don't really like how they fit me. The straight and flak jackets both fit well though. I think the straight fit me slightly better, but it was hard to tell. While I was there I also tried out fast jackets, m frames, and a couple other styles. Unfortunately they didn't have any jawbones in. So I'm still undecided on which to get. I'm gonna try to find some rudy project in store tomorrow that I can try out

I had very bad luck and even worse experience with Oakley and warranty issues. I have been a Smith user for 20 years and swear by them. Quality products, well made, and if you have any problems, send them back and you will receive replacement or full credit toward your next pair of your choosing.

Safety glasses from Home Depot. ~$10 and you don't feel bad when you lose them. $100+ for basically the same thing? Gimme a f-ing break....

Just because you can't tell the difference doesn't mean there isn't a difference.

$100 - $10 would be a $90 difference.

I would venture the cost to manufacture the safety glasses and the fancy glasses is almost the same - within a few dollars. Very possibly made in the same factory....

Because there isn't one. The main reason you wear glasses when riding is eye protection. What protects your eyes? Safety glasses. Sure, you might pay more for style or the name, but if eye protection is why you wear them, then buy glasses made for that reason. Slapping a Nike swoosh on the side doesn't make them better at protection.

On the contrary, there's more to eye protection than physical stuff getting in your eyes, which is the only thing safety glasses prevent. More expensive glasses will provide:
UV protection
polarization
light weight
ventilation to reduce/eliminate fogging
better clarity
scratch resistance
More comfort
better fit (if I wore safety glasses while running, they would be bouncing every step)
tinting

Just to name a few things. There's more to brand name than a company logo. If not, you'd see professional cyclists using safety glasses or 99 cent store glasses.

Was this thread about recommendations for glasses for the OP or about whether or not name brand glasses are worth it? Hmm...

At any rate, I ended up going with Oakley Half Jackets with the XLJ lenses--I love them. They fit very well with my helmet on and work well for cycling.

I dont have any fancy Oakleys, but I have cheap-o safety glasses and some mid-range Serfas glasses.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00

I can definitely tell a difference in the optical quality. The Serfas have a clearer, sharper lens. Its not huge, but its noticable. The cheaper safety glasses seem to scratch easier, but that could be because I'm less careful with them. Unfortunately, the Serfas gave gone up a bit in price. I think I paid $35 for mine.

I've owned 4 different pair of Rudy's- cycling, golf and casual sunglasses- and have always been more than pleased. I currently wear the older Rudy Sportmask when cycling, and they work great for me. I've read that the new Hypermask is 10x better yet.

LOL, my clear "goggles" for riding are 3M safety glasses I got from Target that I think were about $5. They definitely don't have the swag factor, but considering that I've spent $760 in July on bicycle "stuff," I think I may stick with them.

I just picked up some Oakley Jawbones on sale. They fit good and I like that they come with two sets of lenses. You can also pick up additional lenses for different uses if you wish. Highly recommended.

Look for ANSI Z87.1 certification in the lens and frame.

Oakley has some. As do some Rudy's. My Giro glasses came with a slip about having the certification.

Oakley M-Frames are my preference. My Oakley's are polarized, my Giro's are. Doesn't seem to effect me either way.

Here's what my friend says. He works in the industry:

[Oakley uses exclusively polycarbonate (PC) lens material. PC has all sorts
of chromatic aberration. In other words: distortion. I've never been a big
fan of PC lenses and have always felt Oakley charges way too much for the
product you get. And personally never thought they fit that well.

For the Rudy Project Swifty the lenses are made from polyurethane (PU),
nearly as clear as glass. It is a very good material and does not have the
chromatic aberration of PC. Also the Rudy Project frames are a better
quality and my bet would be it would fit better. If wear either of the
Oakley or the Rudy Project all day his eyes would feel better wearing the PU
lenses.]

Where did you find them on sale?

I got some Fast Jacket XL specs on sale at Amazon... and yes, Oakleys are terribly over priced, but they work great for cycling. They also stay put on your head when you're sweating buckets. The vented lenses (jawbone etc) would probably solve the periodic fogging problem i have, which only seems to hit when I'm going up a really, really long hill and there's no breeze at all.

This site is great if you have a Military/Government issued CAC/id or LEO id. You have to have an account to see the prices. They are usually about half the retail price. I bought a pair of Polarized Half Jackets and they work great for cycling.

https://secure.usstandardissue.com/

I too have opted for safety glasses from the Big Box Home Store. What you need to look for is Lexan/polycarbonate, OSHA and ANSI approved for impact protection, ample coverage and comfortable fit. The good ones typically sell for $12-$25 and have scratch resistant, glare reducing/UV coatings. There are $5 to $10 versions which provide ample protection but lack in scratch resistance and aren't as optically perfect and have limited UV protection. The cheapies are still adequate to save your eyes from bugs and the stray gravel thrown by tires, but the mid-range ones are designed for people who work under hazardous conditions for hours a day indoors or out. If they are good enough to wear 40+ hours a week on a hot construction site, they are probably more than good enough for riding. I have a very light gray pair with anti-glare, anti-fog coating for evenings; an amber pair that is great for most conditions including snow, and a dark smoke pair with high UVA/UVB protection and anti-scratch coating just because I like the way they look. Total cost was under $70 and I keep the two pair I'm not using that day for riding on the visors in my pickup for driving use or as backups in case I lose a pair.

If you look at the safety ratings you will find out that the high end shades aren't safer, just more expensive. You pay more for that little Oakley logo than you do for the glasses.

I always love the argument that safety goggles are just as good as expensive glasses and the implication that anyone who spends money on Oakleys is an idiot. This is cycling. Many of us like bling. For those who think it's stupid to buy Oakleys/Rudy/etc., etc., great. That's your choice and I'm totally cool with that. I agree that there are some excellent "box-store" options. However, for those who judge others for choosing the over-priced options, I hope you enjoy riding your Denali bike with stem-mounted shifters. After all, they're basically the same thing....right?

While I'm with you that box-store glasses are far sub par.

Oakley's are still a rip off. I wear my M-Frames every chance I get... I like the completely frameless design... but it would be a tough sell again if something happens to them.

My Giro Semi's though... Zeiss optics, ANSI certified, Polarized, stylish. Picked them up for $40 from my LBS a few years ago as a spare pair. Discontinued now, but point is, there are reasonable options out there.


Functionally, performance, protection, looks, compared to a $210 polarized Flak Jacket

OK, re-reading my post, it sounds like I wear Oakleys. I don't. I can't justify spending the money, but I don't criticize those who do. I got some Tifosi glasses off Bonktown that I wear. They work just fine for me. My post was more about posts like this which really get under my skin.

Thanks for your post though. These threads are great to re-visit when it's time to buy new glasses. They give options to go look at. Yah, they're discontinued, but I didn't know Giro used Zeiss optics. I will look at their current offerings when the time comes.