Driving sunglasses?
Discussion
I have a pair of (very old) RayBan Aviators (with glass lenses). They are excellent to look through, but not really comfortable and certainly no good if you need to take them on/off regularly. (Got these when I was learning to fly as they were the recommended solution).
I also have a pair of Oakley Straight Jackets (with flame iridium lenses)...they are excellent and very comfortable, but Oakley Iridium lenses do get scratched quite easily. These are my preferred driving and beach sunnies...
I also have 2 pairs of X-Loop Xtreme 2012...cheap (about £10 a pair) and nearly as good as the Oakleys, just not quite as comfortable (which I can forgive being only 10% or less of the cost).
A few others knocking about, too...a suprisingly good pair of £5 polarised ones from (IIRC) Tesco...Just the polarisation doesn't do it for me in the car, but I use these mostly when out mountain-biking as I don't care if they get broken or scratched...
I also have 2 pairs of fake Oakleys...One is OK (sort of a Straight Wire copy, but not quite) and a pair of awful Straight Jacket 2 copies.
I also have a pair of Oakley Straight Jackets (with flame iridium lenses)...they are excellent and very comfortable, but Oakley Iridium lenses do get scratched quite easily. These are my preferred driving and beach sunnies...
I also have 2 pairs of X-Loop Xtreme 2012...cheap (about £10 a pair) and nearly as good as the Oakleys, just not quite as comfortable (which I can forgive being only 10% or less of the cost).
A few others knocking about, too...a suprisingly good pair of £5 polarised ones from (IIRC) Tesco...Just the polarisation doesn't do it for me in the car, but I use these mostly when out mountain-biking as I don't care if they get broken or scratched...
I also have 2 pairs of fake Oakleys...One is OK (sort of a Straight Wire copy, but not quite) and a pair of awful Straight Jacket 2 copies.
Serengeti
Is the "drivers" lens a specific lens?
For example I'm looking at these:
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/se-7567hh-se...
Specified as having the 555NM polarized lens, however these:
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/serengeti-su...
Actually specify they have the "drivers" lens?
Or these
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/serengeti-pr...
Which are photochromatic (which I understand means they get darker the brighter the light is?
or the final pair
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/serengeti-su...
Which don't really specify anything, except in the actual title?
So - is it just a foible of using a "discount" website that they're not listing specs properly or is there one I should be looking for imparticular?
Anyone used the website?
and finally - I'm guessing these are all old models, hence the chunky discounts?
Happyish to pay these sort of prices - although I did try a pair of Maui Jims on in sunglass hut today - but I refuse to fork out £225
Is the "drivers" lens a specific lens?
For example I'm looking at these:
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/se-7567hh-se...
Specified as having the 555NM polarized lens, however these:
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/serengeti-su...
Actually specify they have the "drivers" lens?
Or these
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/serengeti-pr...
Which are photochromatic (which I understand means they get darker the brighter the light is?
or the final pair
http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk/serengeti-su...
Which don't really specify anything, except in the actual title?
So - is it just a foible of using a "discount" website that they're not listing specs properly or is there one I should be looking for imparticular?
Anyone used the website?
and finally - I'm guessing these are all old models, hence the chunky discounts?
Happyish to pay these sort of prices - although I did try a pair of Maui Jims on in sunglass hut today - but I refuse to fork out £225
Qualified optician here, been working in optical practices for about 7 years.
The short answer is always buy polarised. Your everyday glasses will come with an anti-glare coating (if the salesperson is half competent), which will be noticeably better than a non-coated lens (normally your 'free second pair'). Polarisation takes this a stage further, virtually eliminating glare. The best demonstration of this is found in people who fish- glare from the surface of the water is the enemy, so these guys insist on polarisation. You tend to see the same thing in people who ski/ snowboard etc.
Reduction of glare really is the key to good driving specs. The activity of driving produces glare, directly from eg. a low winter sun, from the road surface, other vehicles etc.
UV protection is obviously very important from a health perspective (cataracts for example are almost solely caused by UV exposure), but will provide little benefit in terms of the lenses' visual performance. The people we generally refer to specialists for having ominous 'freckles' etc in the eye tend to look like they've spent a lot of time cooking in the sun over the years. High UV protection sunglass lenses are very common these days and don't really cost much more money, so no reason not to ask for them.
Another consideration is anti-reflective coatings. These tend to be sold as a way of reducing reflections on the front of the lens (people looking at you won't see strip lights etc reflected back at them, making your eyes more visible). In my opinion, anti-reflective is more important on the back of the lens, as it will prevent you from seeing the reflection of your own eye- something which can be a significant distraction/ PITA.
So ask for polarised lenses with anti-reflective coating front and back, and you have driving specs covered.
Rayban are a massive part of my business, deservedly so as they don't make a bad lens. Buy a model that has a 'P' after the Rayban logo on the lens, if it doesn't have that, it's not polarised. Be aware that some of the most popular Rayban models (classic Wayfarers being a good example) tend to not sit very close to the eye, allowing a lot of light to enter behind the lens, particularly at the top- something to consider if you have a convertible/ targa etc. Whilst it may not be the trendy option, you really want a sunglass that provides as much physical coverage of the eye as possible. Brands like Serengeti/ Oakley tend to be better in this respect.
Serengeti are the brand which is most heavily marketed/ oriented towards drivers. Again, fantastic products, but be aware that virtually every lens they make is glass, which is fine but more prone to breakage than plastic/ polycarb materials. The rimless styles are popular due to being lighter and having no 'frame' to compromise peripheral vision, but in my experience they just aren't durable and over time pressure will crack the lenses. This problem isn't exclusive to Serengetis, but take it from someone in the industry that you want sunnies with a 'frame' to them if you require durability/ robustness.
Persol are also worth consideration. Not a bad product in the range, people who know (skiers, snowboarders and many other sportspeople) have loved them for years. They are becoming very desirable and stylish nowadays too.
If you are in any doubt as to whether or not a lens is polarised, hold the glasses up infront of a TV/ monitor and rotate them through 360 degrees. If the lenses are polarised they will make the screen appear black/ blank at some point in their rotation.
If buying prescription sunnies mainly for driving, be aware that you can buy polarised/ anti-reflective lenses for not much more than 'normal' prescription sunglass lenses- well worth the extra dosh.
A better option may be contact lenses, as obviously you can wear these behind any old 'fashion' sunglasses, giving you more frame/ lens options (people who prefer 'wraparound' styles for example will know that they can be tricky to get prescription lenses for). A contact lens fitting is a separate test to your standard sight test, but is very inexpensive and contact lens technology has progressed hugely in the last few years. Most patients we fit with modern daily disposables tell us that they're hardly even aware of them on the eye- a great option to have if you are setting off on a European adventure for example! You'll also be able to see when the sun goes down without having to fumble about in the glovebox for your glasses...
In summary, don't buy cheap sunnies of unknown specification because your scared you might lose more expensive ones. I regularly sell branded polarised sunnies with all the bells and whistles for as little as £25-30 a pair. Do a little homework, shop around and get a quality product- few daily tasks are as demanding on your vision as driving so not worth compromising.
The short answer is always buy polarised. Your everyday glasses will come with an anti-glare coating (if the salesperson is half competent), which will be noticeably better than a non-coated lens (normally your 'free second pair'). Polarisation takes this a stage further, virtually eliminating glare. The best demonstration of this is found in people who fish- glare from the surface of the water is the enemy, so these guys insist on polarisation. You tend to see the same thing in people who ski/ snowboard etc.
Reduction of glare really is the key to good driving specs. The activity of driving produces glare, directly from eg. a low winter sun, from the road surface, other vehicles etc.
UV protection is obviously very important from a health perspective (cataracts for example are almost solely caused by UV exposure), but will provide little benefit in terms of the lenses' visual performance. The people we generally refer to specialists for having ominous 'freckles' etc in the eye tend to look like they've spent a lot of time cooking in the sun over the years. High UV protection sunglass lenses are very common these days and don't really cost much more money, so no reason not to ask for them.
Another consideration is anti-reflective coatings. These tend to be sold as a way of reducing reflections on the front of the lens (people looking at you won't see strip lights etc reflected back at them, making your eyes more visible). In my opinion, anti-reflective is more important on the back of the lens, as it will prevent you from seeing the reflection of your own eye- something which can be a significant distraction/ PITA.
So ask for polarised lenses with anti-reflective coating front and back, and you have driving specs covered.
Rayban are a massive part of my business, deservedly so as they don't make a bad lens. Buy a model that has a 'P' after the Rayban logo on the lens, if it doesn't have that, it's not polarised. Be aware that some of the most popular Rayban models (classic Wayfarers being a good example) tend to not sit very close to the eye, allowing a lot of light to enter behind the lens, particularly at the top- something to consider if you have a convertible/ targa etc. Whilst it may not be the trendy option, you really want a sunglass that provides as much physical coverage of the eye as possible. Brands like Serengeti/ Oakley tend to be better in this respect.
Serengeti are the brand which is most heavily marketed/ oriented towards drivers. Again, fantastic products, but be aware that virtually every lens they make is glass, which is fine but more prone to breakage than plastic/ polycarb materials. The rimless styles are popular due to being lighter and having no 'frame' to compromise peripheral vision, but in my experience they just aren't durable and over time pressure will crack the lenses. This problem isn't exclusive to Serengetis, but take it from someone in the industry that you want sunnies with a 'frame' to them if you require durability/ robustness.
Persol are also worth consideration. Not a bad product in the range, people who know (skiers, snowboarders and many other sportspeople) have loved them for years. They are becoming very desirable and stylish nowadays too.
If you are in any doubt as to whether or not a lens is polarised, hold the glasses up infront of a TV/ monitor and rotate them through 360 degrees. If the lenses are polarised they will make the screen appear black/ blank at some point in their rotation.
If buying prescription sunnies mainly for driving, be aware that you can buy polarised/ anti-reflective lenses for not much more than 'normal' prescription sunglass lenses- well worth the extra dosh.
A better option may be contact lenses, as obviously you can wear these behind any old 'fashion' sunglasses, giving you more frame/ lens options (people who prefer 'wraparound' styles for example will know that they can be tricky to get prescription lenses for). A contact lens fitting is a separate test to your standard sight test, but is very inexpensive and contact lens technology has progressed hugely in the last few years. Most patients we fit with modern daily disposables tell us that they're hardly even aware of them on the eye- a great option to have if you are setting off on a European adventure for example! You'll also be able to see when the sun goes down without having to fumble about in the glovebox for your glasses...
In summary, don't buy cheap sunnies of unknown specification because your scared you might lose more expensive ones. I regularly sell branded polarised sunnies with all the bells and whistles for as little as £25-30 a pair. Do a little homework, shop around and get a quality product- few daily tasks are as demanding on your vision as driving so not worth compromising.
Just bought a pair of Serengeti 555 nm lensed glasses, mainly because the reflected blue light matches the colour of the car. 
The problem with any polarised glasses is they are oriented to block out the HUD.
ETA: the TFT displays in my car are polarised at 45 degrees so still visible, but it may not be the case with every display in older cars.
The problem with any polarised glasses is they are oriented to block out the HUD.
ETA: the TFT displays in my car are polarised at 45 degrees so still visible, but it may not be the case with every display in older cars.
Edited by V8LM on Tuesday 28th April 06:53
I have a pair of tesco prescription aviators for driving, polarised and they are great for the job.
When wearing contacts i have green lens Ray ban wayfarers, and they are my fashionable pair.
But the best pair of glasses I own are Nike optic glasses for golf. Light as a feather, frameless and cut out everything on the course including blazing sun. Can't recommend them enough and only £50-£60 I think.
When wearing contacts i have green lens Ray ban wayfarers, and they are my fashionable pair.
But the best pair of glasses I own are Nike optic glasses for golf. Light as a feather, frameless and cut out everything on the course including blazing sun. Can't recommend them enough and only £50-£60 I think.
Is UV protection important in a pair of driving glasses, doesn't the windscreen act as a filter anyway?
For driving I love my Serengetis - but for 'proper' outside I have the ubiquitous Ray-Ban Clubmasters. Both excellent sunglasses but I find the Polarised Ray-Bans distracting when driving, seeing the stress patterns in car windows, especially Renaults for some reason.
For driving I love my Serengetis - but for 'proper' outside I have the ubiquitous Ray-Ban Clubmasters. Both excellent sunglasses but I find the Polarised Ray-Bans distracting when driving, seeing the stress patterns in car windows, especially Renaults for some reason.
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