Good Prescription Sunglasses for Sailing ?

[advocate777]

can anyone recommend any online place to get those excellent prescription sunglasses that are anti-reflective, polarising, darker than normal, and better prescription sunglasses than the ones that you can get from your local lenscrafter or Wal-mart optician?

[Paperbird]

I just went through this frustrating search. Frustrating because of the outrageous prices I found - $700+. I really liked the Rudy Project and the Oakley models. But I was looking for progressive lenses. Ended up with RayBan 4114's I bought at a LensCrafters sale for mid-$200. Pretty comfortable, fairly dark (got the brown lenses) and polarized. So far (1 month) I'm pretty happy with them.

If you find anything better, please post it as I'm sure I and others will be in the market again.

[Richard Jordan]

I had a pair of Costa Del Mar prescription polaroid sunglasses that I was pretty happy with for a couple hundred. I purchased them at the eye place off 17th in Lauderdale. I cannot seem to decide on the online ones.

[DeepFrz]

Have you searched the forum? There was quite a long thread a while back with good information on this topic.

[Snore]

I prefer Costas with side protection to keep the sun from peeking around the side of the frame. They are polarized and have a dark double gradient tint (custom request). The lenses are dark on the bottom and top and less dark in the middle. This keeps sky and water glare down while allowing me to read what i need to read.

The glasses have thousand of kayaking miles and are now on my sailboat. I prefer to deal with a brick and mortar store. If the tint is too light, most stores will re do the tint darker at no cost.

Bill

[sarafina]

The shades in my avatar are RayBans, brown lenses, super comfortable. Wide stems profive good side glare protection. Had them for 3, 4 years now and still really happy. Would get another pair in a heartbeat.

[maytrix]

I've always got my sunglasses from lens crafters. They are polarizing and you can haven them tint darker if you want.

[bobconnie]

Got mine at Cosco on-line wrap around, polaroid, progressive lens, very dark as orderd!! under 200 after buying a normal set from them ! best Ive ever had ! just my 2 cents

[CarinaPDX]

For those of us who need/want progressive lenses, I have used the Zeiss ones with Transition (clear indoors, tinted outdoors) with good results. Every now and then the optician would try to slip in cheaper lenses with awful results - it is definitely worth paying for quality here. My newest (1 week old) glasses have Hoya lenses, with polarized Transition. I had no problem adapting from the Zeiss, and they do seem to be a bit better in the horizontal range of focus (broader sweet spot). These new lenses are custom cut on both the front and back of the lens, rather than the usual standard front surface and a custom back surface. They were pretty spendy ($800+ including frames) but so far they are delivering the goods. I have yet to be out on the water with them though - the ultimate test of the polarizing. I do find not having to carry around a pair of sunglasses a big benefit.

Greg

[sv-Mystique]

You just cannot go wrong with Ray Bans, currently wearing Daddy O's

[CarinaPDX]

Bob and Connie_ Did you mean Costco?

[noreault]

I ordered glasses from Zenni. Outstanding prices and good glasses. They allow you to specify the tint level. This is a supplier from China. Very happy with my $40 progressive lenses on titanium frames.

[red.sky]

I love my Oakleys - great optics & extremely durable frames. Some of the formed/shaped/wrap lens may not work with really strong prescriptions though.

[chef2sail]

Rudy Project Ekynox SX all the way. They use Zeis also. Lifetime warranty on frames. Nosepieces can be replaced as they wear out also. RP has many frames that can be perscrtion filled. Use Heavyglare.com site.

Dave

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by noreault

I ordered glasses from Zenni. Outstanding prices and good glasses.

Yep. I've ordered glasses several times before from zenni.com and have been very happy with them. In fact, I'm wearing a pair right now!

The only problem with them for sunglasses is that you can't get any that wrap around very much, if you need progressive bifocals. For that reason, for my sailing sunglasses, I bit the bullet and got a pair of Ray-Bans from the neighborhood Lenscrafters.