What are the best prescription sunglasses?

[. ._]

Yeah, the topic has been beaten to death, but I don't think so for the prescription variety.

My Gayviators got stolen long ago, and I've been wondering whether or not something better is out there.

Or the photo-grey kind of Rx glasses? Any issues with them?

What should my next pair of prescription sunglasses be?

Thanks,
istp

[kevenv]

My absolute favorites of all time are Serengeti prescription. Expect to pay around $500 and up (Depending on frame) for a prescription pair but it is well worth it! If you don't want to spend that much, Raybans are a good alternative for a few hundred less.

[Hot Fuel]

Nikon makes the best glass without question...as far a RX sunglasses go the skys the limit. Pick the frame or style you like and a good shop will grind to the frame specs. There are some limitations depending on the RX, wrap arounds present some problems but as long as the "lense wrap around" is not too extreme they can be done. There are a ton of options you can add to sunglasses, anti glare coatings, reflective coatings, sunlight activated, all of which drive up the price. I have a set of transition bi-focal with all the bells and whistles...if I didn't have an excellent company plan they would have set me back around $600.00 and change I think.

[Track]

I second serengeti lens. By far my favorite shade to fly with in almost any light condition.

Got mine for 200$ but the frames are kinda eeeshy

[airplane rider]

I've been using a pair of Ray-Bans for years. The best thing about them is when you return the factory lenses after you've put in your prescription ones, some places will give you a rebate. Over the years you may have to re-tint the glass, but the frame has lasted well with all my abuse. Just get a good quality frame in a style you like and tint to the colour you prefer.

[co-joe]

Whatever you buy, pick it out, write down the size colour and model, then go to http://www.framesdirect.com and buy it for a lot less than you'd pay here. My Adidas prescription glasses were about half price, my Adidas sunglasses were at least $100 cheaper, and I saved about $80 on focus daily contacts (40 on the contacts and 40 because I didn't have to pay for a fitting for a lense that only comes in one size anyway)

They have thousands of makes and models to choose from.

[app flap]

i have a pair of arnettes that i had rx'd for around $100 at a glasses shop in saskatchewan, they gave them the serengetti tint. they had a bit of trouble with the 'wrap around' as mentioned above, but i think they did a pretty good job - not a perfect fit in the frame... but good enough. however the lenses are plastic, and even with the anti-scratch coating they are still full of scratches two years later. i'm gonna try and get glass lenses for my next pair, i hear they scratch less.

[kevenv]

A "Serengeti tint" as copied by someone as a cost saving measure is not the same as the real deal. I have had both and can tell you that the lenses made by Corning Optics (they are glass only) and the real tint are unparalleled. If you have never tried them you don't know what you are missing. As for a previous poster recommending framesdirect.com, I wish I had seen that before I bought new glasses, It would have saved me a couple hundred dollars on Serengetis.

I've been using a pair of Ray-Bans for years. The best thing about them is when you return the factory lenses after you've put in your prescription ones, some places will give you a rebate.

You don't have to put your own lenses in them, you can order Raybans with Rayban prescription lenses from any Eye glasses store that sells Raybans.

[Hot Fuel]

Most popular sunglass manufacturers make RX glasses, Bole, Serengeti, Varnet, Ray Ban but the question wasn't which ones are good, it was what are the best. If you are talking RX the best lenses available in the marketplace are Nikon. All quality lenses start out clear and the tint, anti-glare, reflective coating etc are applied after the lenses are ground. The frames, well they are just that. They add nothing to whether the glasses are high quality or not. They are simply style and flair, a brand name that you pay for to support the cost of high powered marketing. Nikon lenses are precision made optical pieces, their quality surpasses all the off the shelf brand names, even when you order the RX lenses they still use the same materials and process to make them. You will pay a premium for the Nikon lenses but there is a significant difference between them and all other manufacturers. Nikon doesn't make frames, just the lenses...you want the best, buy Nikon lenses and pick the frame and features you want applied to the lenses. Just be prepared...there is sticker shock associated with wanting the best.

[kevenv]

Having never worn Nikons I can't compare the two. But if you would like to check out the two lens makers go to:

http://www.corning.com/ophthalmic/
http://www.nikonlenswear.ca/en/index.php

Maybe that will help you decide. Don't forget to talk to an ophthalmologist either.

[Liquid Charlie]

Forget the brand name -- go to a good outlet -- get the lenses and frames you want and then have then do a custom tint. For me a graduated tint like the drivers but you have complete control over how much and where. Go for a good lens(nikon or similar) and the "wide vision" progressives (get the lenses coated) -- expect to pay some where between 5 and 7 hundred but you will have the best of the best -- absolutely stay away from places like lens crafters -- I bought both sets (sun and photochromatic which are great for outdoors but don't darken well behind windscreens) and got both pair for $1100 taxes included - you can dicker with the prices. As for sun glasses which has been pointed out before, I'm sure -- polorized glasses don't work - you must get non-polorized -

PS -- when the Doc tells you your arms are getting to short during your medical you slowly become an expert on wearing glasses - it took me about 3 years and several hundred dollars to get it to a comfortable stage--

[Phlyer]

I did something a bit different because I'm cheap. After going to Lenscrappers I decided they were a scam and I could do better. So, on EBay got a pair of Marchand FlexFrames made of titanium (make sure they are genuine) for $25. They are regular $200 but because they were last year's style they give them away. Check the seller's feedback for best results. Took the frames to Walmart and they put in a green tint lense (Rayban tint - although they can't say that). Total was less than $150 for great sunglasses that are extrememly light and fit under the gel seals very nicely. If you're in Guelph go see Andrew at WM - he's a pilot too and was really helpful.

[confuzed]

I just got some new ones and they're working out so far. Check out http://www.rudyproject.com, they've got quite a variety. The cool thing about them is that they have sunglasses where you can change the lenses. So you can use them for prescription one day and if you have contacts, just pop the lens out and put in the non-prescription the next day. Pricewise they're comparable to Serengeti.

[AntiNakedMan]

I had never worn sunglasses until this year. When I was getting a new pair of prescription glasses I decided to look at the options for Rx shades. With my prescription, I can't get curved lenses because there will be too much distortion. Plus I didn't find many of the name brand frames that appealing. I ended up going for a set of Harley Davidson frames for regular glasses and just got tinted lenses put in... cost me $225. Later on, I found a nice pair of American Optical Aviatiors on Ebay for $35, got some lenses put in for $125, and couldn't be happier. All together, two pairs of Rx sunglasses for under $500 is ok in my books.

[RatherBeFlying]

Had a long talk with my optometrist to choose a lens size that would do a decent wraparound (for glacier travel) without getting too thick for my prescription.

He used a Serengeti frame and put in plastic lenses with a 30% transmitivity brown tint.

The brown tint takes out the blue. 15% transmitivity is not enough when you're under a cloud.

I find the photochromics take too long to adapt to rapidly changing conditions especially when going under a nice fat cumulus where there's likely other gliders lurking about.

Modern plastic lenses can be just as good as glass.

Never wipe eyeglasses when dry. First run water over the lenses to flush off the grit, then add a drop of liquid soap or dish detergent to get the fingerprints and eyebrow grease off, rinse and dry with a clean cotton cloth, i.e. your non-polyester pilot shirt from under your belt.

Your lenses will last until it's time for a new prescription.

[Mark_space]

http://www.answers.com/topic/joo-janta- ... sunglasses

...designed to help you develop a relaxed attitude to danger. At the first hint of trouble they turn totally black thus preventing the wearer from seeing anything that might alarm them.

[Northern Skies]

I just picked up my first pair of Rx Sunglasses this fall.

Look around all over town for deals. I found mine at Pearle Vision a few months ago, they had a two for one deal. So I picked up a pair of titanium frames with 1.67 index clear lenses for about $550, and got a nice pair of ray bans for free.

They are pretty good about having lenses on site. However, I was specific about getting Non-polarized, neutral density lenses with a mirror finish. Apparently no one does the non polarized/mirror combo, so they jobbed it out to a place out west to have them custom made. They couldn't do it in 1.67 though, but they turned out well. It took about 3 weeks. They were very good about it, updating me on the progress and not charging any extra. They knew about all the pilot stuff too, so you don't have much explaining to do.

Next up, I'm getting a pair of these: http://www.wileyx.com/EcommSuite/Produc ... temCode=71
They are ballistic protective, the strap swaps out for arms, and the lenses are interchangeable. I think they'd make a great pair of shooting glasses/ski goggles etc.

[xsbank]

Weeellll, all the lenses come out of the same labs! Whether they buy a piece of glass from Nikon or Corning, they are all ground, polished, tinted coated etc etc in the same lab, by the same workers on all the same equipment. Go for the best prices because $600 for a pair of sunglasses is simply robbery. You can buy readers at Costco that have spring hinges and the Silhouette-type frames (no frames) for $11.00 for three pairs!! The lenses are perfect, have no aberrations and even have fuzzy sleeves to put them in. Costco has prescription stuff too, but I've never used them.

$600....phooey.