Sunglasses tailored to your lifestyle
As important as the right fishing rod or the right hiking boots, the right sunglasses can make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the outdoors. Believe it or not, certain lenses and frame combinations are built for very specific activities. Matching the right style to your activities is vital to getting the most out of your sunglasses and maximizing your comfort and fun in the outdoors.
What will you primarily be doing while wearing your shades? With sunglasses built specifically for various activities, whether you’re fishing, driving, hiking, participating in sports or shooting should affect the style and lenses you shop for.
So how do you select the perfect sunglasses for your lifestyle? Our buyer’s guide will help narrow down your options by describing the best lens/frame combinations for your activities. Let’s start with lenses – the centerpiece to every pair of sunglasses. Once you determine the best-suited lenses, selecting your favorite available frame style will be simple.
Lens material
Lenses are available in glass and a variety of plastics. Glass is the heaviest, yet most optically correct lens material and matches the natural curve of the human eye. Plastic lenses are extra-durable and generally lighter and less expensive than glass.
Glass
•Most are extremely scratch-resistant
•Most optically correct material
•Best clarity of any lens material
Polycarbonate
•Extremely lightweight
•Scratch-, shatter- and impact-resistant
•Recommended for high-impact and shooting activities
CR39
•Strong and lightweight
•Naturally scratch-resistant
•Excellent general-use material
•ot recommended for high-impact activities
Acrylic
•Lightweight yet prone to scratching
•Not recommended for high-impact activities
Lens tint
Tints determine the part of the light spectrum that is absorbed by the lenses and prevented from reaching the eyes. Tints are primarily applied through a coating process or constant-density process. Constant-density tints are higher quality and built into the lenses.
Gray
•Maximum light reduction in bright sunlight
•All-purpose tint excels in a variety of activities
•Good protection from glare
•Rich color and contrast (least amount of color distortion)
•Best for driving and all-around general use
Yellow
•Best tint for sharpness and clarity
•Enhances depth perception
•Lacks in color separation
•Less overall brightness protection
•Excels when detail is necessary – shooting sports, snowy and low-light conditions
Copper/Amber/Bronze
•All-purpose tint excels in a variety of activities
•Excellent glare reduction
•High-contrast tint produces sharp, bright images
•Excels in low-light conditions, driving, snowy conditions and sight fishing
Green Mirror
•Best contrast and light acuity of all tints
•Excellent glare reduction
•Great choice for eye comfort in a variety of fishing conditions – inshore flats, streams and rivers
Rose/Vermillion
•Exceptional low-light visibility – actually makes evening and early-morning hours appear brighter
•Best contrast of objects against a green or blue background
•Best tint for foggy or overcast days
•Excellent choice for hunting and water recreation like skiing
Blue Mirror
•Superior contrast and color in bright sunlight
•Excellent glare reduction
•Great tint for open-water applications
Polarization
A must have for many fishermen, polarization cuts glare by preventing reflected light from reaching eyes, enhancing visibility in environments with glare. This premium lens layer excels on water, near snow, during high-elevation activities and when driving. Polarization is applied in two different ways – a film coating (low-end sunglasses) or a polarizing filter between lens layers (high-end sunglasses).
Lens coating
Mirror – Alters the way the lenses reflect and transmit light
Scratch-resistant – Reduces scratches on lenses
Anti-reflective – Reduces surface reflections
Hydrophobic – Repels water
Anti-fog – Reduces fogging during high-energy activities
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