[Closed] Sunglasses - how much do you pay?

Have spent money on Oakleys and other high end brands in the past only to either drop and scratch them or leave them on a bus.

Bought some Siroko glasses last summer for gravel cruising. They look the part, but only cost ~30€.

The GF continues to spend decent mullah on shades and jumps in the sea/river and loses them.

My go to now is Decathlon. 15-25€ for something that can be scratched or lost is much more palatable than 80€.

Lost a set of sunnies the other week in the Biergarten. I say lost. I think I was so drunk I just got up and walked home. Had to go there the next day to pick up my bike because I forgot how I arrived.

I’ve spent a fair bit over the years on mostly Oakleys.  I look after them, and resell those that I lose interest in,   As they remain in good condition resale value is decent.  I’ve had pairs for years so feel I get my moneys worth.  Oakley customer services have also been great.  I think over the years I’ve had 4 replacements sorted (3 they replaced the entire glasses, one the lens) no questions asked.

Having said this I’ve rarely paid full price, just waited for sales, or outlet stores. I’d really struggle to pay over £100 (only pair I paid over this for are my photochromic jawbreakers which I use on the road, which I picked up with a discount).  I really struggle seeing how prices have more than double over recent years for designer sunnies.

I’ve just taken advantage of the PSA.  Pair of Raybans for the Mrs and I’m trying some Persol for a smart pair.  All for £50 less than the list price of the Persol glasses.

I only buy Oakley and few select other higher end brand glasses. As mentioned if looked after the resale is good. I find spending more money does get you much better optics/lens quality.

And being expensive I look after them.

Cheap glasses are shite

I’ve used cheap sunglasses in the past and found the lenses scratch too easily and generally don’t last too long. Admittedly I never looked after them as well as I should.

I’m on my second pair of ray ban in 18 years, the last pair broke when I sat on them (bent frame and lenses popped out). I’ve had my current pair around 8 years and they still look like new, always put them in the case when not using them and generally look after them better than I did with the cheapies making sure I never put them lenses facing down.

Is it good value? For me yes it is but ymmv.

If you need Rx sunnies, then VisionExpress might be good, but does the offer include Oakleys and other top end.
i need Rx sunnies, and oakleys have always delivered a comfortable fit, great vision correction and proper polarization etc. 5th pair at the moment (each pair lasting 5 years or so, and a couple of pairs on the go currently)
they don't fall off so they don't get lost, gritty etc. MTB, road, skiing, sailing, driving, beer drinking etc - they're not the cheapest, but always great value. Latest pair the lab got the prescription slightly off, but they got sent back twice to Oakley for that to be corrected.
For me anyway it's a question of paying a bit more for a topnotch product, getting that value as long as you look after them

Worn Oakley for 20 years, bought a pair of sungods a couple of years back, they're awesome too.

I look after my stuff, aye they get scratched now n again, but I don't lose stuff really, so they don't work out as expensive cos they last me years.

I bought a pair of Oakleys after a PSA on here a good few months back. They cost me about £80 with 50% off

I also have some Bloc sunglasses which are about £80 rrp

The lenses in the Oakleys are fractionally better, but hardly anything in it. Overall build quality I would say the Blocs are better

The Oakleys are no where near twice as good, I wouldn’t consider them again unless massively discounted

The last pair of sunglasses I had before these (Bloc) ones, I dropped into a river off a bridge while messing about with the kids (they were precariously perched on top of my head at the time).

This is fairly typical of the fate that tends to befall my sunglasses, so Oakley’s are most definitely not on the shopping list.

My stupidity and clumsiness are expensive enough, without elevating them into a higher price bracket

The current sunglasses I use all the time are Oakleys (for the first time) - most I've spent on glasses, and TBH I'm not that impressed. The arms had rubber coating that's coming off, and optically I'm finding it hard to tell the difference between them and cheaper glasses. I'm not sure I'd bother again.

Owned a couple of pairs of Oakley's years ago. Have a Google as they're now owned by Luxottica who own loads of other glasses brands. From memory they basically forced Oakley's price down by refusing to stock them in their retail space and then buying the company cheap. So for that reason I'm out.

https://boingboing.net/2019/03/12/luxottica.html/amp

Plus I'm rubbish at losing sun glasses and only really use them when driving in summer. Got some cheap polarised ones from Lomo. Can't honestly tell the difference in optical quality to the Oakley's I had.

I've only ever had cheap glasses. They seem fine to me. Optically I can't tell I'm wearing them other than the tint. Really can't see what spending more gets me.

Spent lots on Oakleys and Raybans over the years.

Never lost or damaged a pair, thankfully. Usually get at least 5 years out of a pair, got an old spare pair of E Wires that must be over 20 years old somewhere. Cost per year works out pretty reasonable.

I don't spend masses, but do notice the difference between cheap and better glasses. I too end up scratching or loosing them on occasion.

Best I've had were some Nike golf(!) glasses, and they were only £35 in a sale. Really nice to look through and comfy.

This year I'm 'rocking' a pair of Julbo glasses (£40) that are the second pair I've had. They are nice to look through and comfy enough, plus bigger than many to cover my fizog so I don't get the eyebrows above lens look... They seem to tread the line between value and quality well.

never been a fan of oakleys, to me they still look like 1990s oakleys.

had rayban justin for 5-6 years now, box in the car, worn them alot, still look like new (£45 on a very good day to £70).

beach holidays i go for a cheaper pair as sand, sweat, salt water and sunscreen seems to knacker my glasses

for MTBing / Gravel i like the melon optics alleycats, the clear (light orange) lense is great for night riding and overcast, the purple/green lense is great for summer, feel naked without them now.

lifelong spectacle wearer till i had the laser eye surgery 10 yesars ago, i decided to buy myself some nice Raybans as it was a luxury i never had before... ive since had many pairs of various designer brands. my eyes are quite sensitive to light, and wind! so it does not have to be mega sunny for me to get em out. budget usually around £120-150 which i dont think is bad for the amount of use they get... go-to's are Oakley Holbrooks for day to day, Rayban's for more formal occasions.

Also impressed with the Melon Alleycats for riding!

You think Oakley's look dated, and wear Raybans? Lol!

Got some Five Squared delivered by a whopping £44.50 delivered. Like the style but if they’re not all that then I won’t be that upset for that price 🙂

I spend quite a lot per item - but spend rarely….

Since the age of 21 - I have had 3 pairs of casual sunglasses - and just bought my 4th pair at 46. My last pair I bought in 2011! So my last pair of Oakleys bought at discount - for around £100, have cost me £10/year.

I spend similar amounts on riding glasses but have only bought 3 pairs of ‘premium’ glasses in the last 20 years and I lost 1 pair of those in a fairly serious crash. I’ve only spent full price on one pair of glasses though - so my annual cost of glasses is around £7 over that period.

I haven’t lost a pair (Yet…! Touch wood!), and look after them, so don’t feel it’s a waste.

I lost a my Oakley Twoface shades a couple of months ago and got another pair. The new pair has polarized lenses. I was annoyed to spend extra but they are truly outstanding. I think this is because I am colour blind and the just seem to turn up the colour and clarity. The whole world now looks more polished and shiny. They really are superb.

This isn't an advert for Oakley, this is an advert for polarized lenses, especially for dudes who have rubbish colour sight.

I've not lost any of my casual sunglasses so don't mind paying a bit for them (up to £100 anyway) but I don't think it's particularly worth it to pay for a big name - as long as cheap ones have UV protection, don't fall apart, the lens are half decent and you like the style then cheap makes sense. My main ones are Oakley Gauges (were on sale), before that some tarty Hugo Boss ones I also got on sale (relegated to use in the car now). Also have some Oakley e-wires somewhere (bought ages ago) but they look a bit odd these days

Paid £££ for top of the line Revo years back. Amazing glass. Heavy glass and frame was std quality only.

My current 2 pairs are Serengeti from TKMax Bristol for under £30. Really good lens if you like rose tint.

I have some prescription Julbo ones for bike riding, think they were about £300. As a regular glasses wearer I may be a bit more careful with them than some of the folks above.

never been a fan of oakleys, to me they still look like 1990s oakleys.

What the whole range? they do shit loads of styles.

I've got about 5 or 6 pairs of Oakleys, love them. They don't always cost silly money either if you have a good look around or buy on PSA's and sales.

Last sunglasses I got two prescription pairs for £40! Never had prescription sunnies before as been too scared of losing/breaking them but at that price it's fine.

Total game-changer for me.

I honestly have no idea how people manage not to lose sunglasses. I must have bought 20-30 pairs at least over my lifetime and I only have 3-4 left. 😩

Aussie mate who's spent his life on the beach swears (profusely) by Maui Jim.

I wear Cébé - they're part of the Julbo group and are very good for the price ~£40

I also have some Oakley Sliver that I got from CRC half price a few years ago but they're not very robust so they live in the car. The Oakley lenses are excellent and I can see why people love them but at full price they're silly money even for the basic styles

My max for shades these days is about £20.00, maybe a bit more if I really like the style. I'm too ham-fisted for anything more expensive than that.

@nobeerinthefridge

i'm not a fan of 90% of raybans, but the Justin shape is a classic, so many companies produce similiar, like the oakley holbrook

oakleys remind me of loud americans and a spoilt fatheaded lad at school who had 10 pairs.
just had a look i actually like a few styles, its the ones with the bulky logo i dislike, had a quick google the 'jawbreaker', doesnt help the snobbery of roadies i know who will only wear oakley.

all imho, we all have different shaped heads and looks :0)

I like Raybans too, and many Oakley's, there's loads that don't scream US golfer.

Persol here 💅

 there’s loads that don’t scream US golfer.

Here's the other reason I don't wear Oakley. They are favoured by US golfers, the sort of fat arsed white American good ole boy tourist, Your common garden variety SF gun-nut  wannabe, and middle aged business cows who somehow think wearing shades designed for sports make them look edgy, and a host of "larger" mamils for whom signaling they they do sports is more important that the actual doing of those sports

By all means wear them for what they're designed for...cycling whatever, but I think rule #22 applies.

"I don’t tend to spend a lot on them as I either lose them, (mostly) scratch them or break them so getting a nice/expensive pair seems like a false economy."

This, exactly.

I think the most I've spent is £40, but my riding glasses are now £12 Ebay jobs. Polarised, photochromic lenses. I'll just replace with the same when they get damaged or scratched.

The only time I treated myself to some expensive Smiths glasses (I was in France on holiday feeling flush), I left them behind at a rugby tournament.. Found some replacements the same on Ebay, so bought them and crashed wearing them on the bike and now they have a big scuff on one lens!

This lens distortion bollocks cheap glasses are supposed to have, as mentioned in reviews of £200 glasses on this site, is utter nonsense.

Wearing sports sunnies for casual use does look very 1990s/Clarkson, let's be honest.

But I'm sure Oakley make plenty of casual styles too.

Personally I don't wear sunglasses enough to justify pricey ones, and my £10 Carnac jobbies from PX are very nice for the price.

My wife got some Polaroid ones in a ski resort in 2019. I was surprised how good they are and they weren't expensive

I can confirm that DeWalt cheapies from Screwfix are indeed sh*te. They get scratched just from being looked at.

Quelle surprise 🙂

My go-tos are Dirty Dogs with the brown polarised lenses at around £40 which seem to have just the right amount of tint for riding in and out of shade/trees/etc in the UK.  The downside on the cycling ones is that the rubbery eartip bits slide off all too easily if you've stuck them in your helmet for a sweaty ascent or sundown.  Do the Oakleys and other brands not suffer from this?

I too have got bored of spending money on Oakleys only to lose them

Got some O'Neil polarised atm and they're great,
lenses are brilliant and tbh seem sturdier than my last Oakley set

https://www.mandmdirect.com/01/mens/o-neill

Went to watch the football away and the weather went unexpectedly sunny. Had to buy some emergency sunglasses. A pair of wayfarer shape £1 glasses from the poundshop fulfilled my requirements.

A year later they're still going strong, I'd genuinely recommend them to anyone!

I've got all sorts from £2.99 Aldi cheap cycling glasses, Uvex safety glasses, Bloc (£30) & Tifosi glasses (£50) and recently bought some half decent Raybans for general wearing, rather than 'sports use'.

The cheap ones are good, the expensive ones are good. There is no way that the Raybans are more than 35x better than the cheap ones, but they are nice glasses & were bought with some money I received for my birthday. They won't be thrown into a rucksack or left at the bottom of a descent somewhere in the grass, so I don't mind spending a bit more money one them.

I'm too old to be wearing 'sports' glasses when not doing actual sport. You can get away with it when you're young, but as you get older you just look like a bit of a div (IMO, of course).

To those gasping in horror at spending north of £100 on sunglasses; as a prescription specs wearer, sunnies cost me significantly more than that. Oakleys are significantly more expensive than many other brands, yes, but in my experience, just optically better quality. I've yet to find a better service for prescription sports glasses. My wife has some clear varifocal specs that cost over £500. I once knew a bloke who had such bad eyesight, his lenses (just the lenses, mind) cost over £600. EACH. So think yourselves lucky that you have decent eyesight, and look after your eyes. You've only got one pair...

How do you lose Oakleys? They are either in front of my eyes or firmly on top of my head, which is why I use Oakleys

off road I've go a hybrid part blue and black spesh singletracks with "photochromic" lenses made up from 2 pairs I bought in 2005 £70 and £40 IIRC on the road just any ol' aldi/ldil £4.99 offering

Bought a pair of Blocs for about £8 19 years ago and they still work just fine.

I went all in when my eyesight had gone bad enough to need prescription riding glasses (mainly for night rides) and bought a pair of team GB 2012 Oakley Flak Jackets with transitions lenses.
Not cheap by any means but still going strong.

Erm…

*backs out of thread*

Houns

Erm…

Go on, how many pairs....?

Not as many now as been selling quite a few pairs off (got bored of it, need the money for other fun stuff, and generally not liking the collectors scene - too many trump loving gun nuts, the European collectors are thankfully nice/different). I’m down to about 20-30

I'm an Oakley fanboi - i've got two pairs of Jawbone/Racing Jackets for riding (with different coloured lenses) and a couple of other pairs (and another on the way from Vision Express) for casual wear.

I've never paid full price for any of them - i've either bought via Igero or from others when sales are on.
I always look after them and find Oakley designs fit my face really well. The Racing Jackets stick to my face no matter how wet/sweaty/dirty i am.

I've got a couple of pairs of Nike sunglasses - they're very nice and well made but just don't fit quite as well as the Oakleys.

To answer the OP question - i'd struggle to justify parting with more than £100 - and am more keen on £160 reduced to £100!

I've had Oakleys and got upset when they got eaten by the dog. I've been given some freebie pairs and they have been fine, but the last pair I bought were in the 30 quid range. Polarised lenses, fit my face, work. Shame one of the lenses has already got scratched.

Had a pair of O'neill polarised specs which were great, until whatever additive is in the water on the log flume in West Midlands Safari Park stripped the coating and mirroring clean off them.
Curently sporting a pair of Sungods, very happy with them, plus you can have custom options and replace lenses, if thats important to you.

Spent £55 on a pair of Ray Ban Aviators when I was 17 - seemed like an awful lot of money at the time.

27 years later I am still wearing them on occasions (as does my wife).

About 250-300 quid but they are prescription Oakleys.

Racing Jackets with Prizm Trail Lenses

Targetline with Prizm Grey.

I also have some older Racing Jackets with transition lenses for when it gets super gloomy.

My "normal" glasses are also oakley as i find them super comfy and the frames actually last unlike "designer" specs.

Oakley's here too. Had RayBans for casual but got rid when I saw some Russian gangster wannabe wearing the same shades on holiday in Majorca!

Used to do a lot of sailing and bought cheap sunnies as I lost so many pairs overboard. But one day wore the RayBans (polarised) and the difference on the water was incredible. Really incredible.

Have never gone back to cheap ones since.

Likewise, skiing. The right pair of Oakley's on a flat light day makes an enormous difference.

I read once that cheap sunnies without (good) UV filters do more damage than not wearing them at all. The tint causes your pupils to open wider and let more UV in. Made me regret those long days on the water with market stall specials in the past.

never been a fan of oakleys, to me they still look like 1990s oakleys.

had rayban

Same company; they are brands owned by the Luxottica group. Which makes eyewear for just about every luxury brand out there, it seems.

https://www.luxottica.com/en/eyewear-brands

I read once that cheap sunnies without (good) UV filters do more damage than not wearing them at all. The tint causes your pupils to open wider and let more UV in. Made me regret those long days on the water with market stall specials in the past.

Hmm, it's not quite as straightforward as that, and has a lot to do with companies wanting to sell you more expensive products. All sunglasses will offer some UV protection, but it's more about the amount of harmful UV wavelengths they let through. Many cheapo sunnies will offer exactly the same protection as the most expensive, but if you are going to be spending a lot of time in very bright environments, such as ski-ing, near water etc, then it's wise to check for UV protection, of course. But I wouldn't be too worried about cheapo sunnies for more casual, short-term use.

https://www.today.com/style/debunking-9-common-myths-about-sunglasses-2d80554300

My “normal” glasses are also oakley as i find them super comfy and the frames actually last unlike “designer” specs.

@BillOddie that's interesting, I'm looking to get some "normal" Oakley glasses. Other brands I've tried get knackered when I push them out the way onto my head switching from Reading, when I don't need them, to the TV, when I do. I'm hoping regular Oakley frames cope with it as well as the sunglasses do

I have a selection of Oakleys that I use for MTB and Road Cycling. Jawbreakers and Sutro models mostly with Prizm trail and road lenses.

I have one dodgy eye that doesn't work quite properly so I am highly protective of the good one and am happy to invest in good quality eyewear that is effective in terms of optics and impact protection.

I look after the glasses by cleaning them properly and storing them in their bag/case after each use. As a result I tend to get 3 or 4 years use out of each pair no bother - even longer with the road ones as they don't get so covered in filth.

I also have other casual Oakleys (Holbrooks etc) that I use for daily wear - literally every day, even in winter (my eye doesn't dilate so even slightly bright weather causes me to have to shut my eye). Again these get looked after so last a very long time.

I look after them, they look after me.

andrewreay

I read once that cheap sunnies without (good) UV filters do more damage than not wearing them at all. The tint causes your pupils to open wider and let more UV in. Made me regret those long days on the water with market stall specials in the past.

I think this was de-bunked years ago. The plastic used in nearly all sunglasses blocks out virtually all UV.
I saw a TV thing years ago where they were stopping random people who were walking past and asking to test the UV transmittance of their glasses. They measured all sorts from heart shaped novelty glasses from the pound shop to 'proper' brand glasses like Oakley, Rayban etc. & found almost no difference in the amount of UV getting through.
Maybe this was a thing when lenses were mainly glass, but I don't think that's been the case for a long time now.

The one thing I do notice when paddling and sailing is that polarised is the shizzle.

Still using (on every ride) the Oakley M Frames I bought in 1999 !
Work well for me, easy to take off/put on with one hand, comfortable etc,.

I try really hard to look after my glasses, and find that Oakleys work really bloody well for a long time. (also, once I rode over a pair and Oakley replaced them at no charge)

Quite like Julbo's, their anti-fog coating is good but they just don't last like Oakleys. Had a pair of Adidas ones that were huge and brilliant for riding, with the variable darkness lenses, but they also got scratched to buggery very quickly and were soon useless.

with the same use and care regime, Oakleys win.

In my early days of mtb I fell down the Oakley rabbit hole, but soon realised they scratched like everything else, and got lost for everything else.

Back then, polycarbonate lenses weren't virtually ubiquitous like they are now, so I wore safety specs for about 10 years.

Now I wear any old cheapy that looks ok, has polycarbonate lenses and fits like I want. Amazon is good for that.

Just bought some Julbo ones from Sportsshoes.co.uk on special offer - photo chromatic and a more casual look. My riding glasses are Smith and previously had Adidas, Rudy and Oakley. Many years ago, worked in a company that used to manufacture and distribute both industrial and prescription eyewear. Simply put, you’re paying a big premium for brands like Oakley simply for things like marketing and sponsorship - the quality of the optics and coatings is imperceptible beyond a certain price point, your eyes can’t really tell the difference. Cheap industrial glasses don’t really last and there’s no real comparison.

who somehow think wearing shades designed for sports make them look edgy, and a host of “larger” mamils for whom signaling they they do sports is more important that the actual doing of those sports

By all means wear them for what they’re designed for…cycling whatever, but I think rule #22 applies.

Which Oakley style in particular were you thinking of? Frogskins were one of their earliest styles, and they’re based on the Wayfarer shape, so hardly ’edgy’.
I’ve got two pairs of original Frogskins from late ‘80’s/early 90’s, plus a pair of original Mumbos, and a pair of Half Jacket 2.0’s, which are a few years old now, and I got those off eBay. I’ve also got several original pairs of Arnet sunnies, from before they got bought up - two pairs of Ravens, a pair of Steel Ravens, a couple of pairs of Black Dogs, and a pair of metal-framed Hornets, which I bought in Vail at the ‘94 Worlds, and a pair of Dusters.
I’ve also got some Rayban Lennons, and some Wiley-X, but I haven’t worn those for a while.
I’ve very recently bought some SunGods, and I have to say they’re really bloody good! Small British company, lifetime guarantee against breakage, excellent range of lens, and frame colours, and the packaging is some of the best I’ve seen. They’re also supporting Surfers Against Sewage, and the price is incredibly good, £55 with the basic 4Ko lens, the 8Ko lenses are more expensive, but still £85. There’s only three regular frame styles, but there’s a couple of sports frame/lens sunnies as well.
The other great thing about them is the lenses can be easily swapped out for a different colour or if they get scratched, and replacements are £33.
I was so impressed with the first pair I bought, Classics3 with a tortoiseshell finish and gold mirror lenses and icons, I bought another pair of Renegades with Matt grey recycled frames with blue mirror lenses.
One thing in particular I’ve found with them is they seem to fit really well without having to try to bend the arms or adjust them in any way, which is really unusual, plus they stay in place without me having to keep pushing them back up my nose all the bloody time! As I wear them all day at work, when it’s bright, and that’s a ten hour day, it makes a real difference having such a good fit. And if I damage a lens, it’s no big deal.
https://www.sungod.co/?msclkid=0a3f7e0147981becbb481f009d2e53fc

less than a hundred per pair but probably more than fifty. I find the pay less and not worry so much a false economy. Lost several cheaper pairs since I wasnt paying attention whereas if I have paid a reasonable amount I pay more attention.
Currently have three pairs of oakleys (frogskins for general and then a trail prism flakjacket and normal sun lens flakjacket for riding) plus a adidas clear glasses for riding when the other two dont suit and finally Rayban aviators which are kept mostly in the car.
All of which brought on PSA aside from the rayban brought using a restricted voucher from work where they were the best option.

Wife and I still have our Oakleys we bought on honeymoon in the US, 20th anniversary next week!. Mine have had a few new lenses, but mrs is still on the originals.

Agree with CZ though, my Sungod renegades are superb, always grab them first.

But I wouldn’t be too worried about cheapo sunnies for more casual, short-term use.

I'm sure cheap Decathlon glasses are fine - but what about the cheap fake knockoff glasses you get sold on the Spanish coast? Genuine question - I don't know if manufacturing has advanced to the point where they're pretty much all safe, or whether the Chinese factory that's knocking them out is cutting corners and wearing these fakes is likely to lead to eye damage...

(Clearly the coatings aren't going to last, and they probably say "Raybon" on the side, but are they actually dangerous?)

MTB - Oakley Race Jackets. Look like Brian Lopes, but can park better. Really good but getting old with the legs going floppy
Road - Oakley Radars
Car - Oakley Frogskins
Other Car - Raybans
Reserve (read "out there somewhere") - Oakley Gas Cans. These are actually a bit rubbish as they hurt to wear after a couple of hours
In various drawers - several pairs of Minutes, Half jackets and other things from back in the day

I’ve just bought Decathlon’s to try off road - feel a bit dirty

(Clearly the coatings aren’t going to last, and they probably say “Raybon” on the side, but are they actually dangerous?)

I seem to remember Northwind being sciency and doing some tests on cheap sunglasses Vs Oakleys or whatever, and there was very little difference in performance. I may have just imagined that though.

Yeah, I was more wondering the difference between cheap (but legit) sunglasses, the kind you get in Decathlon or wherever, and the fake Okeleys you get off a market stall. I trust Decathlon, despite their prices it's a large company with a reputation to maintain.

I don’t know if manufacturing has advanced to the point where they’re pretty much all safe, or whether the Chinese factory that’s knocking them out is cutting corners and wearing these fakes is likely to lead to eye damage…

I remember reading an account from a materials scientist who said it's basically impossible to get any plastic to transmit UV light. For extreme specialist applications there are some very expensive products that transmit UV but not visible light.

Here's some science to back that up: https://www.gmp.ch/spectroscopy-applications/transmission-characteristics-of-sunglasses-and-tinted-windows. From that article -

Look at the UV spectrum (<400nm down to ~4nm). Pretty much everything has a massive drop-off there with no transmission. Even if a pair of excessively dark-tinted glasses was causing too much pupillary dilatation, there really isn't a measurable UV effect.

Basically the whole 'UV protection' thing for sunglasses is at best ill-informed or (more likely) disinformation from the BigSunglasses conglomerate (which as others have said is now pretty much just one company).

IANASS
(I am not a sunglass scientist)

For those with 20/20 vision, or who use contact lenses, then ordinary sunnies are fine, pretty much any thing really. But for those who need prescription lenses, then I've found Oakley to be the best options; other brands end up being comparable in price when you add up the cost of prescription glazing, yet don't have such a range of styles, nor lens types and coatings. Some actually come up more expansive than comparable Oakleys. None are as easily available to try on as Oakley, nor have such good customer support and service. I don't have a particularly complex prescription, but even 'standard' specs will set me back £150+, generally, and that's for pretty bog standard plastic frames. So Oakleys aren't really particularly excessive for me, as I mentioned before. A pair I had made in the early 00s cost the equivalent today of around £650. A pair I've had made more recently, about half that, so prices seem to have come down in real terms. I agree that non-prescription prices are a rip-off, but this is a forum where people think spending £3,4,5k+ on a bicycle is normal...

I've had a few Luxotica Oakley's and don't think they're great VFM, you're definitely paying for the label.
Got a nice pair of Bloc sunnies for about £30, optics seem to be as good as Oakley.

I have two pairs of prescription sunglass wrap around shades (one dark, one photochromatic). Both scratched to buggery as I normally knock them to the floor everytime I take my helmet off and forget the arms are over my helmet straps. Still, they're both about 10 years old, so not bad value for money.

I have in the past spent decent money on sunglasses, i quite like Ray Bans, whenever i have done they have rarely lasted a year despite me trying to be careful with them. These days i'll either pick up a pair in Aldi or Next and they'll last years, and at those prices i can keep a pair in each car a pair in the house and have a couple of spares.

I am a bit of a Ray-Ban fan - but have probably bought more Oakley than anything else ( around 9 pairs).
The thing about Oakley - and nobody else seems to have this issue, is after about 3-4 years the lens delaminate. It looks like bubbling / coming apart of laminate , or the plastic breaking down. All parts , other than Julliettes , have done.
Replacement lens are easy to fit, Oakley customer service fine.

I still have a pair of 30 year old Ray-Ban wayfarers which have no issue, a 10 years old pair with no issue, and a 5 year old pair with no issue.
Unfortunately, I lost my Clubmasters at a wedding just outside Jo'burg ....

Anyone tried SunGod sunglasses?

About 250-300 quid but they are prescription Oakleys.

Racing Jackets with Prizm Trail Lenses

Targetline with Prizm Grey.

I also have some older Racing Jackets with transition lenses for when it gets super gloomy.

My “normal” glasses are also oakley as i find them super comfy and the frames actually last unlike “designer” specs.

Same as that but different model.

andrewreay

I read once that cheap sunnies without (good) UV filters do more damage than not wearing them at all. The tint causes your pupils to open wider and let more UV in. Made me regret those long days on the water with market stall specials in the past.

This came up ~8 years ago, maybe more when the first wave of cheapo cycling specs were available that were actually good copies of leading brands.

I tested a load of glasses to the specifications* and everything except the decathlon polarised fishing glasses passed. The blocking of UV rays is intrinsic to the polycarbonate material that lenses are made from, you have to have something special (ie polarised) for them to fail.

*- didn't do the ball bearing test.

A couple of years back in Vietnam I bought a pair of no-name sunglasses because they were frameless. I went for them because when I ride the road bike I'm always looking through the top of the lens and the frame gets in the way. They've lasted well and £6 was a good price. Except that next to them were several pairs of Oakley Jawbone Prizms (genuine, I'm fairly sure) for £3 each.

£25ish quid every year or so, always lose them. Probably spect a fortune over the years tbh. Would be crazy for me to spend any more.

Must admit, generally oakleys are ugly as sin though don't see the attraction tbh!