Recommendations for good sunglasses

[The Wright Stuff]

I see there has been some past discussion on this, but I thought I would start a new thread, since the existing posts are relatively old and technology moves rapidly. In an effort to boost my flying season into the winter, I was out at the weekend flying. Beautiful blue sky. Nice, steady breeze. Crisp 6 degree temperature. Low sun. I couldn't see a flipping thing.

The problem was twofold. The brightness of the clear sky (not necessarily just into the sun, but everywhere), and the cold wind making my eyes water. I ended up squinting with my less dominant eye closed, and my other eye watering: most uncomfortable.

In summer, I tend to use reactions lenses (I wear specs for long-sightedness) and never generally have a problem. I just couldn't get on with them yesterday, because although the centre field of vision was nicely dark, I was still blinded by the bright ring of ambient light getting in around the lens.

So, clearly I need:

• polarising lenses
• sufficient wrap around to keep the glare and the wind out
• custom prescription

Surfing the web gives overwhelming options: general use, sportswear, specific model flying, at a huge price range.

Questions are: what's a good buy at the moment? and do I go for prescription lenses, or over-the-glasses types?

[bert baker]

I have used Tapid Eyeware glasses for years now,apart from when it's windy, then I use some cheap Lidl cycle glasses as they have foam that seals to your face and you don't get eyes weeping

[Tomtom39]

I have the same problem as you. Having tried various "over the glasses" options . I plonked for buying prescription sunglasses via my local optician when replacing my daily ones. Lots of options and prices started from £50 . I ended up with a pair of  Maui Jims wrap arounds with vario focals for those fiddly bits. Similar to the Oakley Jawbreaker . These were far better than my standard reactolite's. Watery eye's are a real issue for me.

I seem to recollect that there is a company that advertises in the RCME offering polarised glasses. They will also make them up to your prescription. A couple of members at our club have bought theirs from this company and are very happy with them.

Edited By Tomtom39 on 20/11/2017 12:30:14

[ken anderson.]

have a look in home bargains for a pair of "ski goggles"...normally around £6.00...give them a try you may be pleasantly surprised.......

ken Anderson...ne..1..... ski goggles dept.

[Ron Gray]

I bought a pair of overglasses flying shades from a stand at this years Cosford show, absolutely brilliant (or not if you’re looking through them!) and cost £20!

**LINK**

[The Wright Stuff]

Thanks for your replies so far, guys. Ron, can you remember which colour you went for? My recollection of physics is telling me that yellow ought to be good for looking at bright blue skies. £20 is worth a gamble.

[Chris Walby]

I'll watch this post with interest as I have prescription Varifocals that are light reactive which I am not that happy with, but it has more to do with my need for close and distance correction and mainly that they don't go dark enough if its a very bright sky.

My solution is to have a distance pair (old frames) with very dark lenses (especially useful at air shows when I spend long periods looking skyward).

I understand pilots of the full size avoid polarised, but that might be due to issues with the canopy material and then there is various conflicting arguments about the colour of lenses.

[Ron Gray]

i went with yellow, really makes the 'plane stick out rather than disappearing in poor light conditions. I was flying my Freewing Scorpion last week and as it is nearly all white, when I banked round at certain angles it just disappeared. Next flight out I put the sunnies on and everything was so much better. The other good thing is that as there are wrap around I don't get any off that cold breeze over my eyes.

For £20 it would be rude not to buy a pair!

[Capt Kremen]

+ 1 for the 'Over Glasses' though I don't think mine were £20 more like £8 a pair from a seller on the Bay.

I use mine year round over 'Varifocal Reactorlite' prescription glasses with few issues.

(Reading the Tx screen is easier without them, but not impossible).

Rather than the 'Flying Goggle' two lens type, I have a one piece wrap around which stops stray light (and flies!), entering at the top and sides too. Just had a look at the Amazon web site and they show that style for sale - £16.99 at the moment.

Mine are dark/smoked grey in colour tint. (Tried 'Yellow', it gave me an un-natural view when used with my regular glasses and made viewing the model orientation at distance difficult).

[MattyB]

They cost a lot more than some of the other options suggested here, but there are some great cycling specific products that also work for modellers. Case in point - the Eyepod Hawks which I tried recently at the NEC Cycle show...

At £89 for the single vision up to £169 for a varifocal they are not cheap, but they come with 5 interchangeable lens for different conditions. The best part is that if your prescription changes you can order a new set of inner insert lenses to make them usable again. Pretty cool stuff!

 

Edited By MattyB on 20/11/2017 14:52:02

[Ron Gray]

The biggest problem with these types of glasses is that unless you can try them on you won’t really know what’s best for you. As I said in my earlier post, I got mine from the Cosford show so was able to try on a variety of different ones, although I came back to the first ones in the end! Advantage of the cycling ones is that there are quite a few bike shops around so you may get a better choice, but at a cost (style usually = additional cost, well it did when I was a regular peddler)

Having interchangeable coloured lenses obviously doesn’t restrict you to one colour so if I was buying a pair and through the ‘net, I’d have either tried out a pair as used by one of my flying buddies first or I would look for cheap ones with interchangeable lenses.

[extra slim]

I've had a pair of rapid eyeware innovator for about 10yrs and they are excellent, with the different colours etc, however they are approaching time expiry. In looking to get another pair, the instructions online were to input your prescription details and then since hardly no opticians will give you the distance between eyes, it advises you to get someone to measure them with a ruler!!!!.. I emailed them to ask advice about sending the old pair back etc, but havent heard anything back in about 2 weeks...

Thanks for your post MattyB, I will check these out

[Frank Skilbeck]

For gliding on the slope in winter, I have some ski googles which go over my prescription glasses, I got them in the after season sale at one of the outdoor shops.

[Don Fry]

I will cost you, but locate a good, probably independent, optician. Sorting out the various focus, inability to focus, eye watering, correct density, colour, is a complex job for persons of a certain age who have eyesight needs as specific as ours.

But phone about, most are not skilled. A place to start is a local flying club.

[Old Geezer]

+1 for ski goggles over prescription glasses - actually a clear (non-tinted) ski mask for when I'm sloping - and the prescription spec's are Polaroid, just as important for driving as flying. (Very useful for fishing too.)

[Josip Vrandecic -Mes]

Look here you might find something for yourself :

**LINK**

Edited By Josip Vrandecic -Mes on 20/11/2017 20:18:33

[MaxG]

Not sure if I remember correctly but isn't there a problem with polarised glasses and the Tx screens?

If you do try polarised ones try them with your Tx.

Maxg

[Bruce Collinson]

For what it's worth, several of my clubmates use amber contrast polarised overglasses which one of us sources at £10 and I wear these over my non-Reactolite (fell out with those, too many scars on forehead) prescription varifocals and I get on well with them. They definitely improve contrast in that awkward light and don't mess up the Tx screen at all. I had a pleasant surprise when clayshooting last week, never been able to shotgun in prescriptions nor pick an orange clay against grass and the Joe 90s (as they're affectionately known) improved both aspects significantly.

If interested, I'll ask Jeremy Harmer for the name and source. Might discover he pays £5 ....

[Rick Tee]

Bruce Collinson; I'm interested in the glasses you mention, a source would be good. I use polarized sun glasses but it does mean looking under them to see the TX screen.

Edited By Rick Tee on 23/11/2017 07:28:40

[Andy Green]

Not cheap by any means, I use Bigatmo - utterly superb fit, finish and lens.

Andy

[Bruce Collinson]

Rick, am checking source for Remaldi NightSight OverGlasses, handled by Opticaid UK Ltd in Yeadon, Leeds and will revert to you. As they say, watch this space.

I have no polarisation issues although they are polarised; I wonder if it varies between manufacturers of Tx screens; mine's a Spektrum Dx9 Black Ops.

Cheap as chips but absolutely good enough.

[Trevor Crook]

This year I changed from presription sunglasses to polarised clip-on. It's years since I wore polarised lenses, and I am very impressed with the clarity against most types of sky. They don't seem to impede viewing the Tx screen, but they block the view of my phone screen, and also the 7-segment display on my car climate control, but not the infotainment screen.

Clip-ons will obviously do nothing to block the wind, but I am a wimp these days and don't go flying much when it's very windy! Mine were £30 from my optician, ordered to fit my new varifocals.

[Trevor Crook]

Oh, just seen Bruce's post above. My Tx is a gen 1 DX8, so perhaps Speccy screens are ok with polarised lenses.

[Bruce Collinson]

Rick, here we are. My correspondent Jeremy Harmer confirms that The Optical Shop, Sizers Court, Yeadon, LS19 7DP does indeed retail them, for £12 a pair, but buy two and get the second at half price. Hope this helps.

BTC

[Rick Tee]

Bruce, Thank you will take a look.