Sunglasses now...

roundthebend

At some point in the future, this forum will be the only place anyone needs to visit on the internet!

I'd like some tips on sunglasses. I need a pair for driving and casual wear. I don't want to be ripped off, so I suspect that Ray Bans and Oakleys are not worth the huge prices. I have had Foster Grants from the supermarket previously and been happy with them, and saw a few nice looking sets in the fuel station this evening that were only £5!

Now, I like a bargain, but £5 seems too cheap. Are they basically junk? The FG website has some more expensive options that look smart.

http://www.fostergrant.co.uk/catalogue/foster-grant-uk-sunglasses/smith
http://www.fostergrant.co.uk/catalogue/foster-grant-uk-sunglasses/temponvy-navy

I've also had a pair of Bollé safety sunglasses that were <£10 and they were decent enough. But I worried they may have been fake and therefore not really UV protecting.

So, what should I be looking for and how much should I spend as a minimum/maximum?

octatonic

Spend as much or as little as you want.
The last pair of sunglasses I bought cost £850- although £350 of that were the prescription varifocal lenses.
I have a drawer full of £10 cheapies that I take to the beach.
Find a style that suits your face.

roundthebend

octatonic said:

Spend as much or as little as you want.

Are you saying that even £5 glasses will offer protection, though the design might be shit from an aesthetics, comfort and fit perspective?
Or, are you saying that I shouldn't ask because I should be able to make my own mind up? If so, well I can make my own mind up but I'd like to understand a little more about where the extra cost will bring benefit, or not. In your case the prescription part adds cost, and then you've opted to spend £500 on the other factors. My budget would go up to £40, but if £5 will get me a perfectly usable pair then I'll do that.

octatonic

Yes, many £5 pairs of sunglasses provide the same level of protection as more expensive pairs.
You want to make sure that whatever pair you have has 100% UV protection and that is utterly unrelated to how much they cost.
The problem is some of the cheaper pairs claim to be 100% UV when they are not.

My £500 frames were a ridiculous extravagance.
I bought them because I liked them, I could afford to and they suited me- nothing more complex than that.

Richardj

I'm waiting for a pair of Ray Ban Wayfairers with prescription lenses to be delivered. I managed to get them bundled into the deal with my last eye test.  A word of warning though, I couldn't use my last sunglasses in the car as the polarising cancelled out all of the info on the entirely digital LCD dash. couldn't see any useful info like speed and fuel.

Myranda

As a bikist my sunglasses tend to be of the polycarbonate shatterproof variety http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dirty-dog-stoat-polarised-sunglasses/rp-prod121212 so I'm happy to spend £30 money on something that might have a stone chip in soon as it means my eyes wont (that's for when it's DAMNED hot and I want my visor up).

For *proper* sunglasses I'd happily pay more ... for worry-free cheap beach wear anything with a kite mark (and 100% UV) will do even if they're only £5

DiscoStu

20 years in the optics industry.

Off the shelf sunglasses must meet minimum requirements with regards to UV protection. If properly CE marked then a £5 pair offers the same protection as a £500 pair.
If you buy from dodgy shops / online / street vendors etc then you take a chance regardless of the markings but a cheap pair from a reputable retailer should give you the correct minimum protection.
Whether they suit you / fit you is another matter! Material quality is another concern.

Do you need prescription sunglasses? Pay the money and invest in your eyesight.

You mentioned driving. I would 100% recommend polarised lenses, they reduce surface glare and make for a noticeably better experience behind the wheel. Even in the 'real' world I rate them above other sunglasses. I have several pairs of sunnies and the majority now are polarised. Oakleys and Ray Bans fit / suit my face so that's what I buy.

I can't emphasise this enough - invest in your eyesight.

DiscoStu

Richardj said:

A word of warning though, I couldn't use my last sunglasses in the car as the polarising cancelled out all of the info on the entirely digital LCD dash. couldn't see any useful info like speed and fuel.

@Richardj your sunglasses have been made wrong. Polarised lenses work absolutely fine with digital displays until they are rotated. If I turn my sunglasses 90 degrees then info on displays disappear, and also if I look at my phone in portrait mode then turn it landscape then the image disappears through my polarised sunnies. That is how the lenses work - they filter light coming from certain angles but should work perfectly in the as-worn position so whoever made your sunnies glazed your lenses at the wrong angle.
Take them back, get them remade. 

jonnyburgo

I found a brand new pair of Oakleys on a ride ride last year, or rather my son did. I claimed them though because I'm the oldest. Hope this helps.

Sambostar

strumjoughlamps

after losing my Wayfarers I got some of these off Superdry eBay outlet for £9.99 https://www.superdry.com/mens/sunglasses/details/32615/retro-square-sunglasses--brown

superb quality wouldn't hesitate spending £40-£50 to replace them.

gubble

I've about 5 or 6 pairs of Primark sunglasses. They offer 100% UV protection and at about £3 a pop I'm not worried about them breaking or getting lost.

randella

Choose a pair that look good on your face.  Take to checkout.  Pay.  Wear.

fob

Aldi have got them in for £4 from tomorrow:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/polarised-sunglasses-3-99-aldi-6th-april-2655494

MattBanshee

I have a couple of pairs of Bloc sunnies that I bought from TK Maxx at £12.99

thumpingrug

I got these polarised sun glasses a few weeks ago from Amazon.  They are great and come with a substantial case.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00RPAS6O0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

roundthebend

Thanks for your input all. I'm going to find a reputable shop and try a few things on, move onto another shop if nothing is comfortable until I get to about £15 then I'll look online. I might end up with a couple of cheap pairs, then treat myself to a £30 set for when I'm trying to be cool.

thermionic

octatonic said:

Yes, many £5 pairs of sunglasses provide the same level of protection as more expensive pairs.

Can you be more specific? How many pairs of £5 sunglasses do I need to wear to have the same level of protection as an expensive pair?

I've always worn Oakleys, coming from a cycling background. M-Frames for the bike and I have a more subtle pair for civilian use.

olafgarten

You can usually get older Ray Ban models for more reasonable prices.

FX_Munkee

DiscoStu said:

Richardj said:

A word of warning though, I couldn't use my last sunglasses in the car as the polarising cancelled out all of the info on the entirely digital LCD dash. couldn't see any useful info like speed and fuel.

@Richardj your sunglasses have been made wrong. Polarised lenses work absolutely fine with digital displays until they are rotated. If I turn my sunglasses 90 degrees then info on displays disappear, and also if I look at my phone in portrait mode then turn it landscape then the image disappears through my polarised sunnies. That is how the lenses work - they filter light coming from certain angles but should work perfectly in the as-worn position so whoever made your sunnies glazed your lenses at the wrong angle.
Take them back, get them remade. 

It could be that the lcd display was badly thought out/specified and had the polarising filter at vertical (glasses should be horizontal, shouldn't they?)
Was it a French car by any chance @Richardj ;?

Richardj

Strangely enough a Citroen.....