polarized sunglasses...is there a range of efficacy?

[::: :::]

(mostly thinking about fishing here)

are there significant differences between polarized lenses?
or is the level of polarization the same?

someone here works in the optics world, right?

[ETA]are polarized glasses available in high VLT options somewhere? Like 70% VLT, not 20%

[thefortrees]

As you well know, I'm a self-titled expert in almost all things, including dentistry and polarized sunglasses. There is indeed a range of performance in polarized lenses, from my expert level experience.

Goodr takes the win for me on snow, bike, and water ($~25, range of styles and fit to select from). Seriously though, Goodr polarized lenses perform better than big $ brands I've owned like Rayban. Can't beat the price point...

[::: :::]

havent heard of them, i'll take a look

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I order two pairs from Goodr on June 6th. Still haven't arrived. Apparently this is the norm at the moment. Don't order from them unless you can be very patient.

[prsboogie]

Shadyrays are fantastic for 45 a piece. They do a lot of sales too. Got three pair myself.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[::: :::]

found this:
https://gearpatrol.com/2019/05/23/po...ed%20lenses%3F

Barton: There are many different levels and many different price points. The basic way that it works is the same — it requires a film. There are different quality levels of film where some are more effective than others, but the big difference comes in how the lens is made with that film and how clear the lens is.

Q: How do factories make polarized lenses?
Barton: The cheapest way to produce it is to use an acrylic-based material or acetate material, and then laminate the polarized film between these thin sheets of acrylic or acetate. Then they use heat to form it into the spherical shape of a lens and then they cut the lens. Those are the cheapest, but they also have the most distortion of the lens. You can see these hot spots around the edge of the lens that cause distortion and reduce the polarize effectiveness. And they scratch really easily too.
The next level is polycarbonate injection molded [lenses]. You see a lot of this being used. It’s what Oakley uses primarily, and it’s what most of the other sports brands use. It’s an impact-resistant material, and it’s more scratch resistant than the [laminated lenses]. The film is put into a mold and they inject the polycarbonate material around it. That makes for a good strong lense, but it’s not a clear lens to look through. It can cause distortion in the polarized film.
Next, you start getting into CR39, where you have two wafers and you glue the polarized film in between the two wafers of the lens. Done with a high quality, this can be a much clearer lens than the polycarbonate one, but it’s not impact-resistant.
Then you have glass, which is primarily what we use at David Kind. It’s done in the same construction method as the CR39, but it’s going to be the clearest, most scratch-resistant material. It seems to affect the polarization film the least. If it’s manufactured in a high-quality facility, it doesn’t distort the polarized film, so you have nice polarized effectiveness all around the periphery of the lens.
There’s also cast NTX, which is kind of like a Trivex material. Instead of injection molded under pressure, it’s cast into a mold around the polarized film. That results in an impact resistant, relatively distortion-free lens material. So I would say, for sport, that is the best. And for optical clarity and scratch resistance, glass is the best.

Q:Are there any other differences in low quality polarized lenses and high quality polarized lenses?
Behle: Quality in a polarized lens starts with the quality of the lens material. The highest quality lenses are optical-grade and they’re predominately made out of CR39 or mineral glass. The second component is the quality of the polarized film and how the film is adhered to the lens and aligned. Quality polarized lenses use a higher quality polarized film, sandwiched between the two lenses so that the film is perfectly aligned in the worn position. They also use a backside anti-reflective coating on the inside of the lens that absorbs light that enters from the back of the lens and prevents this light from reflecting back into your eye. Further, high-quality lenses will use hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings that repel water and oils, to ensure that your lens is clean and clear.

[Core Shot]

Technically all polarization is the same.

As mentioned above it’s the lens and manufacturing process that matters.

[Cruiser]

Goodr took like 2 weeks to get my order to me. Maybe it's just the lens tint playing tricks on me but I don't perceive them to be as clear as my higher end glasses. Even when they're really clean I feel like the lenses introduce just a little bit of distortion into my view that some of my nicer ones don't.

That said, I got the pair called "gardening with a kraken" and they're fabulous. Even with the seemingly inferior lenses I'm still going to wear them plenty.

[::: :::]

Technically all polarization is the same.

As mentioned above it’s the lens and manufacturing process that matters.

so glare reduction for spotting fish is going to be the same in all pairs of sunglasses

basically, it really is that i suck at fishing...lol
ah well, practice is free

[thefortrees]

so glare reduction for spotting fish is going to be the same in all pairs of sunglasses

basically, it really is that i suck at fishing...lol
ah well, practice is free

Sounds like you need to learn from the pros:

[Cruiser]

I've tried all the decent polarized sunglass brands and, for my eyes at least, the Serengeti polarized photochromatic lenses are the best for everyday wear.

[mooseknuckle]

Maui Jim are great. Why can’t I stop breaking sunglasses?

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Goodr took like 2 weeks to get my order to me. Maybe it's just the lens tint playing tricks on me but I don't perceive them to be as clear as my higher end glasses. Even when they're really clean I feel like the lenses introduce just a little bit of distortion into my view that some of my nicer ones don't.

That said, I got the pair called "gardening with a kraken" and they're fabulous. Even with the seemingly inferior lenses I'm still going to wear them plenty.

Yeah, mine showed up after I posted above. Frames seem fine. Lenses are meh. Obviously inferior to the Zeals, Natives and Revos I've owned in recent years. More distortion. More glare on inside of lenses. But I have baby who doesn't give a shit how much sleep I get, and I've taken to donating sunglasses to strangers by leaving them in random locations. So I get to wear cheap sunglasses for a while.

Tried on a friend's Maui Jims recently. Glass lenses wouldn't work for me, but man, they were nice.

[mf0cb6]

I generally like to see the glare from icy spots on the snow. Polarized lenses make it harder to see that....

[M series JONG]

I generally like to see the glare from icy spots on the snow. Polarized lenses make it harder to see that....

you're gonna be staring at the ceiling here soon, JONG, if you don't get rid of the dipshit M-series name

laps

[t-the-east]

Man there’s some cheap ass dentists in here. Goodr and Shady Rays? GTFO

Smith polarized GLASS lens, or some Costa glass lens that fits your face well. It’ll be a life changer. One of my favorites are these -

https://www.smithoptics.com/us/Root/...SAAEgIO4PD_BwE

The Integrated leash is key, and doesn’t get all funky like the cotton chums or whatever. The real key is glass lenses. Plastic lenses scratch and look like shit after not too long. I’ve had glass lens shades that lasted 10 years

[east or bust]

you're gonna be staring at the ceiling here soon, JONG, if you don't get rid of the dipshit M-series name

laps

QFT

[east or bust]

I'm with t-the-east

Just coin up and get a quality pair of glasses and enjoy them for the next decade. Very good deals can be had on $150-300+ glasses with some shopping around.

Personally never lost or broke a pair of sunglasses... *knocks on wood

[plugboots]

so glare reduction for spotting fish is going to be the same in all pairs of sunglasses

Nope. Maybe technically not with glare reduction, but there's a ton of difference, including where the sun is in the day, how much sun, (cloudy, etc.), so how much light penetration and tint is key. That's why Costa, Maui and Oakley have so many tints. I have a pair of older Oakley's I like for flats, Maui's for spring creeks, and now I'm shopping for some Costa's in Sunrise Silver for dusk and dawn. Get at least one good pair and treat them like a good tool.

[Viva]

I'm with t-the-east.

As am I.

I went through a lot of sun glasses from Native the past fifteen years. Loved the style and fit. But their lenses will delaminate if exposed to enough heat over time. And sometimes this is subtle. I owned several of their glasses that fucked up over the years, but I wouldn't notice until experiencing eye fatigue during long drives or distortion when trying to read.

I've been buying stuff from Oakley when on sale.

[North]

Agree that glass lenses are tops for clarity. Wish Smith had them as an option on more frames. I'm tied to them after warrantying a pretty fancy pair of polarized shades that had the lens coating deteriorate in a tortoise shell pattern.

[CascadeLuke]

Sunglass whore checking in. Have many polarized and they’re great but guys like us need a pair of Vuarnet Skilynk lenses in the quiver. You can wear them from avg sunny days to a blizzards. https://us.vuarnet.com/blogs/lenses/skilynx
People must think it’s strange when I blast by them driving in snow with shades on. Have light sensitive blue eyes and these skilynks just make my day..

[east or bust]

Sunglass whore checking in. Have many polarized and they’re great but guys like us need a pair of Vuarnet Skilynk lenses in the quiver. You can wear them from avg sunny days to a blizzards. https://us.vuarnet.com/blogs/lenses/skilynx
People must think it’s strange when I blast by them driving in snow with shades on. Have light sensitive blue eyes and these skilynks just make my day..

This man speaks the truth, have a pair of PX4374s (the double gradient lenses) from the 80s that are the tits for skiing. Not polarized though..



For fishing glasses IME it's hard to beat Smith due to comfort alone. The guides choice glasses from the early 2000s are definitely not stylish by today's standards but the glass is quality fersure. Don't have any of their newer pairs but have fondled a few. Seems like they went to a different lens material to save weight. The current guides choice glasses I held were crazy lightweight, like a feather.

[El Chupacabra]

I like the polarized (and inexpensive!) sunglasses from Coyote. Sierra Trading Post used to have a ton for around $20-30.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I have some Vuarnets that I've managed not to lose during my recent idiocy. Fantastic lenses. Terrible frames. Fit is wonky. Temples are floppy. Won't stay on without some sort of leash.