Author Topic: Cheap decent sunglasses?  (Read 8361 times)

mcampbell

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Cheap decent sunglasses?
« on: November 27, 2015, 11:49:44 AM »
What are some cheap but decent looking sunglass brands. I lost my expensive raybans and I'm sick of paying $150 a pay for something that scratches or gets lost so easily

dude

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2015, 12:04:31 PM »
Check out Native.  Lifetime warranty.  Great shades, not crazy expensive.

mjs111

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2015, 12:06:56 PM »
I got some nice polarized sunglasses at Costco. They're Kirkland brand and cost about $26. Costco also sells reduced price name brand sunglasses like ray bans if you're interested in staying with a name brand but want to pay less than $150.

Mike

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2015, 12:16:23 PM »
pay attention to www.Steepandcheap.com  (one deal at a time/ODAT every 20 minutes, run by backcountry.com)
They often have good quality sunglasses for 50-80% off.  I bought my last pair of REVO polarized sunglasses from there.

Just be careful - if you aren't disciplined you can wind up buying a lot of junk just because it's "on sale".

big_slacker

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2015, 06:57:21 PM »
At the risk of sounding spendypants sunglasses are something I'm willing to spend on. Riding my bike to/from work and going into mixed sun and shade constantly with cars around me. I want lightweight, lenses with as little distortion as possible, some impact protection, 100% UV filtering (which most decent glasses do) and polarization.

Since you can get a pair for something like $100-$150 (oakley, etc.) and they last 5 years if you keep them in a soft case and don't throw them around like you don't care I figure that's an acceptable expense.

YRMV-If you want to go cheaper no prob but go for 100% UV protection, polarized if it's not too much more $$.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2015, 07:11:19 PM »
IME, sunglasses durability and comfort is pretty proportional to their price. So it's one of the items I try to buy well, but on sale. Discount sites, department stores going out of business, etc. I've had great luck with Ray Bans. Have a pair 5-7 years before losing it, haha.

BlueMR2

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2015, 07:09:16 AM »
Check out Native.  Lifetime warranty.  Great shades, not crazy expensive.

This.  I spent $100 on Natives a LOOOONG time ago and they're still like new.  Use them a lot when outdoors, walking, cycling, etc.

If you want super cheap and don't care as much about the look.  In that case, go to your local safety gear shop and buy safety sunglasses.  Some don't look too bad, and they usually run around $4...  I have pairs of these in all my cars so I never have to worry about forgetting sunglasses...

pbkmaine

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2015, 08:20:41 AM »
I get mine on sale for $1 at Walmart.


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Zamboni

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2015, 09:33:47 AM »
Decent means polarizing if you are doing sports where you ever have to look up or dealing with glare from water or snow.

Walmart by my house has some pretty nice sporting style polarizing sunglasses in the fishing lures section for about $15. These have become my go to glasses for active outdoor activities. I have more normal looking, Ray Ban-style cheapies (also polarizing) that I got at the mall kiosk for $5 at the end of summer sale last year.

IMHO, you should only be spending more than that for a pair of sunglasses if your vision is so bad that you require prescription sunglasses. In my past spendy-pants days I bought Vuarnets and other ridiculousness, and I assure you that they did not function better even a teeny bit (in terms of vision in bright situations) than the pair from the WalMart fishing lures section.

onecoolcat

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2015, 09:50:34 AM »
My wife bought me a pair of $20 sunglasses from Banana Republic Outlet that look good.  They were on sale and she had a $15 off a $15 purchase coupon so she didn't pay anything for them.

mcampbell

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2015, 10:51:56 AM »
Yeah my main concern is can I believe if the cheap brands are actually polarized. I may check out native sunglasses that looks cool also

rtrnow

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2015, 12:21:40 PM »
I have owned two pairs of Oakley's and several pairs of smith glasses that I really liked. That said these are awesome for the price. I just ordered a second pair to leave in the car.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZZI42I/ref=rr_xsim_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448738384&sr=0

Spork

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2015, 12:24:56 PM »
Yeah my main concern is can I believe if the cheap brands are actually polarized. I may check out native sunglasses that looks cool also

It's pretty easy to test.  If you're standing in front of a bunch of sunglasses, take two "polarized" pairs.  Look through both of them and turn one 90 degrees to the other.  With both pairs at 90 degrees to each other, there should be zero light passing through them.  I.e: It should fade to absolute black as you rotate them.

acroy

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2015, 02:41:32 PM »
Flying Fisherman brand via Amazon; $15-20; lasts 12-18mo daily use.
http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Fisherman-Maverick-Polarized-Sunglasses/dp/B000QW4EOA/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448746759&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=flying+fidsherman+glasses
Very good overall quality. Excellent  lens quality, polarized, very nice. Used for 4-5yrs now, daily, bike/walk/drive/work outside as much as possible. On my 3rd pair.

zippyc

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2015, 10:41:35 PM »
I've had really good luck with Peppers from REI. If you use a 20% off coupon, when they send them, it's even better. My eyes are sensitive and I wear sunglasses even in Seattle's gray days.

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #15 on: November 29, 2015, 05:06:41 AM »
For robust cycling sunglasses I use tinted safety glasses; around £8 a pair, less of you buy more pairs, and great protection from stray stones and 100% UV.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2015, 07:03:24 AM »
I've got a few different pairs of sunnies,  ranging from $5 cheapies from the markets to an old pair of Quiksilver sunnies that I've had for years.

IIRC they have to meet a certain standard re: protection to be allowed to be sold in Australia anyway.

I'm keen on getting another pair or two for riding the bike, especially as there's more flies around now it's nearly summer.

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Seppia

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2015, 07:20:37 AM »
Knockaround
You're welcome.

lifejoy

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #18 on: November 29, 2015, 08:36:43 AM »

Knockaround
You're welcome.

+1


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shadowmoss

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #19 on: November 29, 2015, 09:15:03 AM »
I got the original recommendation from here a long time ago.  These are polarized safety glasses and I paid $13 something for 12 pair:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BY9B758?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

They are wraparound, and so far I really like them.  I went nuts and bought 12 of the dark grey and 12 of the amber.  It is fun to give them to my friends.  The person who originally recommended them said he wore them while riding his motorcycle as with the wrap around style it kept the wind out of his eyes.

gooki

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #20 on: November 29, 2015, 06:28:27 PM »
Smiths, von-zipper sunnies can be found on aliexpress.com for $5 each inc delivery.

elaine amj

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #21 on: November 30, 2015, 07:57:37 AM »
I have several pairs of Oakleys handed down (in brand new condition) from my spendypants father. Unfortunately, none of them look "quite right" on my face - so I am going to have to think about selling them or something. They are beautiful - but not much point in beautiful glasses if they look weird on me, right?

I haven't found them too much different from the $20 pairs I see all over the place. I do love the polarizing - and usually get polarized wraparound sunglasses from Bass Pro. My latest pair of $20 polarized sunglasses came from a tourist shop in California while travelling there.

One time I found polarized sunglasses at one of those mall kiosks - 2 pairs for $20...I grabbed them quick :) Usually those mall kiosks don't have polarized glasses.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #22 on: November 30, 2015, 08:18:38 AM »
I got the original recommendation from here a long time ago.  These are polarized safety glasses and I paid $13 something for 12 pair:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BY9B758?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

They are wraparound, and so far I really like them.  I went nuts and bought 12 of the dark grey and 12 of the amber.  It is fun to give them to my friends.  The person who originally recommended them said he wore them while riding his motorcycle as with the wrap around style it kept the wind out of his eyes.

+1

Got the 3M version from Amazon and love them.
One thing though, the 3M version is not polarized, but definitely block UV.
Looking at the specs, I think these may also not be polarized.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #23 on: November 30, 2015, 08:21:33 AM »
.. I've had great luck with Ray Bans. ..

I used to love Raybans. After I lost my last pair, my kids bought one for me. This one is so cheaply made and flimsy.
Anyway, I use my 3M safety glasses now. Looks as good as the Rayban and I could buy 40 or 50 for the price of a Rayban.

lifejoy

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #24 on: November 30, 2015, 06:21:38 PM »
I like Knockaround. They have 40% off for a few more hours: http://knockaround.com/

StacheInAFlash

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #25 on: November 30, 2015, 06:53:25 PM »
I'd rather pay for quality and look after it. $130 for a pair of made in the USA Oakleys bought 14 years ago and still in great, scratch free shape. I did not have good luck with a variety of cheap sunglasses before then, nor will I try my luck with them if and when my Oakleys ever need replacing.

pennyhandlebar

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #26 on: December 01, 2015, 02:08:55 AM »
Read up on Luxottica if you want to know how a product with about $5 of materials and $5 of manufacturing costs gets retailed for $150. Short story: Luxottica is a sunglass monopoly that owns Ray-Bans, Oakley (bought out a few years ago), many other brands, as well as retailers like Sunglass Hut, Lenscrafters, etc. etc. Somehow they've managed to convince us that sunglasses should cost this much...

Sorry for the rant, but it's a pet peeve of mine.

Alternatives: I've been happy with the sunglasses at Performance Bike (www.performancebike.com), and there's usually a sale going on.

7 or 8 years ago I also bought four or five sunglasses from Sunglass Warehouse for about $5 apiece. I have a pair stashed in the car, one pair that stays in my hiking backpack, etc. They're so cheap that it doesn't matter. Incidentally, I read up on UV blocking in sunglasses, and apparently the chemical that provides UV blocking is so cheap that there's no reason to lie about UV blocking. At any rate, I haven't had any trouble with my cheapies so far. They feel and look cheap, but they work just fine.

RWD

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #27 on: December 01, 2015, 10:00:01 AM »
I've been quite happy with my Eagle Eyes. Originally designed for NASA and reasonably priced.

lifejoy

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #28 on: December 01, 2015, 01:22:52 PM »
Read up on Luxottica if you want to know how a product with about $5 of materials and $5 of manufacturing costs gets retailed for $150. Short story: Luxottica is a sunglass monopoly that owns Ray-Bans, Oakley (bought out a few years ago), many other brands, as well as retailers like Sunglass Hut, Lenscrafters, etc. etc. Somehow they've managed to convince us that sunglasses should cost this much...

Sorry for the rant, but it's a pet peeve of mine.

Alternatives: I've been happy with the sunglasses at Performance Bike (www.performancebike.com), and there's usually a sale going on.

7 or 8 years ago I also bought four or five sunglasses from Sunglass Warehouse for about $5 apiece. I have a pair stashed in the car, one pair that stays in my hiking backpack, etc. They're so cheap that it doesn't matter. Incidentally, I read up on UV blocking in sunglasses, and apparently the chemical that provides UV blocking is so cheap that there's no reason to lie about UV blocking. At any rate, I haven't had any trouble with my cheapies so far. They feel and look cheap, but they work just fine.

Any good resources you could link to about UV blocking being cheap? I've had people tell me that my Walmart sunnies couldn't possibly be protecting my eyes... O.o

pennyhandlebar

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #29 on: December 01, 2015, 09:28:39 PM »
Any good resources you could link to about UV blocking being cheap? I've had people tell me that my Walmart sunnies couldn't possibly be protecting my eyes... O.o

Couldn't find the specific article that I remember reading, but here's a test of 31 sunglasses for UV protection, from cheap to expensive, with only one failing: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pricey-vs-cheap-shades-put-to-the-uv-test/

RWD

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #30 on: December 02, 2015, 07:35:25 AM »
Any good resources you could link to about UV blocking being cheap? I've had people tell me that my Walmart sunnies couldn't possibly be protecting my eyes... O.o

Couldn't find the specific article that I remember reading, but here's a test of 31 sunglasses for UV protection, from cheap to expensive, with only one failing: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pricey-vs-cheap-shades-put-to-the-uv-test/

Interesting. Looks like most sunglasses have full UV protection, but you really want to make sure:
Quote
Koeppen points out that the sunglasses that failed the UV test are actually worse for your eyes than wearing no sunglasses at all. That's because the tint will cause your pupils to dilate, letting in more UV light than if you were just squinting.

nereo

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #31 on: December 02, 2015, 08:23:43 AM »

Interesting. Looks like most sunglasses have full UV protection, but you really want to make sure:
Quote
Koeppen points out that the sunglasses that failed the UV test are actually worse for your eyes than wearing no sunglasses at all. That's because the tint will cause your pupils to dilate, letting in more UV light than if you were just squinting.
Just noticed... even the pair that "failed" blocked 87% of UV rays.  Seems to me that's a fair bit of protection over not wearing any sunglasses, even if your pupils dilate more.  Guessing whether it's 'better' or 'worse depends on the level of tint and a bunch of other factors.

big_slacker

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Re: Cheap decent sunglasses?
« Reply #32 on: December 02, 2015, 09:00:22 AM »
I shed a single tear when Oakley sold out. :(

I will say that having replaced lenses in oakleys with aftermarket ones there is a difference in clarity, visibility and I would suspect impact protection between the lenses. Does that make them worth $150 over a $20 pair? Guess that depends on the individual making the purchase.

Read up on Luxottica if you want to know how a product with about $5 of materials and $5 of manufacturing costs gets retailed for $150. Short story: Luxottica is a sunglass monopoly that owns Ray-Bans, Oakley (bought out a few years ago), many other brands, as well as retailers like Sunglass Hut, Lenscrafters, etc. etc. Somehow they've managed to convince us that sunglasses should cost this much...

Sorry for the rant, but it's a pet peeve of mine.

Alternatives: I've been happy with the sunglasses at Performance Bike (www.performancebike.com), and there's usually a sale going on.

7 or 8 years ago I also bought four or five sunglasses from Sunglass Warehouse for about $5 apiece. I have a pair stashed in the car, one pair that stays in my hiking backpack, etc. They're so cheap that it doesn't matter. Incidentally, I read up on UV blocking in sunglasses, and apparently the chemical that provides UV blocking is so cheap that there's no reason to lie about UV blocking. At any rate, I haven't had any trouble with my cheapies so far. They feel and look cheap, but they work just fine.

 

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