Tag Archives: sunglasses

Smith Optics Outlier Sunglasses Review

June 29, 2017 Tallington Lakes Leave a comment

When it comes to sunglasses, I am fussier than a fashion model with OCD:

Do I like the colour? Do they fit correctly on my abnormally shaped ears?
Are the lenses dark enough to hide my eyes, while also not impairing my vision in the shade?
Will they make my nose appear the same size as Pinocchio’s?
Will my street cred rise a considerable amount, finally bringing me to the definition of looking “cool”?

Smith Outlier XL Polarised Chromapop Sunglasses

Therefore I was more than a little sceptical when Tallington Lakes Pro Shop asked me to review these “Smith Outlier XL Polarised ChromaPop” sunglasses. Now, as a boat driver and wakeboard instructor, having polarised sunglasses is an absolute must for me. If the lenses fail to block the sunlight glare from the water, then I’m basically driving blind and nobody wants that…especially the poor beginner clinging to the handle for dear life behind the boat.

If you, like me, had no idea what the word “ChromaPop” meant and simply thought it was added in order to enhance the “coolness” effect of the sunglasses, then it turns out we were very wrong. Back in 2013 Smith declared:

“ChromaPop Lenses are the most advanced polarised lenses in the world… By blocking colour wave intersections as they pass through the lens, ChromaPop is able to eliminate colour confusion… ChromaPop optimises colour and increases clarity, enabling you to see the outside world with an unparalleled level of vibrancy.”

In other words, they cut through sunlight glare like a hot knife through butter whilst simultaneously spreading the jam on the bread all in one swoop…sweet.

smith optics outlier xl sunglasses — ChromaPop optimises colour and increases clarity, enabling you to see the outside world with an unparalleled level of vibrancy.

Little did I realise how truly magical that jam sandwich would be. I decided to test them around sunset when the glare from the water is at its finest, often resulting in severe wrinkles from squinting so hard, you age by at least ten years.

I was honestly blown away at how the glare from the water turned almost non-existent. I felt I was watching my life behind a new HD TV monitor and Johnny Nash ‘I can see clearly now’ began playing in my ears.

Not only did the world now look bright and cheerful, when I glanced in my rear view mirror at myself – I wasn’t bombarded with negative thoughts regarding fitting size, shape or colour. I was pleasantly surprised with the way these glasses looked whilst sitting comfortably on the bridge of my nose. I reluctantly removed them, allowing others to test the glasses, and it was clear to see they had the same immediate reaction I did. Noting the fact our head and faces were all different sizes, yet the glasses always fit perfectly just like Cinderella’s slipper.

If you’re a snow skier/boarder, fishing enthusiast, avid mountaineer or a fussy boat driver like me – these ‘Outliers’ are certainly high contenders in the sunglasses market and will not disappoint.

…Oh and yes, these glasses will definitely raise your street cred!

Thanks Adam (Boat Driver)

Check out our selection of Smith Optics sunglasses; in store or online!

General

Oakley Crossrange Sunglasses Review

May 13, 2017 Tallington Lakes Leave a comment

When it comes to a pair of sunglasses that are suitable for both lifestyle and active wear, Oakley have got it right. The Oakley Crossrange sunglasses aren’t a hybrid. Theses shades come with two sets of nose pads and temples, or arms (the bit that extends over the ear to help keep the sunglasses in place), to suit the conditions/mood you are wearing them in!

Oakley has a video of some cheeky hipsters, including Chas Christiansen, riding bicycles to show the versatility of these sunglasses, however, I chose to wear them:
Lifestyle – attending a Game and Country Fair
Active – walking in the Derbyshire Peak District

Lifestyle Sunglasses

The lifestyle nose pad and temples were extremely comfortable; and made the shades easy to take off and put back on, as you walked in and out of marquees and the sun. Certainly did the job, and didn’t look out of place –hipster!

Active Sunglasses

You immediately felt the active nose pad and temples get into position, when putting them on, giving you confidence that they would not be slipping out of place; thanks to the grippy nose pads and earsocks. These are made from Oakley’s ‘Unobtanium’; a patented Oakley material that becomes tacky when wet/or you sweat and holds the frame in perfect optical alignment.

OK walking in the Peak District may not be classed as extreme, but we were keeping up a healthy pace, along undulating terrain (including a bit of scrambling). It was a warm day, so perspiration was building up, yet the sunglasses did not move. Once again extremely comfortable and I was confident they were not going to fall off!

Crossrange

The Crossrange comes in three styles: the Crossrange, Crossrange XL, and the Crossrange R (coming soon). All are made to Oakley’s exceptionally high standards, and seeing-is-believing with these ‘High Definition Optics’. The Crossrange XL, as its name implies is for a larger face, with a lens height of 46.7mm; compared to 46.1mm and 43mm for the Crossrange R and Crossrange. The temples and bridge are identical on all three: 137mm and 17mm respectively.

The mechanism to swap the nose pads or temples is very simple to use, yet secure, but not designed to be change mid-activity!

Prizm Lenses

Oakley is moving towards Prizm lenses in all their sunglasses, following the success of Prizm in goggles. The lenses are designed for different environment such as: Everyday, Sport – Road, Golf, Trail, Deep Water, Snow etc.

However, as I found, although designed for a particular environment they are equally effective outside of that environment. Back to my stroll around a Country Fair and walk in the Peak District; the Prizm Sapphire Snow lenses performed outstandingly without a flake of snow in sight! Obviously I will update this blog once I have experienced them in the snow; but for now, as ever, Oakley have designed another excellent pair of sunglasses….

General

Oakley Fuel Cell Prizm Deep Water Polarised Sunglasses Review

July 26, 2016 Tallington Lakes Leave a comment

If you are wondering what the new Oakley Prizm Deep Blue Polarised lens is like then look no further. We were lucky enough to try a pair of Fuel Cell’s with the Prizm Deep Water Polarised lens out at the Waterski and Wakeboard School.

Oakley Fuel Cell Sunglasses

The Fuel Cell design has been around for a while. The frames have an wrap-around athletic feel, for full eye protection, whilst looking good for day-to-day wearing. The lightweight O Matter gives the glasses all day comfort and makes them durable. The unique Oakley Three-Point Fit ensures the glass frames only make contact with the bridge of your nose and behind the temple.

The Fuel Cell frame dimensions from Oakley are as follow:
Lens Width 60mm
Bridge Width 19mm
Lens Height 40mm
Temple Arm Length 130mm

So if you know your face dimensions you’ll know if they fit, if not why not pop in store to try them out?

Oakley Prizm Deep Water Polarised Lens

The Prizm Deep Water Polarised Lenses are perfect for use out on the water as well as walking around on land; unlike the ‘Shallow Water’ version which assumes you are under a canopy and therefore not as dark. Deep Water Prizm technology provide superior control of light transmission; where colours are manipulated to maximise contrast and enhance visibility, for those on the water, by filtering out the blue and enhancing the greens and reds. The Oakley Polaroid technology filters out 99% of reflective glare and haze, which can be a problem when looking at water, to improve clarity further and reduce eye strain from squinting.

As I was wearing them driving the water ski slalom course the water became a dark grey colour with the buoy colours popping into the forefront of my vision. This function not only works when the sun is bright, but also when there is a grey sky overhead. Which is perfect for our ‘British Summers’.

Looking into calm, flat water you almost lose the surface completely; it’s like putting your face into the water with goggles on! When the water was choppy or frequent ripples you could still see colours and outlines of objects deep down.

I don’t usually wear sunglasses because I become aware I’m wearing them and they then feel uncomfortable. These glasses are the complete opposite. I found I could wear them all day and forget they are on my face because your vision isn’t impaired by them in any way.

Thanks Stephen (Water Ski & Wakeboard Boat Driver)

General

Oakley Moonlighter Sunglasses Review

May 6, 2016 Sammy Leave a comment

So what are the new Oakley Moonlighter sunglasses like? I had the good fortune to try a pair, with Frost frame and Sapphire Iridium lenses.

The Moonlighter’s are a perfect mix of the retro late 80s style, with modern Oakley technology. The frosted frames are not only a cute colour combo with the sapphire coloured lenses, but they are incredibly durable and lightweight due to their stress-resistant O Matter frame material. Comfort and performance is important to Oakley, so they have a unique Three-Point Fit design that holds lenses in precise optical alignment, while their Unobtanium nose pads ensure a snug, and secure fit.

The Sapphire Iridium lens add a cute and bright ‘pop’ of colour to your day, at the same time they protect your eyes from UVs with Plutonite lens material, which filters out 100% of UVA/UVB/UVC & harmful blue light up to 400nm. And, like all Oakley eyewear The Moonlighters include High Definition Optics (HDO) which is a collection of patented technologies that allow Oakley eyewear to meet or exceed the testing standards of the American National Standards Institute for optical clarity, visual fidelity, and impact resistance.

The Moonlighters are designed for a petite face shape measuring at:
Lens Width53 mm
Bridge Width17 mm
Lens Height42 mm
Temple Arm Length139 mm

So if you know your face dimensions, you’ll know if they fit. Or you can pop in-store and try them on!

The more I wore them (and cheekily checked out my reflection) the more I liked them. They fit comfortably on my face, and they certainly made things clearer and reduced the glare/sun strike on our artificial slope. I think the only negative I have about the Frost Sapphire Iridium Moonlighters is that the lenses are not polarized, however, other styles have polarised lenses. Apart from that, I think these shades are pretty neat. And, if you’re someone who wants trend and functionality out of a pair of sunglasses, I would highly recommend you try these out! I mean, they’re cute, lightweight and durable… What more could you want?

Thanks Sammy (Snowboard and Climbing Instructor)