Recommend some glasses

phil485

So if money were not an issue, whats the best set of glasses out there that fit the following requirements.

Cool ( difficult I know, v subjective) sporty frames.
Prescription lenses.
Reactolight / transitions.

I'm not certain such an utopia exists. I'm noticing more and more that my eyes need the prescription help when I'm cycling. I also do a lot of commuting so quite often go from light roads to dark / dusk.
I really want a pair of cycling glasses that I can wear at night and day that don't have the very uncool ( in my opinion ) prescription inserts.

Oakley, Bolle, Optilabs all considered.....

rnarito

Rudy Project...they do photochromic lenses and prescription lenses too...very cool frames too!

Mccaria

Oakley. Have 2 pairs which have kept me going for the past 3 seasons and are showing little signs of wear. Could get by with one pair and 2 sets of lenses, but decided it would just be easier to have one pair for low light and one for bright sunshine. Needless to say the low light pair get a lot more use.

Tried the optilabs and not a patch on the Os. The nose piece glue gave way the day before the Etape !

Giraffoto

Oakley Racing Jacket. Clear lenses that can be swapped with the dark lenses in less than a minute, or you can get photochromic lenses (which aren't, for my money, as good)

oldbazza

Just to point out that you can't get Oakleys(and some others) in all prescriptions which is why I went the contacts route.

Anonymous

Giraffoto wrote:

Oakley Racing Jacket. Clear lenses that can be swapped with the dark lenses in less than a minute, or you can get photochromic lenses (which aren't, for my money, as good)

OP wants prescription though.

Have you had Oakley photochromic or just surmising they are not as good?

Would have thought Radars were better for cycling than Racing Jacket and as to changing lenses, how does that even work compared to photochromic lol.
OK if you start off in the dark on a bright sunny day but realistically photochromics are way better.

Absolutely love mine. Going out at anytime of day without having to think about which lens to take is great.
Have not needed anything darker yet this year.

You are right about having two lenses but they should be one photochromic and one dark.
Photochromic lenses pretty much make clear ones obsolete (but no harm in having a third) and then you just have some dark HD Polarized ones for when its really sunny all day.

I wear contact lenses as feel its just infinitely cheaper, more convenient and allows me to use much better lenses giving better vision and more enjoyable ride.

I have prescription Oakleys for leisure/non cycling use but styles are restricted and TBH its a pain to keep swapping with my normal glasses.

Not sure I would want photochromic prescription for non cycling use but they might be nice for cycling most of the time in the UK.
Thats if they make them (Oakley or ones you like the look of), if the vision is as good as contact lenses, if you are happy to wear them all the time you are out or carry other glasses (a pain) and if its worth the chance your prescription will change.

In the summer I would still prefer to wear dark Oakleys with contact lenses (daily disposables) though.

Giraffoto

Carbonator wrote:

Giraffoto wrote:

Oakley Racing Jacket. Clear lenses that can be swapped with the dark lenses in less than a minute, or you can get photochromic lenses (which aren't, for my money, as good)

OP wants prescription though.

Have you had Oakley photochromic or just surmising they are not as good?

Mine are prescription, so no problems there. I've not had Oakley photochromic, I have had others and I prefer (hence the "for my money" qualification) to swap glasses. Or in the case of the RJs, lenses. They are beyond a shadow of a doubt the best glasses I've experienced - zero blind spots and zero wind.

northpole

I have Oakley Jawbones with photochromatic Transition prescription lenses (green tint which looks more yellow and has broad range). I was astounded when I got them how improved all aspects of vision were from wearing normal glasses. They offer terrific eye protection from cold winds, the large lens size provides great field of vision. They perhaps aren't the coolest looking glasses out there, but I'll be getting the latest equivalent next time I need to replace. Prices vary hugely on line from the Oakley stores.

Peter

cattytown

What strength s your prescription? That can make a world of difference to options.

I'd also recommend thinking carefully about having premium sunglasses as a direct prescription job, as your prescription can change over time. Contacts or an insert handle that better.

Scrip lenses are a bit of an extra cost if you want interchangeable lenses too.
Paul.

northpole

Not sure if the last question was to the OP or me!

Perhaps this will help answer the concerns expressed. I am short sighted, more so in my right eye which is -2 or -3. When I last replaced my normal glasses, I was able to send across my optician's prescription details to the on line Oakley retailer. I haven't carried out an assessment by optician to verify that the lenses match my prescription however, they are perfect for my cycling needs. The only issue is that I wear varifocals and I didn't bother trying to get this as it's unnecessary for cycling (I don't think you could arrange this remotely with confidence even if it was available) - I have no problems reading the garmin and that's about as close as I need to focus.

Peter

phil485

Thanks for all your replies, can anyone recommend an online Oakley dealer before I stick a pin in a google search.

I need to get my prescription updated but I'm not hugely blind. I need glasses for driving and I'm worse at night.
I've battled on without but time to get sensible.

themogulman

Ordering a pair of Oakley RX online has one issue. The position of the optical centre of the lens. This needs to match the distance between your pupils(PD). Can only be done accurately face to face.

I think that Oakley's with photochromatics with an anit-reflection coating would be my choice but find a local optician that deals with RX and go and see them.

I am a Dispensing Optician and run my own practice so feel free to ask any technical/geeky questions.

philbar72

i have a -7 prescription and that restricts me. I can't use oakleys for example, their strongest prescription is -5....

any ideas on ones that would suit someone like me. Be nice!

themogulman

Most good independent opticians will have a idea of what you can have. With a -7 rx the issue is with the size of the lens and the curve/wrap of the frame. I am sure you could get something sporty though.

I have a -5ish rx and wear normal spec frames. This does overcome a lot of the issues. The bigger plastic frames are good for cycling.

cattytown

philbar72 wrote:

i have a -7 prescription and that restricts me. I can't use oakleys for example, their strongest prescription is -5....

any ideas on ones that would suit someone like me. Be nice!

Contacts? With contacts you can then wear whatever glasses you want.

Paul.

themogulman

Not everyone can wear contacts due to various reasons. Also some people find it difficult to get them in and out easily.

dennisn

Phil485 wrote:

So if money were not an issue, whats the best set of glasses out there that fit the following requirements.

Cool ( difficult I know, v subjective) sporty frames.
Prescription lenses.
Reactolight / transitions.

I'm not certain such an utopia exists. I'm noticing more and more that my eyes need the prescription help when I'm cycling. I also do a lot of commuting so quite often go from light roads to dark / dusk.
I really want a pair of cycling glasses that I can wear at night and day that don't have the very uncool ( in my opinion ) prescription inserts.

Oakley, Bolle, Optilabs all considered.....

One thing to remember is that not all frames will accept prescription lens. The curve or sweep may be too great.
So buying frames, for scripts, needs to be something you discuss with the eye doctor. He will be able to tell you if your choice will work or not. I wouldn't rely on someone, on this forum, telling you what will work and what won't.
They can't possibly know how your script will work with anything.