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Prescription sunglasses - Recommendations?

I wear special motorcycling prescription glasses that have foam lining to keep wind out of my eyes. (Panoptyx now called 7eye ) It's really low humidity here in the Southwest and apparently I'm a wimp and really need this.

The advent of helmets with the internal drop down tinted visor is a great thing, and my motorcycling glasses are now just with clear lenses.

Here's another motorcycling thing ... here in the Rocky Mountains (and anywhere of course) one can come to a tunnel when riding. It's a piece of cake to flip up that tinted visor to keep maximum vision in the tunnel, including still keeping the wind and debris out when needed. Not so easy with tinted lens glasses or tinted visor. A photogray anything--lens or visor--isn't going to react quickly enough. Would be a bummer to hit something or a pothole due to reduced vision in a tunnel. There's even a simple underpass here where I always feel most comfortable traversing with just clear vision.

For car driving ... I'm a long time user of photogray lenses for the convenience, but previously they would never darken behind a windshield so I always had a permanently tinted pair of glasses too. Apparently I was last to know, but there is now a photogray that will darken in car, so except for motorcycling, one pair does it all.

Trivia ... it was relevant to the mission where I worked before retirement and we had training on "things around the house that are radioactive." Along with Coleman lantern mantles there was photogray lenses. Maybe the new ones aren't but anyway I can still see. And if you're old and need it, don't hesitate to get cataract surgery.
 
I find the chromatic aberration (if that’s the right term) of looking through the plastic face shield causes unusual rainbows when having polarized glasses on.

Yes what he said. Happened once and now only non-polarized for me
 
Yes what he said. Happened once and now only non-polarized for me

Somewhere back in time, there was one face shield and a pair of polarized sunglasses that would produce rainbow colored surfaces floating above the real surface. The illusion was actually more interesting than the ride.........
 
Somewhere back in time, there was one face shield and a pair of polarized sunglasses that would produce rainbow colored surfaces floating above the real surface. The illusion was actually more interesting than the ride.........

That is what happened to me with my windshield and my face shield so I had double rainbows. Fortunately the eyeglass shop that sold me my sunglasses warned me that might happen but said if it does just bring them back and we'll remake then without polarization and that's exactly what I did.
 
That is what happened to me with my windshield and my face shield so I had double rainbows. Fortunately the eyeglass shop that sold me my sunglasses warned me that might happen but said if it does just bring them back and we'll remake then without polarization and that's exactly what I did.

Single vision lenses? Life was so easy (not to mention cheap) in those days...........
 
Surprised nobody has mentioned this (maybe they did and I missed it) but...take your helmet and go to your preferred eye glass/eye care/Ophthalmologist/Big Box Store professional. Doesn't matter which one, go to the one you're most comfortable with. With your helmet on, try on various sunglass frames. Pick the one you can afford and fits the best with the helmet on. Then get some prescription lenses for that frame.
 
I've been in progressives for 15 years now and used to buy prescription sunglasses along with the usual clear pair. My favorites were Costa Del Mars. The temples were thin & flexible and the frames wraparound design to protected eyes from wind. When I bought a Neotec helmet in 2012 the drop down sun visor allowed me to quit wearing sunglasses when riding. Like someone else posted the combo of using only clear lenses in glasses and the sun visor allow riding in and out of shade while always having the right amount of glare reduction and light transmission available. Haven't ridden in sunglasses in 8 years.
 
I'd also like to hear more from those who use bifocals for riding- my progressives seem to work fine but as I haven't tried bifocals I don't know what I might be missing! Have an appointment Tuesday- following this thread!!

the bottom of progressives is the close reading area. that is the area you are looking through when you move your eyes down to the gauges/gps. wrong distance correction. progressives force you to tilt your head down to get the gauges into the middle of the the lens...the "computer"distance. they also force the head down further to get in the "far" area to check mirrors. not good.

bifocals drop the "reading distance" out of the lens. long distance up top and computer distance on bottom. no head movement to look at gauges.

progressives also have a wineglass shaped correction area. head has to swivel more to keep an object in a corrected area. bifocals have the same correction across the width of the lens. greatly increased peripheral vision.

bottom line....bifocals with long distance over computer distance correction are WAY better than progressives for riding or driving.
 
mlytle;1224429 bottom line....bifocals with long distance over computer distance correction are WAY better than progressives for riding or driving.[/QUOTE said:
I have had both and simply disagree. I had the optometrist measure from my head to the map in the tankbag and also to the instruments and to have the lens ground accordingly. I can glance at the map with barely moving my head and see the instruments clearly too. And of course the road ahead.

Now to deal with the pesky cataract in my right eye.
 
I have had both and simply disagree. I had the optometrist measure from my head to the map in the tankbag and also to the instruments and to have the lens ground accordingly. I can glance at the map with barely moving my head and see the instruments clearly too. And of course the road ahead.

Now to deal with the pesky cataract in my right eye.

OK ordered progressives with a brown tint (grey is too...grey. The brown seems to be more flexible-i.e works in lower light situations- here in the North East we dont get so much of that desert blinding bright- plus shady roads can make real dark glasses a pain. Ive always gotten progressive and basically they work well for MC as well as general outside wear. My main take away from this thread was to be sure to get a low enough frame that none of my three helmets push the glasses down...If you are used to progressive lenses they shouldn't be a problem. By the way- I use a local optometrist and have for years- even with a "break" he may be more expensive but (to be silly sounding) I feel virtuous supporting a local professional, my loyalty results in free adjustments, advice, lens cleaner, (cloth and liquid). The guy is the second generation owner- coaches HS teams and is a real asset to the community. He knows my taste and wont sell me stuff that I wouldnt be happy with. It's worth it!
 
OK ordered progressives with a brown tint (grey is too...grey. The brown seems to be more flexible-i.e works in lower light situations- here in the North East we dont get so much of that desert blinding bright- plus shady roads can make real dark glasses a pain. Ive always gotten progressive and basically they work well for MC as well as general outside wear. My main take away from this thread was to be sure to get a low enough frame that none of my three helmets push the glasses down...If you are used to progressive lenses they shouldn't be a problem. By the way- I use a local optometrist and have for years- even with a "break" he may be more expensive but (to be silly sounding) I feel virtuous supporting a local professional, my loyalty results in free adjustments, advice, lens cleaner, (cloth and liquid). The guy is the second generation owner- coaches HS teams and is a real asset to the community. He knows my taste and wont sell me stuff that I wouldnt be happy with. It's worth it!

I use a local guy, too. However, when I get the bill, I certainly understand why many go to Costco or on-line. Beyond single vision, glasses aren't cheap.
 
I use a local guy, too. However, when I get the bill, I certainly understand why many go to Costco or on-line. Beyond single vision, glasses aren't cheap.

True Dat...I'm grateful I can be so "virtuous" LOL OTOH we are so flooded with unnecessary crap that sometimes we threaten a better way of life by participating in the orgy.
 
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