Are Expensive Polarized Glasses Worth It?

[TNBassin']

Costas have some cheesy looking frames IMO. They may not be cheap but they sure look cheap.

[tcbass]

Costas have some cheesy looking frames IMO. They may not be cheap but they sure look cheap.

That's what I was thinking! Crappy frames. Why don't they have anything cool looking like Oakley Flak Jackets?

So, if Ray Ban and Costas are owned by the same company is it safe to assume that they have the same lenses?

[SirSnookalot]

Can't assume anything, just saying it would not surprise me, but I did make a mistake.  Ray Ban and Oakley are owned by the same company but Costa is not, they are owned by a French company called Essilor.  So many companies I got confused, lol.

I know a little bit about this stuff because I have a friend that had 100 optical offices, sold them to Luxottica.  I keep tabs on him every now and then to see what he is up to, well one link takes to another and so on.  I've done some reading on the subject.

[PAGreg]

This is a seeing is believing situation. Just one day on thr water with quality glasses will answer your question.

Btw, I have Costas with the glass lenses and they are amazing.

[IAY]

I am always scared of losing my expensive Maui Jims so I got a pair of 20 dollar strike king specifically for fishing. Of course, it is not nearly as good/comfortable as my expensive ones, but it certainly does the job and I'm not scared to lose it.

[paleus]

I just bought a pair of Native Eyewear sunglasses on sale from Sierra Trading Post. they are really nice. Looks like they are still on sale: Native Eyewear Sprint @ Sierra Trading Post They've got several other styles that are also marked down.

[senile1]

I am very far-sighted and can see things at a great distance but tying knots without prescription lenses is almost impossible for me.  So I buy prescription sunglasses from my eye doctor pretty much out of necessity.  They sell a couple of brands but I buy Maui Jims.  They are awesome, and with the price of the lense prescription, their price is somewhat higher than what everyone is quoting.  The lense is progressive with a narrow section at the bottom for tying knots and then it progresses to normal in the rest of the lense for looking at everything else that isn't up close.  

 

My insurance covers one new pair of lenses/frames every year.  Every other year I update either my sunglasses or my regular glasses so quite a bit of the cost is covered.

[ColdSVT]

They help you see the structures that other anglers miss

And they protect your eyes from UV and stray flying objects!

[Scott F]

Does anyone have a problem with the curved lenses that are common on the high end sunglasses? I have good distance vision but the curved lenses for me distort distant objects. My eye doctor told me this is a common problem, he has he same issues. I need something like aviator styles but I never see them where sunglasses are sold.

[Felix77]

I have been personally torn about this since I learned about the difference.  I carry 2 pairs with different tints and as a co-angler I tend to neglect my sunglasses and lost a few as a result.  With that said I find that the new Strike King S11's are a decent compromise.  Inexpensive and give me a "good enough" polarization to get the job done.  I went as far as to swap glasses with a friend who swears by his Maui Jims.  Now I will say they did do a better job but not good enough for me to invest in them.  

 

For less than 1/3rd the price I got two glasses which I am very happy with.

[dam0007]

I didnt read all the comments...

 

Yes, good sunglasses in general are a great investment just on protecting your vision in the long term! I own Costas, are they worth the $1xx.xx, idk. But they do the job. Kinda set it and forget it approach for me. Buy a pair, they work, ok, move on. lol I will say if you get a pair strictly for fishing I prefer Amber or Copper lenses.

[Shockwave]

Where are you guys going to find decent polarized Oakleys for under $100??  

 

Edit:  I don't wanna tick anyone off so if naming a store that's not a sponsor of the site is a no-no, then disregard the question.  

[Bluebasser86]

Where are you guys going to find decent polarized Oakleys for under $100??  

 

Edit:  I don't wanna tick anyone off so if naming a store that's not a sponsor of the site is a no-no, then disregard the question.  

Used, on the auction sites, or when a certain model goes on clearance.

 

I was not a fan of the Oakleys, but I have a XXL size head and I don't enjoy having the circulation cut off by my sunglasses. The finish did not last very well on the frames either.

 

I prefer Costa Del Mar sunglasses. I've had lots of expensive pairs of glasses and only every lost 1 (last month at Grand Lake, brand new pair of Costas). I already have terrible eyes, I can't afford for them to get worse or I'll need a seeing eye dog that can thumb my baitcaster for me.