Sports sunglasses

CramCycle

Have a pair my kids got me for my birthday, and they are grand but I was wondering, what are a highly regarded pair and what makes the €30 ones less than the €200 Oakleys. Which would people recommend? Is it comfort? Style? Both or what are the tangible (and intangible benefits) of dropping an extra €150 quid on a pair of sunglasses. A random thread, no intention of buying a pair until the dog decides to eat the pair the kids bought from the local pharmacist.

philten

I think its the quality of the lenses, I started with 40 euro glasses (uvex) then got some tifosi for 60 with some interchangeable lenses and just got a new pair on discount for 70 (originally 140) and have to say the more expensive ones are considerably better. Biggest difference is clarity of lenses, lighter, more adjustable and they do have some hydrophobic coating on them. But still would struggle to justify dropping 150 on a pair, I would scratch them, lose them or sit on them, so try to keep an eye out for a decent sale.

These are ones I got last week https://www.cycletribe.ie/nrc-x-series-x1-cycling-glasses.html

I'll be stocking up in Aldi come Thursday. I do have a some regular Ray Ban sunglasses gifted to me years ago that I'd love to wear on the bike but they would A look wrong and B I'd lose or break them like all my other cycling glasses.

The Ray Bans are 20 year old now though and given advances in tech I can only dream about what 200 euro cycling glasses are like. These are unreal for clarity while reducing glare, mainly wear them in the car.

ED E

CramCycle wrote: »

Have a pair my kids got me for my birthday, and they are grand but I was wondering, what are a highly regarded pair and what makes the €30 ones less than the €200 Oakleys. Which would people recommend? Is it comfort? Style? Both or what are the tangible (and intangible benefits) of dropping an extra €150 quid on a pair of sunglasses. A random thread, no intention of buying a pair until the dog decides to eat the pair the kids bought from the local pharmacist.

Sunglasses and eyewear generally are a monopoly. You're paying whatever price Luxottica say you will and you'll like it.

Johnny Jukebox

I usually buy 5 or 6 when on sale from Sports Direct or Lidl, normally between 5 and 10 yoyo each with all the right markings etc.

Then there's no crying when they fall off, get left in a cafe, break when I sit on them, a hard lesson learned.

BTW, there's a pair of Oakley Jawbreakers somewhere up in the woods in Glen of the Downs if anyones interested...

gmacww

Funny I've a mate who's very high up in a company in this area so this is all info from him which I've asked over the years. There is a difference between a €10 pair and a €150 pair but it's not as big as you'd think. The sweet spot for a set of glasses he reckons is about €40 from a not big name brand. For that you'll usually get all the same details as a top end set.


Materials: Yes there is a difference. Expensive ones are often made to design. Better more researched and tested plastics or metals feed into price.


Finish: The hinges is a big one where expensive glasses come into their own. Especially ones with a spring loader. They are built better and more consistent and last longer.



Lenses: The biggest of all. Lenses on expensive ones are a hell of a lot better for clarity and consistency in vision even around curved lenses. Good sunglasses shouldn't magnify your vision but most cheap ones do. Now said mate his company supply some of the biggest brands. He tells me the level of detail brand x will go to rather than brand y is immense. An additional 20 steps in the process and 4 extra coatings. That said he reckons it should translate to around €10 in the price difference. Like the anti glare coating <insert big glasses shop name here> charge €20 for. It costs them about 4c each set.



Monopoly: As has been hinted at. If you're buying Oakley you're paying about €70-150 (and then some) more than you need to. Same for Ray Ban, armani, ralph lauren etc... Luxottica own all of those and the sunglasses hut. They artifically set the price of sunglasses way higher than it should as they control 30% of the entire sunglasses market worldwise and something like 70% of the high end. They basically charge you €150 for a set of oakelys because they can and they know you'll pay it.

Macy0161

Noticing a different kinda puts me off trying a more expensive pair when I am happy with Aldi ones! I'm far too clumsy with them to spend that sort of money, unless the expensive lenses are more scratch/ drop resistant too.