Sunglasses

Steve Vaughn

Steve Vaughn

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
Looking for advice on prescription sunglasses. Last time I needed new glasses I got a discount on a second pair so I got a pair of sunglasses. What I'd call 'regular glasses', which are fine for driving but not so great on the water due to glare coming in from the sides. So, I think I'm ready to crack open the safe and get a decent pair of actual 'fishing glasses' (wrap around). Before needing distance correction, I was using Ono Carabelle w/ a reader in the lens, but now I really need a full prescription lens. I can do this in the Carabelle at $370 (gag). If I am going to have to spend this kind of money, I thought it would be good to see what others are using and like. Thanks for the help.

Steve
 
Following this thread.

After cataract surgery, my prescription polarized sunglasses (with bifocal) were useless and I didn't need distance correction anymore. I went to Costco and ordered a pair of their "Drivewear" polarized glasses (prescription based on the progressive bifocal chip). Nice glasses for sure but not available in wrap around which can frustrate me when fishing. I ordered a pair of not so cheap mostly wrap around framed polarized sunglasses, prescription because of the bifocal chip. Within five months the damn frames broke. They paid for shipping the broken glasses back to the factory and replaced the frames. I'm using them again but strictly for fishing as the replacement frames just feel cheap.

I keep thinking about ordering Smith Optics "Guidewear" with "chromapop" lenses.

Good luck./Pat
 
I have the Smith (mine are the Soundtrack due to sizing and the style I like--don't think they make them any more though). I love them. polarized w/ amber lenses & chromapop.

The downside is, that unless you can go somewhere to try on the frames, you may not totally like what you get. I got lucky with both frame size and how I liked them. I ended up buying a second pair just in case....
 
I'm a huge fan of my Zeal Optics Rx sunnies. Just got a set of progressives and they are a game changer for my middle-aged eyes. Zeal's parent company is Maui Jim and Maui Jim makes their Rx lenses.

Full disclosure: I'm on Zeal's winter sports athlete team.
 
I love my Costas and my next pair will be prescription ones. Not cheap at all, but both pairs I have fit me so well! Can't recall the specific models and one pair is beat up and well used. I have a progressive prescription and need them for reading, will be good for driving and great for fishing i assume!

I will still have readers, but get tired of switching back and forth. I've tried the magnifers that clip onto your hat, but found them to be a pain and have to adjust them to tie on a small fly or now just a fly. Streamers or steelhead flies are easy enough and the mono or flouro are big enough I dont have to switch to a reader, in most cases.
 
I can't see without my glasses and I absolutely love my polarized prescription Rayban "New Wayfarer" sunglasses. I have dark brown/ amber lenses in them. I have a big head and they fit great (and look great, even if I do say so myself). You can get them LensCrafters or your locally owned place.

PXL_20260328_232821104.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have been very happy with Transitions "Drivewear" prescription progressive lenses since ~2005. They have good contrast in all light conditions, including cloudy-rainy days. They also darken behind a windshield while filtering out a very surprising amount of glare from raindrops on the windshield and in the air while driving :). They have about a 10% light transmission at full activation and a polarization efficiency at 99%. They work as well as my prescription (pre-ChromaPop) Smith Glass rose-copper-brown polarized-photochromic fishing glasses that they replaced. They are Great for all-round use. As a bonus they were fully covered by insurance. I've never tried ChromaPop, MJ or Costas so I can't speak to them.

My distance vision now needs very little correction but my O.D. is an angler and tweaked my progressive prescription to be able to focus precisely at 7". Some years back I had the progressive lenses put into the wraparound Ray-Ban Predator frames that Will Smith wore in MIB.
1774738707409.png1774738743475.png1774738727957.png1774737997935.png
But the wraparound frames following the curve of the face created peripheral distortion altering how light hit the lenses with my presciption for presbyopia. That created very frustrating astigmatism that made it harder to thread a hook. After a season I went back to flatter frames.

I am about to have cataract surgery with premium mutifocal IOL replacements that are supposed to provide clear vision at all distances—near, intermediate, and far—by incorporating multiple prescriptions into one lens, designed specifically to treat presbyopia.

So I am also looking at new sunglasses this summer. If I need less or no close-up correction, I still have the Predator frames and will let insurance (help) pay for Drivewear lenses again.
 
Last edited:
I need to see the eye doc.
I currently use 2.00 readers, but that's just for reading.
However, if I put on 1.50 readers I can see everything past arms length really well. Sort of like before needing readers. Not sure what that means.

So...I have smallish cheap 1.50 readers that I wear under my polarized Smith Lowdown XL 2s. 😁
It actually works pretty well. Of course, not so fun when I have to take off both of those and put on the 2.75 readers to tie on a new fly.
If you have eagle eyes, like I did until just 5 years ago, take care of them!!

We'll see what the eye doc says...
 
I had cataract surgery a number of years ago and wear daily disposable contacts most of the time during outdoor activities (fishing, skiing, hunting). For that, I like my Oakley polarized glasses because they wrap around and provide good protection for my eyes. Lately, I’ve been wearing my bifocal glasses more and have a pair of Wiley-X prescription glasses which also provide good protection. They are polarized for fishing.
 
I just get my sunglasses from places like Zenni. They’re cheap and work fine.

Main thing is to get fairly flat styles, like wayfarers or aviators. Anything that wraps around more will cause distortion.
 
When I wore contacts, I had a pair of sunglasses with readers and hated them. For both my sunglasses and glasses, I have progressive lenses. I had a pair of the Oakley Flak Jacket with a VR28 black iridium lens in 2014 and liked them. I like frames that go straight back versus bending down over ear. At the time, my eye doctor kept suggesting I try Maui Jim. So in 2016, I tried a pair with the HCL bronze lens and I have stayed with Maui Jim for the past 10 years. As long as Maui Jim makes a frame that I like, I will stick with them.

Amusing side note: my eye doctor stopped carrying Maui Jim a few years ago, so I had to find a new optician.
 
I bought a set of regular - non-prescription - Maui Jims over 20 years ago. I've been 110% satisfied with the wearing comfort and eye comfort during long days in the sun, making me a believer and I've stuck with them. I bought a set of prescription Maui Jims a couple years ago and enjoy the same comfort with them. However, they are godawful expensive at $600 or so, so if you can find good eye relief in a less expensive brand, you'll probably want to give that a try. (For comparison, my non sunglass regular prescription eyeglasses ran about $250.)
 
I did polarized progressive bifocals with 2.5 readers one season. Wading and bushwhacking down slopes to tge stream became very hazardous. I now have distance corrected polarized lenses, and a set of 2.5 readers for changing flies and other up close work. I got Smith frames for them, they fit good. I got mine online at sportrx, there’s lots of online retailers nowadays…
 
Guy Gregory said:
I did polarized progressive bifocals with 2.5 readers one season. Wading and bushwhacking down slopes to tge stream became very hazardous. I now have distance corrected polarized lenses, and a set of 2.5 readers for changing flies and other up close work. I got Smith frames for them, they fit good. I got mine online at sportrx, there’s lots of online retailers nowadays…
Click to expand...
Yeah, I didn't include reader bifocals in my sunglasses for that very reason - wading and hiking downhill becomes hazardous if I accidentally look through the magnifier lens.
 
Salmo_g said:
I bought a set of regular - non-prescription - Maui Jims over 20 years ago. I've been 110% satisfied with the wearing comfort and eye comfort during long days in the sun, making me a believer and I've stuck with them. I bought a set of prescription Maui Jims a couple years ago and enjoy the same comfort with them. However, they are godawful expensive at $600 or so, so if you can find good eye relief in a less expensive brand, you'll probably want to give that a try. (For comparison, my non sunglass regular prescription eyeglasses ran about $250.)
Click to expand...
Might want to look at Zeal. They're owned by Maui Jims and their Rx lenses are made by Maui Jims but the frames are much cheaper.
 
clarkman said:
I have the Smith (mine are the Soundtrack due to sizing and the style I like--don't think they make them any more though). I love them. polarized w/ amber lenses & chromapop.

The downside is, that unless you can go somewhere to try on the frames, you may not totally like what you get. I got lucky with both frame size and how I liked them. I ended up buying a second pair just in case....
Click to expand...
Those Soundtrack frames look great! They are apparently still available for Rx from Smith. Too bad they are not offered with the Rx ChromaPop photochromic lenses. :(

Transitions Drivewear lenses enhance reds, greens, and browns. As I mentioned in the earlier post they have worked well as fishing sunglasses for 20 years even though they are not specifically designed and marketed for it.

I cannot find direct comparisons specifically for "fish spotting", and general fishing use to Smith and Costa photochromic lenses that enhance blues, greens, and reds. But I did find out their photochromic lenses do not darken from bright visible light in a car behind a (UV filtering) windshield. The ability to do that is verrry nice for everyday use.

If I can use an 8-base curve wraparound frame with my new IOLs I will definitely use my Predator frames again for general use again and try to find something like Costa (Clipperton, Jose (Pro?) 8-base) frames to keep in the 4Runner for fishing. If not I will try to get the Smith (Soundtrack modest 6-base) frames (only).
 
Brian Miller said:
But I did find out their photochromic lenses do not darken from bright visible light in a car behind a (UV filtering) windshield. The ability to do that is verrry nice for everyday use.
Click to expand...
My standard glasses (also Smith) have the photochromic ability (but aren't polarized). Was driving yesterday with the window down and left side was completely dark while the right hadn't darkened at all due to one being blocked by the windshield and the other not. It was rather trippy....had to roll the window up and turn on the AC.
 
Really like my Rx polarized/photochromatic Costco Transitions Drivewear in amber, frame a lightweight Ray Ban they carry. My fave driving sunglasses (have had Oakley, Maui Jim and Vaurnet over the years), and like how they adjust to outdoors depending on clouds thru full sun.
Can't beat Costco's prices and they've really upped their optics with digital high index lens. Depending on wind and temp I wear either a broad brim hat or have a hoody pulled over a ball cap so side sun not an issue.
IMG_20260329_154736362_HDR (2).jpg
 
adamcu280 said:
Might want to look at Zeal. They're owned by Maui Jims and their Rx lenses are made by Maui Jims but the frames are much cheaper.
Click to expand...
The frames weren't the spendy part. And I already made the purchase and would re-use the frames when I need new lenses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top