do expensive sunglasses make any difference to cheap ones.

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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DSC_0194_06.JPG

right oakley racing jacket with gold iridium lens black and orange for night riding with lights but very dark under the trees and dark spots as no definition of a pot holes depth under the shadow of a tree ect and no longer sold but cost me 200 quid lol.

middle is the new version of the racing jacket and called jawbraker but now with prism lenses and have both the trail and road versions means i have of the best both worlds with trail off road and and road for full sun on the roads.


 

GLJoe

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May 21, 2017
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Some serious questions that have been on my mind for a few months:

Why do we use sunglasses? Do we actually need them? Are they actually detrimental in the long term?
 

Raboa

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I find sunglasses useful as they stop fly's and pollen (hayfever sufferer) getting into your eyes. Are expensive sunglasses worth it? Probably not, most things aren't, fashion dictates some of its value.
 
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soundwave

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the prizm lenses are a game changer as filter the light for optimal vision and way better than the older polarized lenses as can see way more detail esp with the trail lens.

you prob wont get what i am saying until you try a pair but got the road lens for 36 quid and the jawbreaker is the new version off the racing jacket and no longer sold.

46973

46974

 

Bikes4two

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Feb 21, 2020
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IMHO there are two key factors to consider here:
1. Glasses protect the eyes from debris (dust, insects and so forth)
2. Eyes are sensitive to UV light and according to the Met Office web page HERE, (and plenty of other info via Google)are 10x more sensitive than skin to UV damage.

Thus my glasses of choice are something akin to the ones from Screwfix (HERE) at £2.99 which are amber tinted (very lightly too) and offer UV protection.

Fair play to those who want to spend out on expensive sunglasses though - someone has to keep the economy going!
46976
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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i paid less than half price for both of them of ebay same with the road lens as rrp is £80.

the jawbreakers are more like a goggle shape so stops most bugs getting at you and in to ur helmet as that drives me insane lol.

imo you could get a copy of the frame and put the prizm lens in it tho it might not fit right.

 

Jaxter

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Sep 13, 2020
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i just ordered some clone oakley jawbreakers from China for about a tenner without postage, will let you all know if they are any good
 
E

Erin0110

Guest
Some serious questions that have been on my mind for a few months:

Why do we use sunglasses? Do we actually need them? Are they actually detrimental in the long term?
I just can say that, people with very sensitive eyes should wear them
 
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Bonzo Banana

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Sep 29, 2019
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IMHO there are two key factors to consider here:
1. Glasses protect the eyes from debris (dust, insects and so forth)
2. Eyes are sensitive to UV light and according to the Met Office web page HERE, (and plenty of other info via Google)are 10x more sensitive than skin to UV damage.

Thus my glasses of choice are something akin to the ones from Screwfix (HERE) at £2.99 which are amber tinted (very lightly too) and offer UV protection.

Fair play to those who want to spend out on expensive sunglasses though - someone has to keep the economy going!
View attachment 46976
We are running a large trade deficit as a country and as more money is sent abroad the government borrows more money that we all have to pay for. Last I heard the government was spending £83 billion on interest payments alone which equates to almost £3k per year for every working person. The point is you buying a cheap imported product is better for the economy than someone buying a high price imported product. Yes if they were buying a high price British made product then it would be good for the economy but not imported.

All sunglasses sold in the UK have to be certified and tested to show they offer the correct UV protection so even cheap £1 sunglasses at Poundland are a safer choice than a personal import through aliexpress etc which allows the seller to bypass the certification process and the product sent maybe fake and unsafe. It may also be fully legit of course and great quality but there is no process ensuring it is.
 
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guerney

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Sep 7, 2021
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Finding sunglass which fit within my jawguarded helmet is tough - I'm using a pair of GIO branded sunglasses at the moment, because they fit very close to my eyeballs and don't let light or dust spill in from the sides. In fact, they fit so close to my eyeballs, that my eyelashes keep hitting the lenses, so I have to push them ever so slighty forwards, but even then there is almost no bright light visible at the edges. Very clear lenses, which give a clear view on murky days as well as in very bright.
 

guerney

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Sep 7, 2021
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View attachment 46962

right oakley racing jacket with gold iridium lens black and orange for night riding with lights but very dark under the trees and dark spots as no definition of a pot holes depth under the shadow of a tree ect and no longer sold but cost me 200 quid lol.

middle is the new version of the racing jacket and called jawbraker but now with prism lenses and have both the trail and road versions means i have of the best both worlds with trail off road and and road for full sun on the roads.


What are the ones on the right? Those might work with my helmet...
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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guerney

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Sep 7, 2021
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Thanks for the link! The GIOs cost £31, and I managed to try them on first with my helmet. I'm going to have to try these Oakleys in a shop which stocks them... Mountaineering/outdoor shops might stock those Oakleys maybe.
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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they dont sell the racing jackets any more as the jawbreakers replaced them so only option is ebay
 
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GLJoe

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May 21, 2017
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I find sunglasses useful as they stop fly's and pollen (hayfever sufferer) getting into your eyes.
Yes, but you don't need sunglasses to stop insects, mud etc from getting into your eyes. You can use clear lenses.
(and even then I'm not sure whether the plastic might absorb certain wavelengths of light that are needed for optimum health).

As flecc said, 'nature knows best'. Sure, sometimes we have to use technology to overcome some problems (else we'd all still be living in caves!), but I've now lost count of all the modern human interventions that end up actually being detrimental in ways we didn't initially think of.

More and more evidence is coming out to show how important sunlight is for health - and some of that appears to be from light entering our eyes, and I wonder if cutting out certain wavelengths might not be good for us in the long term?
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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Yes, but you don't need sunglasses to stop insects, mud etc from getting into your eyes. You can use clear lenses.
(and even then I'm not sure whether the plastic might absorb certain wavelengths of light that are needed for optimum health).

As flecc said, 'nature knows best'. Sure, sometimes we have to use technology to overcome some problems (else we'd all still be living in caves!), but I've now lost count of all the modern human interventions that end up actually being detrimental in ways we didn't initially think of.

More and more evidence is coming out to show how important sunlight is for health - and some of that appears to be from light entering our eyes, and I wonder if cutting out certain wavelengths might not be good for us in the long term?
I must use dark sunglasses, because I have Central Serous Retinopathy:

 

Blox

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 4, 2021
14
4
Protection from UV and short wavelength blue light is important if you spend a lot of time outdoors or exposed to such. Long term exposure causes cataracts which is miserable as your vision deteriorates and every day becomes a foggy day (just one eye for me atm).
cheap glasses dont offer good protection but do reduce the visible light so your iris compensates, opens wider and let’s more harmful wavelengths through to the lenses of your eyes. Good sunglasses and coated clear glasses block the harmful wavelengths effectively.
Ive found Oakley lenses to be the best for sunglasses and prescription sunglasses, plus I like their style!
 

Bonzo Banana

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Sep 29, 2019
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Protection from UV and short wavelength blue light is important if you spend a lot of time outdoors or exposed to such. Long term exposure causes cataracts which is miserable as your vision deteriorates and every day becomes a foggy day (just one eye for me atm).
cheap glasses dont offer good protection but do reduce the visible light so your iris compensates, opens wider and let’s more harmful wavelengths through to the lenses of your eyes. Good sunglasses and coated clear glasses block the harmful wavelengths effectively.
Ive found Oakley lenses to be the best for sunglasses and prescription sunglasses, plus I like their style!
Cheap glasses sold in the UK by normal retailers offer full protection as a legal requirement of being sold, they have to pass a certification process. So even £1 poundland sunglasses offer proper protection to the eye, i.e. block out UV light as well as visible light. However personal imports from aliexpress etc or maybe ebay and amazon marketplace sellers when coming from China may not offer that protection as they bypass the certification process. Any product sent from mainland Europe or the US should be fully compliant with the certification requirements. You don't have to spend much to get high quality sunglasses and to be honest they are extremely cheap to make anyway, no reason to pay more unless you want to for brand and style etc. It's a fashion item with lots of premium high margin suppliers. Many high end premium clothes are still made in sweat shop factories in Bangladesh etc. There are factories in China that specialise in sunglasses production and they make glasses for value brands as well as premium brands. Same as the world's biggest bicycle manufacturer, fuji-ta, they have made high tensile steel bikes for Muddyfox at Sports Direct to high end CF road bikes for Bianchi. Both will have been fully certified to the correct EU standards.
 
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