Rx Sunglasses

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WeekendWarrior

Filing Flight Plan
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Feb 3, 2019
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FlyKC
In the market for a good pair of Rx flying shades. I had a cheap pair from Walmart (no Rx) for a while, but I've got a lot of my yearly vision insurance benefit left, so I'm ready to splurge on something good and something that'll last.
My Rx is out of bounds for Ray-Ban in every style of Aviator by .5 left SPH. I am having a difficult time finding anywhere else that makes good Rx OEM shades in such a style. I like the Randolphs but it doesn't seem that they offer Rx on their lenses.
Not a huge fan of the transition lenses or clips (I have had clips in the past and lost the clip), and not huge on the polarization either (I fly mostly glass).
What do you guys recommend?
 
WeekendWarrior said:
In the market for a good pair of Rx flying shades. I had a cheap pair from Walmart (no Rx) for a while, but I've got a lot of my yearly vision insurance benefit left, so I'm ready to splurge on something good and something that'll last.
My Rx is out of bounds for Ray-Ban in every style of Aviator by .5 left SPH. I am having a difficult time finding anywhere else that makes good Rx OEM shades in such a style. I like the Randolphs but it doesn't seem that they offer Rx on their lenses.
Not a huge fan of the transition lenses or clips (I have had clips in the past and lost the clip), and not huge on the polarization either (I fly mostly glass).
What do you guys recommend?
Click to expand...
I have a pair of FlyingEyes (https://flyingeyesoptics.com) and find them super comfortable. very light weight, and the stems feel like they aren't there, especially when wearing a headset.

They offer Regular and RX lenses. For me in regular life, I just need drugstore cheaters when reading, and distance vision is fine. So my solution was to purchase some of the stick on correction lenses from Amazon and then trimmed them to fit in just the right spot, allowing me plenty of uncorrected vision when looking forward, and just the right amount when I glance down.
 
Simple thing is fo find any frames you want and then get lenses made in whatever tint you want, but that won’t be an OEM solution. Some sunglasses frames have a wrap to them that interferes with the ability to get a good match with the prescription, though.
 
I ended up with Oakley prescription sunglasses.
 
WeekendWarrior said:
I like the Randolphs but it doesn't seem that they offer Rx on their lenses.
Click to expand...
American Optical Pilots are a good match for Randolph Aviators. I got a prescription pair from Optics Planet a few years ago and I'm happy with them.

Nauga,
shaded
 
The Job Janta 200's are another good choice, especially if you wish to retain a relaxed attitude toward any danger.
 
WeekendWarrior said:
In the market for a good pair of Rx flying shades. I had a cheap pair from Walmart (no Rx) for a while, but I've got a lot of my yearly vision insurance benefit left, so I'm ready to splurge on something good and something that'll last.
My Rx is out of bounds for Ray-Ban in every style of Aviator by .5 left SPH. I am having a difficult time finding anywhere else that makes good Rx OEM shades in such a style. I like the Randolphs but it doesn't seem that they offer Rx on their lenses.
Not a huge fan of the transition lenses or clips (I have had clips in the past and lost the clip), and not huge on the polarization either (I fly mostly glass).
What do you guys recommend?
Click to expand...

I have Randolph prescription aviators. Try these guys... https://www.framesdirect.com/includ...ransactional&utm_campaign=transactional_email
 
I ordered mine from Zenni Optical. I used my prescription and the IOD I got from my last set at Costco optical.
 
Another vote for Zenni. Got a pair of prescription aviators for like $35. Cheap enough that when I lose or break them, I just buy new ones
 
I’d recommend asking the OP question to an optician.....they can set up glasses for flying with the appropriate far and MID (for instruments) corrections and any tint you favor. Tint can even be tweaked after trying them out awhile.
 
One more vote for Zenni. I got a pair of no-line bifocals with amber lenses. Inexpensive, delivered reasonably quickly, and cost a fraction of what my local optical place wants -- AFTER my insurance pays their part.
 
I’m shopping for some “sport” prescription bifocal sunglasses for cycling. I was quoted about $200 at Walmart for lined bifocals.

Has anyone tried anything like that from Zenni? I’m a little apprehensive about ordering without the chance to try different frames for fit.

I was thinking about something like this:

upload_2019-9-16_10-41-40.jpeg
 
https://www.sportrx.com/

These guys have lots of options - but for progressive lenses or bifocals, I'd be hesitant to go mail order on the lenses. I think they need a little tweaking on the placement of where the prescription hits your eyes and I'm not so sure about the way mail orders work. Sometimes they'll send a blank set of frames so you can go to a local shop and have them mark the lenses up, then you send them back. Sometimes you have to do it yourself in a mirror or with a helper.
 
I still use Serengeti Drivers frames for flying prescription sunglasses.
 
I got a pair of rx glasses from Zeni, also daily wear a pair of Zenni's transitions equivalent. My prescription is so mild that I can easily drive or fly without them it just sharpens stuff up and reduce fatigue on long drives/flights.
 
FastEddieB said:
I’m shopping for some “sport” prescription bifocal sunglasses for cycling. I was quoted about $200 at Walmart for lined bifocals.
Click to expand...

For cycling - assuming you have OK distance and just need to see your speedometer or cycling computer, I'd suggest getting a pair of sunglasses you like and then get "stick on" lenses from Amazon (~$20). The lenses can be trimmed and repositioned easily. I have progressives I use for flying, but I find them a bit disorienting for moving sports.

I have some basic wraparounds with the stick on lenses that work great for cycling - I can see my power meter clearly looking down and the road fine looking ahead.
 
FastEddieB said:
I’m shopping for some “sport” prescription bifocal sunglasses for cycling. I was quoted about $200 at Walmart for lined bifocals.

Has anyone tried anything like that from Zenni? I’m a little apprehensive about ordering without the chance to try different frames for fit.

I was thinking about something like this:

View attachment 77829
Click to expand...

I have that exact pair and I’m honestly not a fan. They are a little bulkier than the comparable Oakley’s etc. The foam part along the brow line is removable. Also, the actual prescription lenses are mounted separately from the tinted lenses.
 
The other thing to consider with "sport" sunglasses for flying is the thickness of the temple piece. Will it fit comfortably under a headset?
 
I've always liked Ray-Bans or AO or other sunglasses with real glass lenses for the clarity and scratch resistance, but I'm fast approaching that time where I'll need full time correction. Can you get prescription sunglasses with glass lenses for a reasonable price.
 
I went to my optometrist and asked them to make me a set of sunglasses, ( I need help with reading and middle distance), classic aviators, no polarization, light to middle of the road dark, transition coating, no progressive,( real trifocals). Oh and they also had to have a set of flush mounted, very dark, magnetic clip on sunglasses.
Getting weird, yet?
I figured it would cost me a king's ransom, but I wanted what I wanted and I was willing to pay for them.
Fight, argue, fight, argue, no, that's not what you want, you really want these, blah, blah, blah.
Finally found a guy who would do it for me.
I get the glasses (love them, btw) and they are over $100.00 CHEAPER than the last pair of "off the shelf" aviator sunglasses I purchased. note to self: have words with old eye doctor.
Rational:
No polarization - Easy to figure out. I can read any electronic display.
Light to middle dark with transition coating. - They darken up when I need it. In the plane, not as dark, because of the windows, et al.
No progressive. - I can tell exactly where my head/eyes need to be without hunting around for best focus. It's a me thing.
Very dark, Flush mount magnetic clip on. - I can put those puppies on and arc weld with them. More importantly, I can fly directly into the sun with no pain, squinting or tears. When I don't need them they fit flat in my shirt pocket.
 
Have a mom & pop optician dye the lenses in a pair of prescription glasses you already have, if you like them well enough. Very low cost (avoid chain stores, though) - when my wife ran a shop, she'd do it as a courtesy for long time customers; maybe $15 for a walk-in.

If the old lenses are just a little beat-up, the dye job works fine; if more than a little scratched, etc., you can just ask them to put new lenses in the old frame you like. On a dye job, you can get a "custom" tint - 11% gray is pretty good, as I recall.
 
flight2000 said:
Fly with any of the in-the-ear headsets and it won't matter.... ;):rolleyes::D
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Oh man. I can't stuff in my ears. No, No, No, No, Nooooooooooo.

What I found works, is take off glasses, put on headset, put earpieces of glasses on top of the earcups. Zero issues with that since I started wearing glasses and flying.
 
I've got a pair of Rx Oakleys. The only sunglasses I wear. Bifocal. Long distance on the top, panel/dash distance on the bottom. DO NOT do polarized.
 
Hang 4 said:
For cycling - assuming you have OK distance and just need to see your speedometer or cycling computer, I'd suggest getting a pair of sunglasses you like and then get "stick on" lenses from Amazon (~$20).
Click to expand...

I’m sort of doing something similar, with inexpensive wraparound non-prescription sunglasses with built-in bifocal “readers”. Not bad - I had radial keratotomy in the 1980’s - but my distance vision has slipped a bit over the last 30+ years and prescription lenses definitely sharpen things up a bit. My regular glasses* - progressive bifocals - work poorly, since in the cycling posture I’m looking over the top of the frames, which not only loses the tint but the wind protection as well.

Probably going with Walmart. Good luck with them in the past and I think proper design/fit is critical for what I need.


*As seen in my avatar using my go-to flip-up sunglasses.
 
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