Sun Glasses in the bush

Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 13:57
ThreadID: 65305 Views:3446 Replies:21 FollowUps:5
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We all wear sunnies out doors and especially in the bush.

I have always been a wearer of Polaroid and swore by them till recently.

I purchased a pair and the wings (plastic I find) both broke where fitted to frame, contacted Polaroid and was told they do not keep spare parts for any sunnies. Good glasses that can now not be worn.
Any suggestions for good sunnies ?

Cheers P&J
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Reply By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:12

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:12
Non-polarod make LCD screens easier to read.

Alan
AnswerID: 345352

Follow Up By: PandJ - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:25

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:25
Hi Alan,

That's a good point, I am always taking them off to read my LED fronted radios. Cheers P&J
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Reply By: Member - cuffs (SA) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:30

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:30
MAKO eyewear great for fishing, stops the glare but expensive
AnswerID: 345357

Reply By: Cruiser 2091 - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:33

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:33
You can do what us folk who wear prescription glasses do and that is select the frames you like and have tinted lenses put in.

Expensive but you get a wider range to choose from and can get very good quality frames.

Usually though the casual glasses wearer seem to have very little respect for their glasses and either break them or loose them. In which case it may not be a good idea to spend a lot of money.

Good luck.
AnswerID: 345358

Follow Up By: Ozhumvee - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 18:17

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 18:17
I couldn't see the point in coughing up for prescription sunnies so bought a couple of pairs of " fitovers" sunnies designed to fit over prescription glasses. They look like the sunnies sold by the Cancer Council etc and are usually available there, cost around $40 a pair.
Work well, keep one pair in the 4wd and one pair in the car.
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Reply By: DCTriton - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:52

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:52
It's all compromise - I wear polarised Arnette's ( work donates a pair per year) - polarised lenses mean I make it home without feeling like I have arc flash but I do have to lift them to read the gps and scanguage
AnswerID: 345360

Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:53

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:53
Cruiser, I'd be a bit cautious about that. Tinted lenses don't necessarily filter. And that includes some expensive models that change colour with different light levels, but don't filter, unless you have stipulated UV filtering as well. In this case it is the UV filtering, not the colour change that is protecting you. You can have UV filtering in clear glass.
You may of course have meant to say "filter" rather than "tint" in which case I apologize for teaching a grandparent to suck eggs.
AnswerID: 345361

Follow Up By: Dave B (NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 21:16

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 21:16
I was told by the optometrist that the tinted prescription glasses were not polarized, just tinted.

I settled for the Fitovers rather than outlay a heap of $$ on a new pair of prescription glasses that were not going to cut out the glare.

Dave
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Follow Up By: Rossc0 - Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 14:05

Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 14:05
You can order them polarised as well.

I have them on just about all day in high glare situation so need the polarised variety to stop ending up with a headache.

Keep a servo special pair (<$20 and polarised) handy as well as if I'm not working I don't need the prescrition glasses.

Cheers
Ross
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Reply By: Willem - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:54

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 14:54
Nah, throw them away old fella...face facts, yer never going to look like a filmstar.....hahahahahahahahahahaha..........................

On the other hand, maybe you could use some fencing wire.................


Cheers
AnswerID: 345362

Reply By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 15:26

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 15:26
Hi P&J

I always wear Polaroids; cheap from BigW. I carry a spare when travelling, so if anything happens to them, i have back up. For a while, their designs were fairly consistent, so i could use an old pair for spares. Now they seem to change too often.

When desperate with reading glasses needed at work, i have used a drinking straw as a substitute for the broken wing, so long as there is something like a screw remaining to slide into the end of the straw.

I find i can see a lot more in the distance (eg distant smoke in the sky) with Polaroids, but not without sunnies.

Motherhen
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 16:15

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 16:15
Possible reasons for breakage include using them to protect forehead, top of head, back of neck or under chin. also using them as a band to keep your hat on is another way of doing it LOL

I have to have prescription sunglasses and only wear them to see through not as a fashion accessory as at abot $400 a time i dont like replacing them



AnswerID: 345377

Reply By: Wisey - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 16:44

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 16:44
I just bought another pair of Maui Jim, $297. 1st pair i smashed and 2nd pair I wore out over 3yrs. Sprung hinges, glass lenses
I work outdoors and have found these to be the best by far. these are top qlty lenses that adust to light levels and protect your eyes from the nasty rays.
I have a Bushman fridge and wear BFG AT but lets keep it on the topic lol
AnswerID: 345380

Reply By: Member - Paul Mac (VIC) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 16:51

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 16:51
If your looking for an Australian made pair of sunglasses it would be hard to go past 'Spotters'.

They are on the expensive side but they are a quality sunglass.

Cheers.
AnswerID: 345385

Reply By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 17:02

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 17:02
I wear the Polaroid Safety Sun Glasses, I get them from one of our
Plumbing Supply Outlets. you can sit on them, drop them ect,
and they look ok, they dont look like Safety Glasses, and they
are great for fishing, you can see through the water, they are great.

Cheers
Daza
AnswerID: 345387

Reply By: Member - Paul E (WA) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 17:42

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 17:42
Cancer foundation I think they have shops most big centres, I expect similar in ES - reasonable selection - polaroid - reasonable prices $30 - $60 and not a major drama when lost or broken, get several while you're at it.
AnswerID: 345394

Follow Up By: Mobi Condo - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 18:06

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 18:06
Yeah! I reckon your on my track here. 1996 saw me start work in an outback centre, I wear prescription glasses from waking to sleeping and the sun glare from red/yellow/white in the outback was literally a headache on most days. Tried "Fitovers" and have been so greatful for the BIG front lens (work mates tease me about the unfashionable TV screens I wear) AND then side panels make a huge difference.
Last costing was $70 a pair. They are UV & Polaroid all round!
Cheers - Mobi
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FollowupID: 613367

Reply By: DIO - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 18:07

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 18:07
Proven fact - sunglasses worn during bright periods of sunlight will help to prevent cataracts.
AnswerID: 345400

Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 22:00

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 22:00
Interesting discussion. Not sure whether or not there is confusion on a couple of points. As I understand it, Polaroid is the brand name of a company. All their glasses are polarized. "Polarization" is a process, used by many companies, that cuts the light transmission in one plane, which is why the test for genuine polarized lenses is to put two of them at right angles after which if they are genuine, you wont be able to see through them. Quite a lot of companies (including the Cancer Council) make genuine polarized glasses in price ranges from cheap to ultra pricey. Polarized lenses are regarded as giving good protection from sunrays for outdoor use. There are other technologies that also give good protection but the problem with these is that (unlike polarized lenses) there is no easy test that tells you whether or not they actually give protection. There are a lot of sunglasses that claim to give protection but are only tinted Tinting, I believe, is just cosmetic and does not give protection. There is an Australian standard that glasses should comply with (assuming the stickers are genuine.) Paddy Pallin in Melbourne used to have (maybe they still do??) a machine to test the real protection from your sunglasses. I saw a number of pairs tested by them and this is one area where paying more is no guarantee that you get better quality.
AnswerID: 345442

Reply By: SPRINT-GTO - Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 23:26

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 at 23:26
RAYBANS oldies but goodies!!
AnswerID: 345455

Reply By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 08:16

Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 08:16
P&J, allways used fancy shades up until 3 years ago.
Destroyed them while on the Holland Track and had to wait till we got to Coolgardie before I could get another pair.

All I could find at the time was a pair of those $12.95 servo specials which I thought would do until we got back to Perth.

Well, 3 years on, their still doing the job so I'm not going to fork out my hard earned on fancy shades again. I reckon its a bit of a 'have'.

This time I did get what I paid for........a bargain.....lol.


Cheers.....Lionel.
AnswerID: 345473

Reply By: Member Boroma 604 - Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 18:14

Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 18:14
Gooday,
Another vote for Spotters, had Mako, lost them or had them pinched O/seas, bought new pair Mako, $300-00 one arm broke after two weeks with very careful treatment, got a refund & bought Spotters, couldn't be happier. Costly but good.
Cheers,
Boroma604.
AnswerID: 345542

Reply By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 08:24

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 08:24
Heavy sunnies really bug me, as I am such a delicate little petal . If you have the money, trot into a sunnies shop and look at Maui Jim ( titanium frames ) or check out their website.

I used to fish all day with them on, without fatigue.

Willie
AnswerID: 345602

Reply By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 16:24

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 16:24
Interesting post - and I have to admit that I am a sunglasses victim. Seriously I usually buy 2 pairs sunnies per year (one polarised, the other not). I feel blind without sunglasses! What I've come to learn is this - the polarisation process is not costly - its usually a film. The cost of sunnies is predominantly brand, then frame quality/materials. Many $400 sunnies will not be polarised because that's not a factor of cost. In fact you can get $20 polarised sunnies. Not many manufacturers actually make polarised sunglasses anymore - and those that do are of varying quality of polarisation. Some plastic polarised lenses will actually distort which can be distracting, perhaps detrimental? I personally don't care about brands, but do care about how they look/fit my face and if they actually cut out the glare of sun above my eyes and in the sides. If polarisation is not important to you - there are many options of good quality sunnies/lenses varying in price but there are 3 categories of UV protection to be aware of. There is a standards label that indicates which category and talk to the salesperson and they can explain what it means. You need a pair that cut out both UVA and UVB rays and only cat 2 and 3 do this. Cat 3 are darker lens and I find them hard to drive with in late afternoon so I prefer cat 2. I have always had good service at Sunglass Hut so I go there. They also offer to give a free service on your sunnies (which I use) if the arms get loose etc. Thankfully for me, the fashion is for larger frames that function suitably - just a matter of trying them all on to see what I like the look of. At the end of the day, I have probably bought more than 40 pairs and I've still got many of them. Everything from Raybans, Oakleys, Maui Jims, Bolle, Arnette, Oroton, and anonmyous fashion styles. At the end of the day, if you don't require polarised lenses just choose the right UV category (2 or 3 is best) and get the fit and style that does it for you. They are so personal. there is no best for everyone. BTW - polarised lens are annoying in so many applications I only used them when boating, fishing etc they are unparrelled for water use. But in a car, where you've got window tinting film, lcd guages, they are annoying. That's why I have 2 pairs at all times. Hope this helps?1
MM
David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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AnswerID: 345660

Reply By: PandJ - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 21:11

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 21:11
Well thanks for the interesting remarks by all.

I look after my sunnies, buy mid range priced sunnies and the brand name is Polariod from Melbourne.

Will look at some of the servo/chemist/sunglass hut etc in future, but for the time I will repair using Willam's idea: Fencing wire. Good on ya Willy!
AnswerID: 345679

Reply By: fozzy - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 20:24

Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 20:24
hi

try a safety company called "protectoralsafe".
great range of safety specs which are extremely durable for conditions we use them in and a reasonable price.can get a great pair for under $30 and also have polarised for about $80(dont quote me on exact price). also Bolle safety polarised spec has same lens as the expensive fashion Bolle polarised.
great range for a great price better than the local chemist $20 pair
certainly worth a look in my opinion
cheers
fozzy
AnswerID: 346214

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