My friend Alan Rider is an adventurer and writer who makes a living having extraordinary experiences and writing about them. Check out his Web site, Alan Rider’s Xtrordinary Xperiences.
Several years ago, we shared one of those experiences: driving Route 66 in a yellow Corvette so hot you needed quality sunglasses just to look at it:
Howells and Rider on Route 66
Alan recently interviewed me for his site as a service to his adventurous readers, who are likely to wonder the the same things he does about sunglasses. That interview is reproduced below:
Why did you start SunglassesBuyersGuide.com?
I’ve always appreciated any piece of gear that helps me better enjoy the outdoors. Years ago, as a writer for Outside magazine and the editor of the annual Outside Buyer’s Guide, I was fortunate enough to test some great sunglasses, along with binoculars, backpacks, boots, and lots of other gear. I always had a particular fondness for sunglasses—they enhance vision, protect your eyes, and make you look better than you really look. Even if they cost a couple hundred dollars, that’s a bargain. Also, I had cataract surgery last year, which renewed my commitment to protecting my eyes with great shades.
Is there such a thing as an all-around pair of sunglasses, or do you recommend having different designs for different purposes?
While there certainly are multipurpose sunglasses, I suggest owning at least two pairs: one for active sports, another for casual streetwear. Protection is the priority for sports, while fashion and great optics take center stage for everyday sunglasses. For example, I love glass sunglasses—good ones are optically brilliant—but I’d never wear them for sports, because they can shatter. It’s possible to get even more specific, because you might not wear the same sunglasses for, say mountaineering as mountain biking. You’d want very dark lenses for walking across snow slopes, while for mountain biking in and out of the woods you’d want lighter, more contrasty lenses, or maybe versatile photochromic lenses.
What are the most important features you’d recommend someone look for in a new pair of sunglasses?
Let’s call 100% UV protection a given. Next up in importance is the sheer quality of the lenses, their visual acuteness. That’s hard to judge at a glance, which is why I so strongly recommend buying name-brand sunglasses. The major companies do the R&D, the lab work, the ongoing testing, to make sure their lenses are sharp and won’t cause eyestrain. Then comes aptness for the job: a lot of wrap for sports, for example, for peripheral protection.
What should someone expect to pay for a decent pair of shades?
You’re taking your chances when you spend under $100. They may seem good at first, and you congratulate yourself on your bargain-finding prowess. But when you wear them for hours at a time, they’re likely to strain your eyes. You might not even attribute that to your sunglasses; you might just feel crummy, not refreshed after a day in the sun. That said, I’ve found some pretty good sunglasses for under a C-note, and they’re reviewed on my site.
What’s with all these funky lens tints?
A lot of what you think are tints are actually just coatings that you see from the outside. They may or may not have a function. Often their function is, well, to be funky. It’s the base tint that counts—what you see looking through, not at, the shades. There are only a handful of basic base tints, and each has a purpose. Gray and green are color-true and calming. Bronze and copper are high-contrast and great for a range of light conditions. Rose and yellow are for low light.
There are enough brands and styles out there to make your head spin—can you name a handful of your favorite top-quality brands?
My favorites are the ones on my site. I don’t review junk. Maybe I will someday, but it’s generally a waste of time and money to deal with the kinds of sunglasses you find in discount stores or gas stations. And, sad to say, the same goes for a lot of designer sunglasses that people spend $300 or $400 for. You’re paying for a name and a look, not for good lenses. That’s not the case with the more expensive sunglasses on my site. When you fork out for Oakley, Maui Jim, Kaenon, Hobie…you get a great look and great lenses. So my advice is always to buy from companies that make sunglasses, not handbags.
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