sunglasses - go with cheapies or brandname? also where to look online?

[lancestorm]

Yo!

Well I am looking for some sunglasses for the first time since I was a kid. I have replaced glasses with contacts and now I can get a pair of sunglasses AND see at the same time. Amazing.

My first question is whether or not to go the cheapy route with knock-offs or pay the dollar for brand names like RayBan, Vogue, Gucci, etc. A couple of my friends say go the brand name way because they last a LOT longer (years) and they are not cheaply made and do not break as easily as knock-offs. What do you think?

Also, where can you get brand name sunglasses online? I found some nice knock-off sites like cooleyez.com

Thanks!

EDIT: Okay, WTF. I tried Vogue glasses on yesterday and they looked just great.

But every link I click on at SunGlassHut (which is where I tried them on yesterday!) mentions they are women style glasses. I should have gotten a clue when I originally saw the brand name, but didn't. Is it "wrong" for guys to where these? I thought they looked pretty good....?

 

[Shockwave]

Get good ones. The extra quality lenses are WELL worth it. I personally use Oakleys.

 

[Beattie]

get real ones, your eyes will thank you.

 

[StageLeft]

I personally buy cheapies. I lost a $40 pair (to me a good pair heh) back in 2001 and I then paid $15 for some metal framed ones. I used them up until a month ago when I left them on a plane. I also paid $15 last summer for some cheap plastic frame ones. DO NOT buy plastic. VERY breakable! So, I recently paid $15 for another metal frame pair from some department store. No, they're not oakleys, but they look ok, and should I lose them it doesn't matter.

 

[Viper GTS]

I personally buy name brand (Polarized A-wires), but I have pretty fvcked up eyes & am perfectly comfortable paying $200+ for a pair of sunglasses. I spend $200 per lens on my contacts, $200 for a pair of sunglasses almost seems like a bargain.

If you don't have a medical need for them expensive glasses may not be a good choice. At the time I bought mine my eyes were EXTREMELY light sensitive, I needed something that I could wear 100% of the time when not indoors. I have never regretted the purchase, but if my eyes weren't so fvcked up I probably wouldn't have got the Oakleys.

I don't believe in the knock-off brands, if you're even thinking about buying them you obviously don't need quality eyewear. The $50 range is a nice compromise between high end and the cheap mall crap.

Viper GTS

 

[lancestorm]

Is $75 a lot of money for decent pair of glasses like Vogue brand? Found some stylin ones that are pretty sweet, but the price tag hit me hard. And they were on CLEARANCE!

Never was a fan of the Oakley style...

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: lancestorm
Is $75 a lot of money for decent pair of glasses like Vogue brand? Found some stylin ones that are pretty sweet, but the price tag hit me hard. And they were on CLEARANCE!

Never was a fan of the Oakley style...

$75 hit you hard? That's pretty cheap.

My polarized Oakleys were $180.

Viper GTS

 

[techfuzz]

Get a good pair with the good lenses, especially some with a real good UV coating. I received a pair of Revo glasses when I was in high school (+8 years) as a gift that I still have today and wear almost every day. Aside from a few small micro thin scratches that you won't notice while wearing, they're still in awesome condition. I've never had a problem with them. I'd definitely go with something of good quality rather than a pair of cheap $5 ones from WalMart -- but only if you're willing to take GOOD care of them for a long time. Don't lay them glass-side down on anything, keep them in a protective case or a glasses holder in the car while not wearing them, and clean the lenses every so often with a soft cloth. They'll last you a long-long time if you do.

techfuzz

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: lancestorm
Is $75 a lot of money for decent pair of glasses like Vogue brand?

Spend what you feel comfortable with, but if I was asked to pay $75 for a pair of "good" glasses would make me believe they had just fallen off the back of a truck in Jersey.

techfuzz

 

[lancestorm]

Originally posted by: techfuzz

Originally posted by: lancestorm
Is $75 a lot of money for decent pair of glasses like Vogue brand?

Spend what you feel comfortable with, but if I was asked to pay $75 for a pair of "good" glasses would make me believe they had just fallen off the back of a truck in Jersey.

techfuzz

There were on clearance, regulary $170..

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: lancestorm

Originally posted by: techfuzz

Originally posted by: lancestorm
Is $75 a lot of money for decent pair of glasses like Vogue brand?

Spend what you feel comfortable with, but if I was asked to pay $75 for a pair of "good" glasses would make me believe they had just fallen off the back of a truck in Jersey.

techfuzz

There were on clearance, regulary $170..

I can't find a single pair of Vogue's over $120 retail at sunglasshut.com, but you might see if you can find the exact same pair there and compare prices.

 

[Shockwave]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
I personally buy name brand (Polarized A-wires), but I have pretty fvcked up eyes & am perfectly comfortable paying $200+ for a pair of sunglasses. I spend $200 per lens on my contacts, $200 for a pair of sunglasses almost seems like a bargain.

If you don't have a medical need for them expensive glasses may not be a good choice. At the time I bought mine my eyes were EXTREMELY light sensitive, I needed something that I could wear 100% of the time when not indoors. I have never regretted the purchase, but if my eyes weren't so fvcked up I probably wouldn't have got the Oakleys.

I don't believe in the knock-off brands, if you're even thinking about buying them you obviously don't need quality eyewear. The $50 range is a nice compromise between high end and the cheap mall crap.

Viper GTS

I have the same problem. EXTREMELY light sensitive eyes. On a bright summer day I literally cant go outside without sunglasses.
Quality glasses arent just worth it to me, there a requireemnt if I dont want to get sick. Damnedable ball of birght flame in the sky

 

[techfuzz]

I would be fully comfortable to replace my existing pair with something new like this:
http://www.sunglasshut.com/sghus.cfm?dir=templates&page=productpage&sitecategory=sunglasses&nproductid=104594

techfuzz

 

[ojai00]

Be careful with the knockoffs because they might not have UV protection, even though there is a sticker on them. If you want to save your eyes, get the real deal.

 

[kag]

I was asking myself the same question two years ago. I had the money so I went ahead and spent $175 on a pair of polarized Arnette. I didn't understand what the hype about polarization was about, but once you go that way, you will never look back at a $10 pair of shades again.

 

[lancestorm]

Originally posted by: techfuzz
I would be fully comfortable to replace my existing pair with something new like this:
http://www.sunglasshut.com/sghus.cfm?dir=templates&page=productpage&sitecategory=sunglasses&nproductid=104594

techfuzz

HOLY FREEOLI BATMAN! $175! Does it come with Internet access?

I guess I just need to get accustomed to the prices. What I see is very expensive plastic/metal...

It is almost the same kind of shock I got at the price of home theater audio systems. Now it's not such a big deal anymore.

 

[Daishiki]

oakleys. great customer service

 

[kyparrish]

i've worn oakley's for years

my first pair broke from severe heat after 3 summers, i left my 2nd pair at school one day after i had them for like 3 more years, and i'm going on my 3rd pair now...
i've always stayed around the $90-$110 price range, which is "entry-level" for oakleys

if you don't lose stuff easily, i would recommend a nice pair, if you lose stuff all the time, just get some cheapies

 

[GasX]

When I was in school, I bought a nice pair of serengetti driving glasses. It upset me when I scratched them, which was inevitable. I have never bought an expensive pair since. The best place I have found to buy singlasses is a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike. They sell 1 pair for $15 or 2 for $25 and have a huge selection. I just buy a pair every so often and don't get worried when I lose them, scratch them, step on them, etc...

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: lancestorm
I guess I just need to get accustomed to the prices. What I see is very expensive plastic/metal...

It is almost the same kind of shock I got at the price of home theater audio systems. Now it's not such a big deal anymore.

It's usually not the plastic/metal that is expensive, it's the manufacturing process that creates the 10+ layers that make up the lenses. Most cheap sunglasses might have 2 or 3 layers, whereas quality glasses have many times that. I agree, the sticker shock can get to you sometimes. I'd rather pay a little more now and be able to see better in 40-50 years.

techfuzz

 

[lancestorm]

Okay, WTF. I tried Vogue glasses on yesterday and they looked just great.

But every link I click on at SunGlassHut (which is where I tried them on yesterday!) mentions they are women style glasses. I should have gotten a clue when I originally saw the brand name, but didn't. Is it "wrong" for guys to where these? I thought they looked pretty good....?

 

[Viper0329]

I received a pair of silver Bolle Swishers for graduation from my parents. My eyes love me for them. I'm never going back to cheap sunglasses again.

 

[BA]

The endurance of sunglasses seems to be inversely related to price. $1 ones last forever. If I actually pay for some, I sit on them in a week or something.

 

[loup garou]

Personally, I like the weight of metal frames and glass lenses. Ray-Ban is the only way to go in that respect. I've had my pair of Ray Bans (these, I believe) for 3 years and they just crapped out the other day. They have the flexible frames and the part where the frame around the lenses meets the part that goes behind your ear broke (where it flexes). I think that I can have them repaired under warranty, but I kind of want some polarized ones with a more square lens. Anyways, I highly recommend Ray-Bans, especially the High Street line.

 

[lancestorm]

What is special about polarized?