Mute
Member
If you require prescription glasses than you've probably had the same experience I've had in finding a good set of sportglasses for shooting.
I've tried numerous brands in the past, eventually settling on Oakley M-Frames with the prescription inserts. These worked very well. Oakleys had good quality lenses with no distortion and great optical quality. I also had great experiences with their customer service. The only small annoyance I had with the Rx M-Frames was in the design. To make them Rx capable, Oakley cuts a whole in the main lens and insert the prescription lens into the cutout. The main problem with this is that it left the main lens with portions that were very thin and susceptible to stress cracks over time. From my personal experience, the lens would eventually crack and need to be replaced about every 4-6 months, even without heavy usage. Since I live near Oakley HQ it was easy for me to take them in and have the main lens (and the frame, if necessary) replaced. They had always done so under warrantly without any cost to me. However, it was an annoyance having to do so nonetheless.
That being the case, I was always looking for a better solution. I believe I finally found it. I just received a pair of prescription sunglasses made by Rudy Project. Specifically the Rydon II. Rudy Project deals with the needs of prescription wearers in two ways. The first is what they call Rx Insert, which is a set of prescription lenses that can be attached to the nosepiece of their sunglasses and is basically a secondary lens behind the main less. The other is what they call Rx Direct. This takes the main lens and ground it to your prescription, so there is only one lens.
Initial impressions on the Rudy Rydon compared to Oakley M-frames:
1. Material/Construction - As good as Oakley if not better. They should prove to be as durable.
2. Lens Quality - No distortion at all. Excellent optical clarity. I ordered to sets of lenses. A darker gray for sunny days and a set in yellow for indoors and overcast days. The yellow gives incredible contrast. On an overcast days, it feels like a sunny day without the glare. Haven't had a really sunny day yet to test the gray lens.
3. Adjustability - Much better than the Oakleys. Nosepiece and earpiece, infinitely adjustable and has a very comfortable rubber cover.
4. Lens changes - I always found the M-Frame a pain in the ass when it came time to switch lenses. Enough so that I would rather have two pairs of glasses than try to swap lenses. On the Rudys they are a breeze. Lenses could be changed in a few seconds.
5. Warranty - Rudy offers 3 years on frames vs. 1 year for Oakely. For lenses, Oakley does not cover scratches. Rudy has a Replacement Lens Guarantee which allows the consumer to purchase replacement lenses for $14.95 regardless of the reason for replacement. You just send in the old lenses with a check to receive the new lens. None of the above cover prescription lenses from either company unfortunately.
6. Customer service - Oakley always did right by me. I have not yet needed to use CS for Rudy so can't say at this time.
7. Price - Basically a tie. Both are priced more or less in the same price range. In other words, they aren't cheap. But value wise, until someone else can deliver the same quality and performance, I don't have a problem with the pricing.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with the Rudy Projects. For now, these will be my goto glasses for sport activies and shooting.
I've tried numerous brands in the past, eventually settling on Oakley M-Frames with the prescription inserts. These worked very well. Oakleys had good quality lenses with no distortion and great optical quality. I also had great experiences with their customer service. The only small annoyance I had with the Rx M-Frames was in the design. To make them Rx capable, Oakley cuts a whole in the main lens and insert the prescription lens into the cutout. The main problem with this is that it left the main lens with portions that were very thin and susceptible to stress cracks over time. From my personal experience, the lens would eventually crack and need to be replaced about every 4-6 months, even without heavy usage. Since I live near Oakley HQ it was easy for me to take them in and have the main lens (and the frame, if necessary) replaced. They had always done so under warrantly without any cost to me. However, it was an annoyance having to do so nonetheless.
That being the case, I was always looking for a better solution. I believe I finally found it. I just received a pair of prescription sunglasses made by Rudy Project. Specifically the Rydon II. Rudy Project deals with the needs of prescription wearers in two ways. The first is what they call Rx Insert, which is a set of prescription lenses that can be attached to the nosepiece of their sunglasses and is basically a secondary lens behind the main less. The other is what they call Rx Direct. This takes the main lens and ground it to your prescription, so there is only one lens.
Initial impressions on the Rudy Rydon compared to Oakley M-frames:
1. Material/Construction - As good as Oakley if not better. They should prove to be as durable.
2. Lens Quality - No distortion at all. Excellent optical clarity. I ordered to sets of lenses. A darker gray for sunny days and a set in yellow for indoors and overcast days. The yellow gives incredible contrast. On an overcast days, it feels like a sunny day without the glare. Haven't had a really sunny day yet to test the gray lens.
3. Adjustability - Much better than the Oakleys. Nosepiece and earpiece, infinitely adjustable and has a very comfortable rubber cover.
4. Lens changes - I always found the M-Frame a pain in the ass when it came time to switch lenses. Enough so that I would rather have two pairs of glasses than try to swap lenses. On the Rudys they are a breeze. Lenses could be changed in a few seconds.
5. Warranty - Rudy offers 3 years on frames vs. 1 year for Oakely. For lenses, Oakley does not cover scratches. Rudy has a Replacement Lens Guarantee which allows the consumer to purchase replacement lenses for $14.95 regardless of the reason for replacement. You just send in the old lenses with a check to receive the new lens. None of the above cover prescription lenses from either company unfortunately.
6. Customer service - Oakley always did right by me. I have not yet needed to use CS for Rudy so can't say at this time.
7. Price - Basically a tie. Both are priced more or less in the same price range. In other words, they aren't cheap. But value wise, until someone else can deliver the same quality and performance, I don't have a problem with the pricing.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with the Rudy Projects. For now, these will be my goto glasses for sport activies and shooting.
