High RX sports sunglasses

[Time Waster]

You guys who can get away without prescription glasses or have a low prescription are very lucky. I've got a high prescription and it is next to impossible to get preesription sunglasses that offer decent coverage. Mostly I have to get normal glasses with tinted lenses and light flooding in the side for low protection.

Anyway, my new opticians in a nearby village has found a make that would work with my high prescription. It has a frame with a plastic shield that allows a flat, high prescrition lens fit. The frame is kind of wrap around but the lens will fit in them flat. Anyway, being a bit vain I think they look a bit like safety goggles. What do you guys think about the following options. Bear in mind most of the main sports sunglass brands only cope with up to + or - 6 prescription. My rx is a worse than that so the distortion in say a bolle frame would create effectively tunnel vision.

Cruiser
Circuit Flex XL
Element
Lowrider

Do these look a bit too goggle like for on the bike and off the bike / hiking use/ travel use? I did see a pair of bolle RX sunglasses with a similar look just doesn't accept an RX higher or lower than a 6 in +/-. Thing is I need sunglasses to reduce light in summer at times, photosensitive at times. just not sure I can get away with these. Is this vanity, do you think any of these look ok or other? Looking for opinions or alternatives if anyone knows of one.

 

[EckyH]

Rudy Project offers models for "high RX": https://www.rudyproject.com/en-gb/sunglasses?f[0]=rx_solutions:81
Perhaps one of them could be an alternative...

E.

 

[Time Waster]

The issue with high rx lenses and the wraparound you can not get flat high rx lenses in them if they are too curved. Since you can not get curved prescription lenses at high rx because the curved outer edges would be too distorted to see through with clarity. This gives you tunnel vision on the flat central field of view.

The ones I show seem to be a means to get a frame that wraps around to block out more side light (coverage) but with flat lenses located in the correct orientation for good clarity of sight. Bolle do similar to what I linked to above but the do not accept above about +/- 6 or 6.5. These are the only options my optician has managed to find that can work with my current prescription lenses (the highest refractive index commonly supplied at 1.72 IIRC to make them as thin as possible). Incidentally I get one of the best opthalmic lens brands, which used to be a camera lens brand too back in the day IIRC, as they have a lot better edge quality with less distortion of the vision at the edges of the lens than say the best that specsavers (or other high street opticians chain) can offer.

I got my new glasses with them in and despite being very little change in rx than my old ones I still got them and the comparison with old and new was amazing. Only 0.25 difference in one eye and nothing in the other but the better lens quality made the new ones so much better. This is what makes me doubt thee rudy projects can get good optical quality in lenses in their wraparound glasses no matter what they claim.

It does sound like the Rudy Projects optical dock might work but I just cannot see it working somehow. Not after the explanation from my optician. BTW they have looked at most main sports sunglass brands for options. They sell bolle and oakley but I think they sell julbo too. They said that they can get any brand as they are fully independent so not tied down to any supplier.

 

[raleighnut]

I think the 'cruiser' ones look fine.

 

[Spiderweb]

They all look fine especially the ‘element’ model.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Circuit flex appears to have gaps round lens to allow airflow and reduce fogging when cycling hard. I’d go for those on that basis.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I think they look fine - the Element ones in particular, less frame and look 'lighter'.

They are very similar in style to a pair of Bloc normal sunglasses that I wear.

 

[DogmaStu]

Admittedly my prescription isn't high but RX Sport do have glasses for high prescriptions that cater for what you want.

https://www.rxsport.co.uk/product-category/sports/cycling/cycling-prescription-sunglasses/

I have been using RX Sport for the past 10 years or so, very good service.