# eye protection help / oakley alternative



## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

I'm having a hard time in the trees, and my vision tends to get the best of me. I have a hard time with depth perception in the low light, so I've been looking for riding glasses with really good optics and has yellow or light orange (NOT a rose or red or grey) tint them.

I've been using Oakleys now for a ridiculous amount of years, and I think it's time to change. The biggest reason is I'd like to find something with yellow lenses. The trail lenses are too dark, and the light rose color isn't really helpful in the shades. Better than the trail lenses, but at that point, I might as well ride with clear lenses. Oakley years ago used to have yellow and permission (light orange) lenses, but did away with them in favor of their crap that doesn't work for me in low light.

Any suggestions? The only other one I can think of is Smith, but I know very little about them.


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## brex17 (Jan 31, 2019)

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EGO-Safety-Glasses-Yellow-Lens/5000885885


I'm done with overpriced crap like oakley.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I use the clear lenses in my Oakleys. I have the yellow and Prizm Trail lenses for my Racing Jacket. I prefer the clear lenses. 

I frequent an area with lots of trees and have a similar issue with going from light to shaded areas. The clear lenses work best for me. I just use the third party clear lenses from Amazon.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Interesting. I ride in some pretty heavily treed areas (trails aptly called "Black Forest", etc.). Generally speaking, my Prizm Trails are bright AF for me. So much so, that I want something darker 










I don't know what tints are available but my next glasses are going to be Pit Vipers!!!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

I'm not looking to go with cheap lenses. I can't handle the distortion with them. 

My Prizm Trails seem like exactly the wrong thing for me: either too dark or not dark enough. It's weird.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

stripes said:


> I'm not looking to go with cheap lenses. I can't handle the distortion with them.
> 
> My Prizm Trails seem like exactly the wrong thing for me: either too dark or not dark enough. It's weird.


I've never tried PVs. Are they horrible?

I am not in love with my Prizm Trails either.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

stripes said:


> I'm not looking to go with cheap lenses. I can't handle the distortion with them.
> 
> My Prizm Trails seem like exactly the wrong thing for me: either too dark or not dark enough. It's weird.


Only distortion I can notice is if there is an extreme curve in the lens. I have the third party lens on my Jawbreakers too. The only distortion I can notice is the curve at the top of the lens. If I look up...I can see some distortion at the top...otherwise...I can't notice it anywhere else. I don't notice any on the Racing Jackets. The brand matters too.


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## kevine1785 (Mar 29, 2021)

I just took the plunge and ordered some Pit Vipers&#8230; they look ridiculous&#8230; ly awesome and have been reviewed well: 








Pit Viper Polarized Review


Pit Viper's Originals performed nearly as well as some of the best glasses in our test at less than half the price. With three points of adjustment, the...




www.outdoorgearlab.com


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## kevine1785 (Mar 29, 2021)

Also check out 100% they have tons of lens options and styles ( but you will be paying the same as Oakleys)








Sport Performance Sunglasses - Mens, Womens and Youth Sport Sunglasses


100% sport performance sunglasses combine superior clarity, and ultimate protection with timeless style for enhanced vision and unparalleled performance.




www.100percent.com


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I've never tried PVs. Are they horrible?
> 
> I am not in love with my Prizm Trails either.


What are PVs?

Yeah the latest lenses from Oakley really have a big suck factor to them.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

stripes said:


> What are PVs?
> 
> Yeah the latest lenses from Oakley really have a big suck factor to them.


Pit Vipers. I thought you referring to them as having a crap lens.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

kevine1785 said:


> I just took the plunge and ordered some Pit Vipers&#8230; they look ridiculous&#8230; ly awesome and have been reviewed well:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks still dark for me in the trees. Not really what I'm looking for.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtnbkrmike said:


> Pit Vipers. I thought you referring to them as having a crap lens.


No, the Lowes glaases someone posted. The pit vipers are too dark. I have plenty of polarized lenses that i use out in the open.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

kevine1785 said:


> Also check out 100% they have tons of lens options and styles ( but you will be paying the same as Oakleys)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cost is not my concern-quality of the lens and lack of distortion is important. 100% definitely looks like a good contender. Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NS-NV (Aug 15, 2006)

mtnbkrmike said:


> Interesting. I ride in some pretty heavily treed areas (trails aptly called "Black Forest", etc.). Generally speaking, my Prizm Trails are bright AF for me. So much so, that I want something darker
> 
> View attachment 1937910
> 
> ...


Man, how I miss those sisters&#8230;

+1on the PrismTrail lenses. I wear them from blinding Colorado sun, to full North Shore dank. Much brighter than a yellow lenses in darker conditions.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

stripes said:


> I'm having a hard time in the trees, and my vision tends to get the best of me. I have a hard time with depth perception in the low light, so I've been looking for riding glasses with really good optics and has yellow or light orange (NOT a rose or red or grey) tint them.
> 
> I've been using Oakleys now for a ridiculous amount of years, and I think it's time to change. The biggest reason is I'd like to find something with yellow lenses. The trail lenses are too dark, and the light rose color isn't really helpful in the shades. Better than the trail lenses, but at that point, I might as well ride with clear lenses. Oakley years ago used to have yellow and permission (light orange) lenses, but did away with them in favor of their crap that doesn't work for me in low light.
> 
> Any suggestions? The only other one I can think of is Smith, but I know very little about them.


Why not get the Oakleys with the photochromatic lenses? They work quite well.


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## silentG (May 18, 2009)

What about a goggle like Smith Squad or Leatt?

Lots of lens color options for different conditions and changeable lenses.


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## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

I got a pair of Rudy Project sunglasses with photochromatic lenses and love them. They adjust to the lighting almost instantly and always have just the right amount of tint. Almost 0 tint in shade and up to a dark tint in direct sunlight. They don't squeeze my head as much as Oakley's either but stay very secure. No distortion from the lenses no matter where you're looking.

Prizm trails are to dark for me too. Seems like they're good for west coast pines but to dark for dense east coast forests.


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## Mountainfrog (Mar 7, 2006)

I've had the Persimmon lenses in my older Half Jackets and they worked perfectly from going light to dark to light, especially in the woods. I'm not sure if they have them for the newer Half Jackets of which I'm using Photochromatic now as I've moved to the desert. The Persimmon worked better at night than the Yellow lenses in the city when I road the canals because of the lights. I always wanted some Rose colored lenses, I heard they give you a cheerful disposition. Color matters!


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

stripes said:


> I'm having a hard time in the trees, and my vision tends to get the best of me. I have a hard time with depth perception in the low light, so I've been looking for riding glasses with really good optics and has yellow or light orange (NOT a rose or red or grey) tint them.
> 
> I've been using Oakleys now for a ridiculous amount of years, and I think it's time to change. The biggest reason is I'd like to find something with yellow lenses. The trail lenses are too dark, and the light rose color isn't really helpful in the shades. Better than the trail lenses, but at that point, I might as well ride with clear lenses. Oakley years ago used to have yellow and permission (light orange) lenses, but did away with them in favor of their crap that doesn't work for me in low light.
> 
> Any suggestions? The only other one I can think of is Smith, but I know very little about them.


Any hardware store should have yellow lensed safety glasses.
I have two pairs of 3M safety glasses, yellow lenses. Cost me around 30 bucks converted from local currency for both pairs. Good quality lenses. 
If looking for cycling specific go offbrand. I have a set with three lenses, one polarized, one yellow and one clear. 35 bucks converted. Chainstore own brand.
But I have also sprung for Oakleys. With the PRIZM Trail lens. I'm quite happy with them.


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## MyDadSucks (Sep 6, 2017)

i have the Sutros that i got recently for a steal (otherwise wouldn't have bought them), with the pink/rose lens. I agree, they do get a bit too dark under heavy tree cover, but i picked up the clear lens for when i'm doing rides in those areas and its been great. I'd say if you need something between those two, id try and get a pair of POCs with the clarity lens, or a pair of the Rudy project spin shield. I had the POCs and lost them but they were great in low light, and have heard a lot of things about the Rudys.


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## Padlz (Oct 24, 2017)

Sounds like your current Oaks have removable lenses. You can try a third party lens that comes in yellow. I've tried Revant lenses (albeit not the yellows) in the past and the quality is there. They make yellow lenses for a lot of different Oakley frames. I can also vouch for Smiths yellow lenses in really low light situations. I keep a pair of old Smiths sliders around just for those days when I need the yellows. (I'm riding Radar EVs as my daily driver, and I too wish Oakley would make some yellows for those frames, but I only need the yellows 3-4 times a year so it's easy to just use the Smiths).









Sunglass & Prescription Replacement Lenses | Revant Optics


High-quality sunglass and prescription replacement lenses for Oakley, Ray-Ban, Costa, Spy, Maui Jim and more. Fast, free US shipping and returns.




www.revantoptics.com


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Why not get the Oakleys with the photochromatic lenses? They work quite well.


They don't have them AFAIK. I have Flak Jackets and Radar EVs, and they appear that they have very limited in anything that's not their darker polarized, and as I mentioned before, the Prizm trails are too dark for me.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Padlz said:


> Sounds like your current Oaks have removable lenses. You can try a third party lens that comes in yellow. I've tried Revant lenses (albeit not the yellows) in the past and the quality is there. They make yellow lenses for a lot of different Oakley frames. I can also vouch for Smiths yellow lenses in really low light situations. I keep a pair of old Smiths sliders around just for those days when I need the yellows. (I'm riding Radar EVs as my daily driver, and I too wish Oakley would make some yellows for those frames, but I only need the yellows 3-4 times a year so it's easy to just use the Smiths).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Woot! this might be perfect! I have an older set of Flak Jackets that they make yellow lenses for. Thank you so much!


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

stripes said:


> They don't have them AFAIK. I have Flak Jackets and Radar EVs, and they appear that they have very limited in anything that's not their darker polarized, and as I mentioned before, the Prizm trails are too dark for me.


They do - I have a pair (custom Flak jackets). Here's a set of Flak 2.0 with photochromic lenses:

Oakley Flak 2.0 XL Clear to Black Photochromic Sunglasses Men's Sunglasses OO9188-918816-59 OO9188-918816-59 - Sunglasses, Oakley - Jomashop

Also, you can have a set of custom Flak 2.0's made and then add the XL photochromic lenses (Flak 2.0 and Flak 2.0 XL's use the same frame).


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

RickBullottaPA said:


> They do - I have a pair (custom Flak jackets). Here's a set of Flak 2.0 with photochromic lenses:
> 
> Oakley Flak 2.0 XL Clear to Black Photochromic Sunglasses Men's Sunglasses OO9188-918816-59 OO9188-918816-59 - Sunglasses, Oakley - Jomashop
> 
> Also, you can have a set of custom Flak 2.0's made and then add the XL photochromic lenses (Flak 2.0 and Flak 2.0 XL's use the same frame).


How do you understand what it is by the code on the sunglasses? I can't find any type of ID search online. I know I have Flak Jackets, I just don't know if they're 2.0s or Asian fit, or both.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

stripes said:


> How do you understand what it is by the code on the sunglasses? I can't find any type of ID search online. I know I have Flak Jackets, I just don't know if they're 2.0s or Asian fit, or both.


Above my pay grade. ;-) I'd give Oakley a call - I'm sure they'll be able to ID them.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

It should be on the inside of one of the arms. At least my (now ancient) flak jackets have 'flak jacket XLJ' stamped on the arm.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Here ya go:

The Differences Between Standard vs XLJ vs XL Lenses | Revant Optics

This discusses original Flak jackets vs Flak 2.0, and the fact that longer lenses (XLJ or XL) are available for both. Photochromic lenses are available for both AFAIK.


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## chiefsilverback (Dec 20, 2019)

I have photo chromatics for my original Flak Jackets from both Oakley (RX) and Revant (non-RX). I do find that the lenses darken fast but take time to clear which can be a pain.

A couple of years ago POC announced their 'solar switch' technology which changes tint instantaneously. Not sure if they came and went or never made it to market but that would be nice.


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## chiefsilverback (Dec 20, 2019)

chiefsilverback said:


> I have photo chromatics for my original Flak Jackets from both Oakley (RX) and Revant (non-RX). I do find that the lenses darken fast but take time to clear which can be a pain.


BTW - I got the Oakley RX lenses through SportRX, they had 30% off Oakley RX lenses last year so I grabbed a pair...


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## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

I stopped messing with any of the "trail" tints and use actual prescription quality lenses with a photochromatic treatment. 

Basically clear in the woods for best depth perception and acuity, then when I'm actually in the sun they darken as much as they need to. 

The problem with any tinted lenses in low light situations is that they WILL filter out useful, beneficial light. This will decrease depth perception and visual acuity. All of the companies that claim otherwise are full of marketing BS. 

The only way permanently tinted lenses on a mountain bike make sense is if you basically always ride on exposed trails with consistent sun. If you live anywhere with woods and changing conditions, a constant tint is going to do more harm than good.


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## fabricio fracchia (Mar 11, 2006)

stripes said:


> I'm having a hard time in the trees, and my vision tends to get the best of me. I have a hard time with depth perception in the low light, so I've been looking for riding glasses with really good optics and has yellow or light orange (NOT a rose or red or grey) tint them.
> 
> I've been using Oakleys now for a ridiculous amount of years, and I think it's time to change. The biggest reason is I'd like to find something with yellow lenses. The trail lenses are too dark, and the light rose color isn't really helpful in the shades. Better than the trail lenses, but at that point, I might as well ride with clear lenses. Oakley years ago used to have yellow and permission (light orange) lenses, but did away with them in favor of their crap that doesn't work for me in low light.
> 
> Any suggestions? The only other one I can think of is Smith, but I know very little about them.


I always was a Oakley fan because the design and performance, but after many years I had soo many bad experiences with lenses getting damaged just because stored (even cleaning them with fresh water and soft soap after each use) that I gave up. I pulled the trigger in one french brand Julbo and they has been more than amazing, my last pair are the Julbo Rush Performance with REACTIV Photochromic lenses, they are clear in the dark and give enough darkness during sunny rides, they change the color and you will not feel it, they are amazing covering the eyes because are wide but not soo stupid wide, light, and you can adapt the angle and shape of the legs as well, during climbing or hot days they manage very well the heat and doesn't fog. In conclusion will be very hard to change from Julbo in the future.


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## timobkg (May 24, 2009)

Rudy Project - I got a pair of Rudy Project Rydon glasses over a decade ago and have been using them ever since. They have a Yellow tint available with 87% light transmission, and even a Clear lens with 92% transmission which I use on cloudy days (or when playing tennis at night), though I usually use a Photochromic Clear to Red lens for mountain biking - great for providing good visibility in low light areas, while having just enough tint to not blind me when going in and out of shade and get dark enough to leave my eyes comfortable when out in the sun.









Rydon


The Rydon uses interchangeable lenses with photochromic options, adjustable fit and RX compatibility to create a versatile outdoor performance sunglass




www.rudyprojectna.com












Rydon Replacement Lenses


The Rydon sunglasses from Rudy Project have a variety of replacement lenses that feature non polarized, polarized, photochromic, and Rx options.




www.rudyprojectna.com





I have the Rydon and love them - they fit me really well, are really comfortable, and provide lots of coverage and eye protection - but it looks like they've come out with new models since then that also look pretty cool like the Tralyx and Cutline. The Rydon have the most lens colors available.


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