Ok, it’s been a few weeks since we gave you our first look at the prescription Oakley sunglasses provided by ADS Sports Eyewear.
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As I mentioned earlier, the process to select a pair of prescription cycling sunglasses is easy — ADS walks you through the entire process, from selecting the frames, to entering your prescription. As many of you may know, ordering things online without the ability to try a product on can be daunting. Luckily, ADS offers a “Try Before You Buy” program, where they will send samples of the frames you choose before making the the prescription lenses. The only cost for that program is the return shipping (details available in the link above).
One thing that ADS does, unlike some other companies, is grind their own Oakley sunglasses lenses…even lenses that are outside Oakley’s own limits in terms of prescription strength. And ADS has some technology tricks up their sleeves; they use a couple of techniques to make the lenses clearer and thinner than a number of their competitors. They use a combination of free-form digital lens surfacing and lenticular free-form lens shaping (best explained by visiting ADS’s handy tech pages). I will say this: gone is the distortion and nauseating feeling I got from another pair of prescription wraparound sunglasses. The ADS iteration, with the free-form surfacing, means I have a much larger “sweet spot” that isn’t distorted in the corners and edges of my vision. This makes a HUGE difference to me.
I had my kids pick out the Oakley frame color and lens color from the many choices on the ADS site. Being children fascinated by bright colors, they chose white frames, blue earsocks and lurid violet “Iridium” lens coating. Alas, since these aren’t Oakley factory lenses, Iridium coatings were not available. Perhaps that’s a good thing; my fashion-sense is already somewhat impaired. I’m not sure I could pull off loud Bootsy Collins reflective coatings! On the plus side, my new glasses DO match my helmet:
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I was, however, able to get polarized lenses. Those lenses also make a giant difference in vision quality for me. Many of my rides go from bright sunlight to darkened wooded trails and back at the blink of any eye. Also, there’s a lot of shiny tarmac around this part of Ohio. Polarized lenses cut the sheen off the pavement and seemed to help with the transitions between light and dark as I rode. So, I felt as if I was able to ride with more confidence. An unanticipated benefit: I now have a sizeable advantage when I go fishing; I can see those little swimmers under the surface of the water with these polarized lenses!
As for the glasses themselves, they are Oakley’s usual high quality: stout frames, great slip-proof earsocks and nosepieces, and rock-solid hinges. The Half Jacket 2.0′s lens shape is, I feel, a substantial improvement over the previous version. There’s a little bit of extra coverage in the lower corners that keeps eye-watering winds to a minimum. The frameless lower portion of the lens is great for cyclists, as well…a nice unobstructed view of the road ahead while you are in a riding position.
ADS Sports Eyewear glasses aren’t cheap…prescription eyewear featuring name brand frames and lenses never are. In my case, the frames and lenses ran around $400. ADS does have some great warranties and “best price” guarantees, but what they really excel in is “value-added features”. They offer a huge selection of frames and coach the buyer through every step of the process…before, during, AND after purchase. I was rather blown away by their customer service; they answered a bunch of questions of a technical nature without me identifying myself as the reviewer, and they made sure I was satisfied with my prescription. They even offered to regrind the lenses if I had so much as a doubt they were incorrect (my lenses weren’t…right on the money the FIRST time). So, the whole package is worth the price of admission.
If you’re in the market for some sport-specific prescription (or even non-prescription) eyewear, ADS is a fantastic source. They have a huge selection and so many positive features that you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to get outfitted. Swing on over to their website to get a feel for the wide variety of brands and colors they offer.
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