Prescription Shooting Glasses

[Captains1911]

I have been searching for prescription glasses with little to no luck. I would really like the ones where the lenses can be easily replaced, so that I could switch from clear, to grey for sunny days, and possibly even yellow. I have been to a few different eye doctors but none of them seem to be able to help, especially when considering my insurance. If anybody knows of somewhere online that I should be looking, that would be great. Thanks.

 

[rdtompki]

My wife uses Wiley X Talons with Rx inserts. They work well for shooting and the lenses are relatively easy to switch out.

I'm using Rudy Project photochromic single-prescription glasses focused at 24-26" (I'm shooting pistol). The new photochromic lenses are fantastic with transmission ranging from 20% to 80%; I don't have to change the lenses.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

http://www.tacticalrx.com/index.html

Full ballistic protection with swappable lenses. I have a set with a switch lens for the dominant eye - mixed distant for the off eye and pistol sights for the dominant eye or distant in both eyes for normal wear.

Notice that full wrap around ballistic protection is a very good thing.

 

[Laphroaig]

I have an older pair of Decot's. Mine have 3 sets of lenses and side shields. I checked their site and things seem to have changed somewhat but basically the same deal.

http://www.sportglasses.com/cart/products/64/Classic Hy-Wyd with Hy-Lo Bridge Package.htm

My eye insurance bought me the first set (frames and 1 pair lenses) and I have changed lenses several times using the insurance. My prescription either barely changes or stays the same, so I upgrade my shooting glasses when I don't need new lenses in my regular glasses.

Laphroaig

 

[herrwalther]

I bought my shooting/tactical glasses from SportRx. Before they had a shooting section you could put that they were for military or shooting purposes and they would upgrade the lenses to polycarbonate to meet ANSI spec. Now it is easier with the shooting category and your wallet will thank you.

http://www.sportrx.com/shopby/best_sports-shooting.html

 

[tygranch]

I've been in the optical business for over 35 years and have carried different brands over the years. I shoot highpower and am using an old pair of Zeiss Scopz frame which unfortunately isn't available anymore. I used to carry Wiley X and Decot. These days I sell almost exclusively Randolph Engineering. The Ranger Edge comes in several sizes and lenses are easily switched. Bolle (distributed by Bushnell) has the Vigilante which uses an insert that could be swithced and Liberty Sport makes several styles with replaceable lenses.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Wiley .. I use them for shooting and roller derby. Never gotten a black eye. They are not easy to 'swap lenses'.

Custom colored lenses (I have amber) are expensive. BEST shooting /safety glasses I have ever had.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/wiley-x-blink-sunglasses.html

 

[johnandersonoutdoors]

Several years ago I decided to get a pair of prescription sunglasses. I went to a local shop and ended up with a name brand wrap around style frame and grey tinted prescription lenses with some degree of impact protection. I like them and continue to use them for normal sunny conditions and some shooting use. I did pay a pretty hefty price for them and wanted to spend less when I decided to get some dedicated shooting safety glasses in the fall.

I looked around a bit online to give some though to the tint color, and then got my eyes checked. I was leaning towards an aviator style safety frame with side shields, something like this http://www.amazon.com/62110-Engineer-Aviator-Safety-Glasses/dp/B0042T45YC. A nice large front frame/lens that sits high on the face can be helpful compared to smaller frames where sometimes you find the frame itself getting in your line of sight depending on head tilt while shooting.

I hit the streets with my prescription and decided to start my brick and mortar shopping at Walmart. It also happens to be where I made my purchase. In minutes I zeroed in on a pair of safety frames for $25, similar to those in the above link. They fit me well. After a little more thought to the tint, I decided to go with yellow. They work well for me in low light conditions, up through even partially sunny conditions, and night driving. I do switch to my grey tinted sunglasses if it gets really bright out.

So the yellow tinted safety lenses were $35 and the grand total $60 something. I am very pleased with them so far, and the price was great.

 

[oneounceload]

For using different lenses Randoph makes their lenses in scrip or, with the XLW model, they make you a script insert so you can use their regular colored lenses easily epough (and which cost a lot less than getting several colored scrip lenses. TX Shooter's Optical (Tom Donahue) is awesome with his customer service. I bought three lenses and after a while found I wasn't using one of the colors so he let me exchange them. He had shipped my new ones to me on his nickel before I sent the others back.......

http://www.texasshootersoptical.com/

 

[tcj]

I just started using the Wiley-X Saber with RX insert with the dominant eye set for sight focus and the other eye for distance.

So far so good but it will take me a few more sessions before I know for certain that this was the right combo.

The RX insert is great...just not ready to say whether the different eye focus' is the way to go or not.

 

[RAT807]

I'm with TCJ on still trying to figure out if having a different script per eye is the way to go or not.

 

[Captains1911]

Well, I was leaning towards Rudy Project, until I found out they will cost over $800 for frames and two sets of lenses, and they do not accept any insurance. Wiley X doesn't accept insurance either, or so I have been told.

 

[njl]

$800? How'd you get that high? I overpaid quite a bit for my first set of Rudy's, but got my second ones pretty cheap. They run lots of sales. I'm guessing you were pricing them with Rx lenses and not plano lenses + Rx insert. I went the insert route as I figured it would be far more flexible/cheaper in the long run.

First set was Magster + Rx insert + clear lenses. Over time, I added photochromic clear and polarized, and then Rydons with photochromic clear and polarized. The Magster gives slightly better coverage, but they're fog-prone. The Rydons don't have that problem and are what I use the most. The photochromic polarized make great Rx sunglasses and are what I wear for yard work.

 

[Captains1911]

$800? How'd you get that high? I overpaid quite a bit for my first set of Rudy's, but got my second ones pretty cheap. They run lots of sales. I'm guessing you were pricing them with Rx lenses and not plano lenses + Rx insert. I went the insert route as I figured it would be far more flexible/cheaper in the long run.

First set was Magster + Rx insert + clear lenses. Over time, I added photochromic clear and polarized, and then Rydons with photochromic clear and polarized. The Magster gives slightly better coverage, but they're fog-prone. The Rydons don't have that problem and are what I use the most. The photochromic polarized make great Rx sunglasses and are what I wear for yard work.

I ended up paying a little over $700 after a 15% promo for Rydon frames and two pairs of Rx lenses (gray polarized with A/R coatings, and yellow.) I considered the plano lenses with Rx inserts, but it only would have saved $200 or so, and I wasn't crazy about that configuration. I shopped around a lot and came to the conclusion that these types of glasses just cost $$$$. I shoot a lot and instruct some, and so I decided it was an investment worth making.
I have not received them yet, hopefully soon.

 

[usfan]

I still have wiley-x goggles, & they worked for racquetball, motorcycle riding, & some shooting. I used transitions to dim the sun. But my 'upgrade' was to ESS.. a wrap around goggle that has interchangeable lenses from dark to clear, & uses a prescription insert behind them. They cover well, & work. I got slammed in racquetball last week, & the new goggles did the job. They protrude from the face a bit more, but not too much, & the wrap around covers everything. I use clear for indoor sports, & dark for outdoor. I picked up a separate frame so i don't have to change out lenses, just the insert.

I have the crossbow, but they have some other styles that use the same insert.

 

[rodspade]

I just went to my optician and told them I want prescription safety glasses. They look like normal glasses, but they have "safety" frames and polycarbonate lenses, and come with side shields that you can snap on for full coverage. My work paid for the regular glasses, and I paid for a pair of safety sunglasses (dark brown tint, polarized, excellent anti-glare coating).

I understand the allure of swappable wrap-around lenses, but I really like the convenience of my "regular" glasses/sunglasses (that I wear all the time) being my shooting glasses too.

 

[Captains1911]

I still have wiley-x goggles, & they worked for racquetball, motorcycle riding, & some shooting. I used transitions to dim the sun. But my 'upgrade' was to ESS.. a wrap around goggle that has interchangeable lenses from dark to clear, & uses a prescription insert behind them. They cover well, & work. I got slammed in racquetball last week, & the new goggles did the job. They protrude from the face a bit more, but not too much, & the wrap around covers everything. I use clear for indoor sports, & dark for outdoor. I picked up a separate frame so i don't have to change out lenses, just the insert.

I have the crossbow, but they have some other styles that use the same insert.

I wish I had found these earlier! Do you notice any issues with the inserts?

 

[usfan]

I wish I had found these earlier! Do you notice any issues with the inserts?

The prescription lens insert is pretty close to the eye, so it doesn't block peripheral vision much. I get some eyebrow smudging on them but i get that with my others, too. I like these better than my old wiley-x goggles because they breathe better & don't fog up as much. Another nice feature, is if the outer goggle gets banged or scratched, the prescription part is still good. You can just replace the cheaper outer lens, & not have to get new prescriptions. I've worked in them, rode motorcycles, range shooting, golf, racquetball, & they've worked well for me. I use the sunglasses mostly, & just the clear for R-ball.

edit: fyi, i got the prescription insert through optics planet.. ~ $100. The wraparound frames from ebay, ~ $60. It came with 2 frames, so i can have a clear & dark lens already set up. I just click out the insert & snap it into the other frame.

 

[Jim Watson]

I tried on a pair of ESS with Rx insert. My eyelashes flapped against the insert. Distracting.
But I like the idea and will check out other brands.

 

[njl]

Reasons not to go with Rudy Rx primary lenses:

1) AFAIK, the Rx lenses have less curvature, so you sacrifice side coverage.
2) Cost. Rx lenses cost way more than plano...and if you want to have several sets of lenses for different uses/lighting conditions, that adds up fast.
3) Cost (again). I expected my Rx to change as I age and its far cheaper to replace one set of Rx insert lenses than all the primary lenses.
4) Warranty. Plano ImpactX lenses have a lifetime replacement policy. Rx lenses just 1 year.
5) Rx complexity. Rudy doesn't even offer (at least not on their web site) all the types of correction I need.

I hated the idea of 2 sets of lenses in front of my eyes. I'd bought and immediately returned an ESS ICE set with Rx Insert, because they felt flimsy and had terrible glare with the plano Rx insert lenses.

I got my first set of Rudys a couple of years ago after taking a 230gr JHP ricochet right between the eyes at a bowling pin match wearing my every day glasses. I was lucky it just cut up my nose. I don't shoot without them now.

 

[Jim Watson]

Not clear, njl, are you saying Rudy Rx inserts are ok but ESS not?

 

[njl]

Not clear, njl, are you saying Rudy Rx inserts are ok but ESS not?

It could have just been cheap plano lenses that came in the ESS Rx insert...or maybe I tried them on top of my regular glasses. I honestly can't remember now...it was a number of years ago. My main issue with the ESS ICE was that they just felt like they'd fall apart. I tried those several years before my bowling pin wake up call.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have a query in to the nearest dealer Rudy shows.

 

[njl]

You'll end up paying too much that way. You'll probably to much better getting everything from e-rudy.com, using either a discount code or sale prices, and use any optical shop to get lenses put in the Rx insert.

 

[usfan]

I tried on a pair of ESS with Rx insert. My eyelashes flapped against the insert. Distracting.
But I like the idea and will check out other brands.

..probably too much mascara.. but seriously, i haven't had that problem, even with my long, lush lashes. But everyone's face is different, the nose piece will fit differently on people, so it has to be tried out for fit.

The ESS are very well made.. at least the crossbows i have. They are tactical, military grade, a division of oakley. I'm pretty serious about good eyewear. I spent quite a bit on the wiley-x glasses several years ago, & other than the steaming up, were a good solution & protected well. But they are scratched up & an older prescription, now, so i only keep them as a backup. If i find something that works better than these ESS insert wraps, i'd get them. But until then, i can recommend these as a good solution for serious protective eyewear.