I Wear My Sunglasses At Night
Written: Mar 22 '04 (Updated Mar 22 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tapered lenses really work! Plenty of tints available.
Cons: Only for the "above average" head size. Not a true con, just a caveat.
The Bottom Line: My new favorites. Smith has produced an excellent and affordable interchangeable lens system.
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| davke's Full Review: Smith Slider Series Mainline Black Sunglasses |
"Corey Hart" is the name you're trying to remember. Sorry if I got that song stuck in your head....
I purchased Smith's Sliders to solve a problem, namely carrying three pair of "sunglasses" around all the time. I've placed quotation marks around "sunglasses," because not all of them are designed to defeat harsh glare -- I have taken to wearing yellow-tinted lenses to increase available light during dawn and dusk, brown-tinted lenses to increase contrast in bright light, and the gray-tinted lenses we usually associate with "sunglasses." Anyway, before it gets irritating, I'll remove the quotation marks from remaining references to sunglasses. "Sports Optics" seems to be marketing-speak and, although not inaccurate, I'll avoid it nonetheless.
Smith Sliders solved my redundant sunglasses problem because there is one frame and three sets of lenses, which conveniently slide in and out of the frame according to your needs at the time. It's a simple but effective design, and a relatively inexpensive one considering the quality of the system and the fact that you're essentially purchasing three pairs of glasses. I paid $90 for mine at Oshman's Sporting Goods, or about $10 less than MSRP.
For the purchasing price, I received the following:
The frame is a flexible but sturdy nylon, officially called Grilamid TR90 Nylon. The Mainline Series, which is what this review specifically covers, is designed for the medium to large head. I wear a 7 1/4 hat, just to give you a reference point, and these fit comfortably. The frame is a lightweight wrap-around design to protect you from wind and reflected glare. The design is effective -- here in the Land of Enchantment we specialize in wind and glare (and good chile and bad driving). The stainless steel hinges are sturdy. The nose rest and ... ear rests (?) are of a softer material and offer some sticktoitiveness. According to Smith, the frame is resistant to sunscreen lotions. So far, this is true, and I hope it continues to be, since my last pair of Oakley's did not survive such horrors and flaked rather badly. The Smith frame is slotted at the top for removal and insertion of lenses, shows no dangerous stress during the operation, and holds the lenses securely in place. In all, I think the frame is stylish, but I'm not known for my fashion sense, so take your mirror's word for it, instead.
The lenses are of an ingenious design. Three sets of lenses are included, supposedly tinted Sienna Brown, RC36 (rose-copper), and Yellow. I say "supposedly," because mine did not come with RC36. I received True Color Gray, instead. I can't explain that, and I'm not complaining -- rose-colored glasses actually are very useful, but gray is good for me. Check the contents of the box to make sure, instead of just reading the label. The lenses are thicker in the area closest to the nose, and then thin outward. Smith calls this "Tapered Lens Technology," and the idea is to prevent the prismatic effect that light can have on curved lenses. This is not a gimmick. I have Oakley's, X-OOR's, Zeal's, and Ray-Ban sunglasses sitting around the house right now, and Smith provides better peripheral vision than any of them. Also, the tapering seems to make changing the lenses simpler than might otherwise be the case. The lenses are "Carbonic." Frankly, I don't know what that means. Neither does the copy of Oxford's Concise Science Dictionary sitting on my desk. I'm thinking it's more marketing-speak. At any rate, they exceed ANSI 280.3 safety tests, and I trust everything ANSI says, so I didn't bother banging them with a rubber mallet -- which is roughly what ANSI is saying they will survive. In all, Smith offers ten tints aside from the three you initially receive, if you'll allow me to include "Clear" as a tint. By the way, the Clear lenses are a good choice to make if you do any camping or other nighttime activities in cold or windy conditions, and purchasing them really will allow you to wear your sunglasses at night, just like me and Corey. Replacement/additional lenses range in prices from around $20 to around $50 a set, with the higher prices for the three types of polarized lenses. The initial lenses will all protect you from UVA and UVB, but are not polarized.
Finally, there is a very good case made of "compressed fleece," which is presumably taken from dieting sheep. It is a black, wrap-around case with velcro fasteners. The seams seem sturdy enough, and it has pockets to keep two sets of spare lenses in. The velcro fastens in two places, one for when the frame is in the case, the other for when it is not. The Smith logo adorns the outside. You also receive a small Smith decal, which I immediately affixed to my pencil holder, which is where I put all my superfluous decals. The enclosed instructions, explaining how to change lenses, are brief and straightforward.
As I mentioned, I own several pairs of sunglasses. I haven't worn any of the others since I purchased the Smith Sliders. There are some drawbacks to the product, particularly that you must touch the lenses when changing them, and salt tends to condense between the lens and frame, leaving me to carry a soft cloth in my golf bag or in the seat bag of my bicycle for cleaning the lenses. And the wrap-around style is too bulky to carry in a shirt or suit pocket, but these sunglasses are more for sports-related activities and hat-top wearing than for weddings and business meetings (unless your meeting is on a golf course, of course). Yet these drawbacks are minor considering the excellence of the tapered lenses and the subsequent excellent peripheral vision. And then there's the fact that I only have to carry one pair. In all, I highly recommend this product. They'll make your pencil holder spiffier, too.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
davke
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Member: David
Location: Greene Co., Tennessee
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 27 members
About Me:
I Epinions, therefore I am.
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