I lost my faithful pair in the dark in the lake.
I looked on the net and have been inundated by ads for Shady Rays.
Look good but has anyone tried them?
I like the free replacement part for obvious reasons.
Just reading through their website and I see some things that make me wonder. I sold outdoor gear, including eyewear, for many years. There are a few things that make me curious why every model gets a 5 star review.
Ignoring that I want to know about the technology. Maybe it’s great, but there is nothing about that at their website. Maybe no big deal.
I look at the price and I see that they run between $38 - $69-ish bucks and come with some sort of a replacement guarantee. That sounds awesome but replacing my glasses if I sit on them costs them money which has to be figured into the cost of every pair sold.
Polarization costs next to nothing when figuring in manufacturing costs so no big deal there.
I didn’t spend more than 10 minutes digging for the info that I want to know when buying quality eyewear so I could have just missed it but it looks to me as though Shady Rays offers less than what you pay for. I’m thinking that if I need to take advantage of my replacement warranty it will take time and, unless I’m completely off base, I can replace them quickly for a fair price at any convenience store.
I have to admit that I am somewhat of an eyewear snob. I hold lens acuity and contrast as much more desirable qualities than polarization. Replacement warranty is never figured in to my decisions.
I have a lot of sunglasses of this quality that I purchased or I was given. My suggestion is to determine what matters most to you regarding vision and eye protection. Cheap can be just fine but it looks to me like these don’t offer much in terms of vision. Their “Fight Hunger” mission is awesome and maybe a reason to support them. Just know that their mission and their warranty comes at a cost.
I have a pair of Costas for the stated reasons that do not go paddling. Driving only.
If they are good enough to protect my eyes for a few hours once or twice a week in the boat, I’m happy.
Even if they are Chinese made. I may try them just to “see” how they are.
I’ve been wearing Strike King glasses for the past five years (with a Croakie retainer). I liked them so much I bought a second pair that goes into my kit, just in case. I like the side protection and the UVA and UVB protection as well. Found them in the fishing department of a local sports shop.
I go through a lot of sunglasses, so I buy the cheapest polarizing lens I can find. I can usually get them for $15 to $20 at the local convenience store. I prefer the straight frames rather than the curved ones since I find that they fog up less.
goodr
I’ve lost a fair number of pricey sunglasses. The goodr OG models are comfy, no slip, tough to fog up, good polarization and $25 so even if they escape their croakies it’s not a big hit if a sturgeon gets a new pair of shades if I screw up. Lots of color combos and silly names like Pineapple Painkillers and This is Sparta (not)
See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
Instagram: www.instagram.com/marshall.seddon
Rookie and Marshall, we may never meet but I think you both make good recommendations so I ordered one of each.
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“She had a west coast strut that was sweet as molasses,
but what really knocked me out, was her cheap sun glasses”.
By that little old Texas band…
ZZ TOP
Rookie I got the Strike King’s today. Fit well.
Very overcast so no chance to try them… Paddling Saturday.
Hope you like them. I’ve followed their directions about using plain water to wash the lens and a soft cloth to wipe dry (never paper towels) and so far not a scratch on the lens. I do only wear them while paddling, so that might come into play.
Good to know. Mine came with nothing.
Marshall, I got the goodr sunglasses today. What big eyes 
they have. Look like good driving glasses.
I have been a fan of Maui Jim’s for a long time. Their polarization is second to none and light years above every other thing I’ve tried.
Since they are very expensive, they are a progressive prescription for my aged eyes, I use a strap to make sure they stay with me. Their frames are top quality, so the strap itself won’t damage them.
Maui Jim is also an independent , in a world ruled by Luxotica or Excellor, who, between the two of them have strong armed almost every small company into their houses.
I have bought 2 new pairs since early June to replace a set of Bolle whose nose bridge had rotted away. The local selection is limited to Walmart, opticians, West Marine and one outdoor shop. First pair was by Blacktip from West Marine. Fit me very well, mirrored with a blue tint that made everything really pop with contrast. Polarized too. About 2 weeks ago, the mirror coating began flaking off. Went back to West M who informed me that line had all been recalled and they happily refunded cost of about $60. Next and current pair from Higher Ground the local outfitter. Tried on some by Sun Cloud which were above the $20/pair and far below the Costas and Smith Optical. Settled on a nice neutral grey lens and no mirror coating for $55. I did compare to several models costing 3 and 4 times as much and really could not appreciate the difference. Perhaps a full day on sunny water would reveal more. I am very gentle and respectful of my eye-ware, so my new Sun Clouds should be good until the next election cycle.
