Best Motorcycle Sunglasses
You’ve got the jeans, you got the leather jacket, you got the motorcycle – now all you need are the cool shades. If you’re smart, you’ll get motorcycle-specific ones, though, with polycarbonate lenses designed to not shatter when (not if) a pebble or a bolt or a big bug unexpectedly impacts your life. Even with shatter-resistant lenses, most of us MOrons still prefer to ride behind a faceshield of some kind, at any speed greater than really slow.
PS: There are a lot of cheap imitation sunglasses on the market; our favorite way to get what we paid for is through a licensed optometrist, which is a thing you already know if you need prescription lenses. Also, photochromic lenses are now available in colors other than gray, so no one has to know your cool shades are prescription.
Spy Dirty MO Sunglasses – $120
Don’t know why these jumped off the page at us, but four out of five Dirty MO editors would be seen in these babies, designed to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s exact specifications. Tough polycarbonate lenses get the SPY Happy Lens treatment – a color and contrast enhancing technology that maximizes the transmission of the sun’s “good” rays while blocking out its “bad” ones, including 100% of UV rays. This will make you happy and alert, says Spy.
Bobster Road Hog II – $54
Reading all the Revzilla reviews is a lot of fun. Bobster makes a bunch of different Photochromic lens products, but nearly every reviewer says the tint never changes much, day or night (many actually say “tent”). Maybe you’re better off with these Bobster Road Hog II jobs, then, which come with four sets of easy-to-change shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses: anti-fog smoked, amber, clear and dual-grade reflective. All of them provide 100% protection against UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays, and the Hogs also come with two easily attachable/detachable open and closed cell foam inserts to keep stuff from swirling in around the sides. Do-rag compatible.
Oakley Det Cord Sunglasses / Matte Black – $153
Oakley’s Plutonite lens is claimed to offer superior comfort, clarity and protection against impact – the ANSI Z871 stamp means they meet the MIL-PRF3243 ballistic resistance standard – also ultraviolet radiation including all UVA, UVB, UVC, and harmful blue light up to 400mm. High Definition Optics (HDO) provide superior optical clarity and razor-sharp vision at every angle. Unobtanium nose pads and Oakley’s Three-Point Fit are said to give improved comfort and fit. Anti-fog coating, etc.
Flying Eyes “Golden Eagle” Sport Sunglasses – Satin Tortoise Shell – $180
If you run into interference trying to stick your cool shades inside your helmet, Flying Eyes are for you. These are designed for the aviation industry, where pilots wear noise-cancelling headphones or helmets for hours on end. Resilamide frames and temples, a costly aerospace polymer, make these glasses unbreakable yet super light and flexible; 1mm thin temples mean you probably won’t feel them at all while wearing a helmet or aviation-style headset. Precision manufactured polycarbonate lenses provide uncompromised clarity and shatter resistance, and all Flying Eyes are prescription compatible.
Persol 714 – $193
Julbo Vermont Classic Sunglasses – $150
Made for mountain climbing, nobody’s saying you can’t climb the mountain on your motorcycle. The Spectron 4 polycarbonate lens is said to block 95% of the visible light while being lightweight and providing excellent shock resistance – suitable for all types of sports activities. Traditional rubber covered wire temple arms may or may not work well inside a snug helmet; leather side shields and nose piece give maximum weather protection and should keep out, dust, debris, and that one big bug that always hits you right between the eyes.
Ray-Ban 3119 Olympian – $153
Ray-Ban 2027 Predator 2 – $143
Another classic Ray-Ban bend, these are recommended by the famous Bruce Belfer, seen in them here with some other guy named Bruce.
Your Predator 2 comes in a variety of frame colors and lens treatments including polarized, mirror grey solid, crystal green solid and silver gradient. Their wrap-around fit creates a sporty look that is both casual and athletic.
Shop for the RB Predator 2 here
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No mention of crow's-foot coverage. You guys must be young.
Having graduated to progressive lenses, I stick pretty close to various Ray-Bans that'll take the prescription. I also hide behind a faceshield, except at very low speeds.