# are polarized goggles worth it?



## jegnorge

i have polarized sunglasses for driving and they are great cuz it reduces flare from other cars. what about polarized goggles? i wonder if it's necessary. im thinking about the oakley polarize vr28. thanks.


----------



## linvillegorge

On bright bluebird days, HELL YES! They are awesome! I have the Smith Phenoms with a polarized lens and on bright sunny days they are the shit! 

However, in flat light conditions, they'll get you killed. In flat light, you can't see the terrain at all.

If you go with polarized goggles, I recommend having a second pair of goggles or getting a goggle with interchangeable lenses so you can have a second, non-polarized lens as well.


----------



## jegnorge

linvillegorge said:


> On bright bluebird days, HELL YES! They are awesome! I have the Smith Phenoms with a polarized lens and on bright sunny days they are the shit!
> 
> However, in flat light conditions, they'll get you killed. In flat light, you can't see the terrain at all.
> 
> If you go with polarized goggles, I recommend having a second pair of goggles or getting a goggle with interchangeable lenses so you can have a second, non-polarized lens as well.


flat light as in overcast cloudy day? i never heard of the flat expression before. yeah i have another h.i. yellow for night riding.


----------



## say chi sin lo

linvillegorge said:


> On bright bluebird days, HELL YES! They are awesome! I have the Smith Phenoms with a polarized lens and on bright sunny days they are the shit!
> 
> However, in flat light conditions, they'll get you killed. In flat light, you can't see the terrain at all.
> 
> If you go with polarized goggles, I recommend having a second pair of goggles or getting a goggle with interchangeable lenses so you can have a second, non-polarized lens as well.


I agree, I have a pair of Oakley shaun white something shades (goggles mess up my peripheral vision, and throws my balance off). On a sunny day they work great. But on the overcast days, I don't wear them. I've eaten far too many bumps because the polarized lens make the terrain look like a wash. I can't tell you how many times I was launched into the air because I didn't see the bump on an overcast day.


----------



## linvillegorge

Yeah, heavily overcast days, snow falling, fog, etc. Can't see shit with polarized goggles in those conditions.


----------



## Guest

i swear by polarized lenses in all conditions, on any eye wear i have. my eye are hyper sensative to light. even behind regular sunglasses im squinting when i go outside... its got to be polarized.

its not the polarized coating that makes certain conditions hazardous, its the finish. certain finishes are not optimal for certain conditions. obviously in lower light conitions the polarized finish may not be needed. im a beleiver in rose and yellow tints as well. they heighten definition in low light conditions where any other tint would be simply asking for trouble.

my googgle of choice are electrics... love their glasses as well. EF oakley, way too much for an inferior product. i used to work at a surf shop, electric, anarchy, and hoven are where its at.


----------



## nvrfalter

oakley polarized sunglasses are totally worth it.. cant comment on the goggles, but subscribing for other people's answers


----------



## linvillegorge

In general, fuck Oakley. Everyone I know with Oakley goggles has fogging issues and too many wankers wear their sunglasses.

One of my buddies came out to ride last week and had a brand new pair of Oakley goggles he had paid like $150 for. I just rolled my eyes and told him he'd soon regret that. Those bitches were worthless after about three runs.


----------



## gsrrr

no. had some but didnt notice a big difference than non-polarized so i sold them.


----------



## NoTickets

my zeal optics links are polarized and extreme low light sensitive. i didn't know having a polarized lens made a big difference for flat-light / night riding, so i guess i lucked out on a combination that satisfied both conditions.

i most go in the afternoon to evening time. polarized goggles are definitely not necessary in those conditions. i can't say much about super bright days, cause i've yet to board in one. i'd say though, for the price difference between polarized and non-polarized lenses, they're not necessary, unless you have really sensitive eyes.


----------



## maf05r6

linvillegorge said:


> In general, fuck Oakley. Everyone I know with Oakley goggles has fogging issues and too many wankers wear their sunglasses.
> 
> One of my buddies came out to ride last week and had a brand new pair of Oakley goggles he had paid like $150 for. I just rolled my eyes and told him he'd soon regret that. Those bitches were worthless after about three runs.


I had this problem with my Oakley Wisdoms. I got to the point where the fog on the inside actually started to freeze and then there was absolutely nothing I could do but get another pair of goggles. Fortunately I had a second pair with me that day. 

I love polarized for bright sunny days but never used them on a cloudy day.


----------



## jyuen

if you ride in the east coast, especially in areas with lots of ice... don't go polarized unless you plan on dying

they reduce glare, yes but that also means you won't be able to see patches of ice


----------



## linvillegorge

jyuen said:


> if you ride in the east coast, especially in areas with lots of ice... don't go polarized unless you plan on dying
> 
> they reduce glare, yes but that also means you won't be able to see patches of ice


Extremely true. Very hard to see icy patches with a polarized lens.


----------



## myGNUmylife

My eyes are very light sensitive so getting polarized lenses is worth it. I always hated goggles, I felt like I couldn’t see well. I got the electric EG1 this season and I can see great, I love them.


----------



## Guest

i got the same goggles... like i said, electric i where its at.


----------



## arsenic0

Im the exact opposite...except for really really bright days i always wear a Hi-Yellow or Yellow lens. I cant stand not being able to see everything...


----------



## Triple8Sol

Worth it? On sunny days, absolutely. Won't make much difference in overcast/low light conditions. I haven't been able to bring myself to spend the dough on them, though, and prob won't anytime soon.


----------



## surfinsnow

jyuen said:


> if you ride in the east coast, especially in areas with lots of ice... don't go polarized unless you plan on dying
> 
> they reduce glare, yes but that also means you won't be able to see patches of ice


Too general a statement. I've got Zeal SPPXs and ride Vermont/NH a couple times a week, and they absolutely rock. They work in bright sun and flat light equally well. They're pricey, but worth every penny.


----------



## linvillegorge

I'm a huge fan of Smith goggles, but I really do want to pick up a pair of those Zeal photochromatic polarized goggles. I think they could be the perfect goggles for me. But, gawd damn they're expensive and I can never find any good sales on them! If I could find a pair in the $100 range, I'd be all over them. I got my Smith Phenoms in polarized on clearance for something like $75.

So, until I find those Zeals in the $100 range, I'll stick with my Phenoms and two lenses (polarized for bright and amber for everything else).


----------



## Jameus

I recently got a pair of the Zeal Dominators. I needed a small face fitting goggle and these are awesome! It was pretty sunny on Sat. and the polarized lenses rocked! I got them on sale through Sports Authority online believe it or not lol. Payed 80something and they're so worth it imo. I also got their RX inserts so I can get my distance vision back when riding haha. It wasn't as bad as I thought w/o them on Sat. but it'd be a major plus


----------



## SPAZ

off topic: but how about green tint? i still cant find out what thats for and a pair of sunglasses im buying has it...


----------



## linvillegorge

A pair of my Smith sunglasses have a polarized green/gray tint. They're not quite as dark as your standard gray polarized tint which is nice in a lot of light conditions, but other than that, not a big difference IMO. I would neither buy a pair for that reason or avoid a pair for that reason. It's a push to me. From an appearance perspective, the ones I have just look gray.


----------



## Guest

Absolutely. Polarized Oakley Sunglasses are incredibly sharp. No haze, no distortion. Simply vision at its best.


----------



## surfinsnow

eyeoptix said:


> Absolutely. Polarized Oakley Sunglasses are incredibly sharp. No haze, no distortion. Simply vision at its best.


I think somebody hated on Oakley sunglasses earlier in the thread...apparently only poseurs wear them. Funny thing is, they're the best sunglasses I ever owned, made better by the fact that I bought them from Steep and Cheap -- $160 glasses for about $50. I could give a rat's ass about the brand (unless it's Burton - LOL!), these are sweet sunglasses, and I'd recommend them to anyone. Especially if you can score them for $50.


----------



## myGNUmylife

VAhasnoWAVES said:


> i got the same goggles... like i said, electric i where its at.


Hells yeah, goggle buddies!


----------



## chrismo15

jegnorge said:


> i have polarized sunglasses for driving and they are great cuz it reduces flare from other cars. what about polarized goggles? i wonder if it's necessary. im thinking about the oakley polarize vr28. thanks.


Oakleys are not worth the money, they are overpriced in my opinion as you can get the same UV and glare protection at much cheaper price.


----------

