What To Look For
All of Oakley's lenses are made of Plutonite®, which blocks 100% of UVA, UVB and UVC rays. Oakley's lenses are also significantly more shatter resistant than standard lens materials, and meet ANSI Z87.1 standards for impact protection. Oakley features three subcategories of lenses. Regular lenses are a good choice for general, everyday use. Polarized lenses utilize technology that cuts glare, making them ideal for fishing, boating and watersports. Photochromic lenses actually adjust the tint of the lens to compensate for light conditions, getting darker in direct sunlight, and lighter when in the shade.
Common Pitfalls
While polarized lenses offer increased protection from glare, they can also obscure images from LCD displays, such as those found in car dashboards, clocks, ATM screens and computer monitors. Of course, you can easily resolve this issue by removing your sunglasses when using these types of displays. Photochromic lenses are popular for their versatility in a variety of light conditions. However, the added cost is sometimes a deterrent.
Where To Buy
If you are looking for the largest selection of Oakley sunglasses, Oakley.com is the best. Oakley's website not only offers every model, but also offers the widest range of frame colors and lens options. The only drawback to shopping on Oakley's website is that you will most likely pay full retail price. For a better deal, Altrec.com offers many Oakley sunglasses at 10-15% off retail, as well replacement lenses at up to 20% off retail (as of September 2010). If you prefer brick-and-mortar stores, Sunglass Hut has an excellent selection of Oakley sunglasses, and also offers a 90-day, no-questions-asked exchange/return policy.
Cost
Oakley sunglasses range in price from $70 to $350 or more, depending on the model and type of lenses. However, most of Oakley's sunglasses fall in the $100-160 range (all prices as of September 2010). Some models also offer more than one lens option. Polarized and photochromic lenses will add to the cost, as well as special lens upgrades like Iridium. All of Oakley's sunglasses are warranted against manufacturer defects for a year after purchase.
Comparison Shopping
Upgraded lenses are a large factor in cost. For example, a pair of Oakley Oil Rig sunglasses with regular lenses retail for $120 (all prices in this section as of September 2010). The polarized Oil Rig retails for $200. Oakley also offers special edition and limited edition sunglasses in certain models, such as the Livestrong® series and the Ducati series. Oakley's regular Fuel Cell sunglasses retail for $100, while the Livestrong® Fuel Cell costs $140.
Accessories
All Oakley sunglasses come with a soft storage bag that doubles as a lens cleaning cloth. In addition, Oakley offers a wide variety of other eyewear accessories, including replacement lenses, head straps, deluxe storage cases and lens cleaning kits. Oakley also offers a range of other Oakley-branded products, including clothing and apparel, watches, electronics, footwear, bags and backpacks.
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