Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

I'm really pleased with these sunglasses from Gossamer Gear (http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Sport_Eyz.html).

With an elastic strap, they're not going to fall off. Stuffing the glasses back into their tiny "case" is easy. I thought they might look geeky, but no one will look twice.

These glasses appear similar to Shields (shieldseyewear.com), which were unavailable for a long time because the military was buying all of them.

Most of REI's sunglasses are $75-$200. Not going to happen here!

The toggle in back could be smaller, but NBD. I wish they also came in clear (a branch scratched my eye while tree skiing at dusk --> 8 painful months with a patch).

$10. Wrap protection. .3 oz. Glen likes them. Free shipping.

Edited by davidmenges on 09/04/2005 01:48:56 MDT.

Rating: 4 / 5

For less than half an ounce and a handful of dollars, you can get a solid pair of shades from Gossamer Gear that keep your eyes protected. I always hesitate to get expensive sunglasses since I can be pretty tough on them. These keep my eyes almost as protected while weighing very little and not breaking my heart if something happens to them. They stay in place because of a nice elastic strap and adjustment. In addition, they are good at keeping the eyes from being bothered by bright sun. They aren't as good as a couple of costly shades I had in the past, but they are still quite respectable. The only reason I give them a four is that I found them very hard to put back in their "case," and I put numerous scratches in them while trying to do this. These stratches did make them a little harder to see out of, and the marks were somewhat annoying. I am sure with more experience this can be somewhat alleviated. Regardless, they are certainly worth checking out if you don't need an amazingly durable or high-performing pair of shades. For the price and weight, they are hard to beat.

Rating: 1 / 5

Sorry to cast a downer on this but the plastic pot it comes in is too small. Incredibly hard to get it back in. And if you can it wraps too tight and after not too long creases and then cracks the lens.

Rating: 5 / 5

I've been wearing a pair for a few months now--very pleased so far. The trick for the above complaint is to ditch the plastic case they came in.

Pros: 100% UV protection, no nose (bridge) or ear pain, better wind/dust protection, super light, cheap.

Cons: Need a ziplock bag for storage,
toggle on strap could be smaller.

Tip: Keep a few alcohol/lens cleaner packets in your kit. They work great on this type of plastic. It's like having a new pair of glasses each time you clean them.

June 2009 Update: Still my favorite UL sunglasses. Got 9 months out of my first pair--daily use, storing them flat--not rolled. It's odd BPL is not selling these as they are a near perfect UL option. They should replace the odd plastic case with a small ziplock--easy to ship and easy to store in the pack.

Edited by Steve on 06/27/2009 21:25:37 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

Manufacturer says to not re-insert into film cannister case. I put them flat in a quart ziploc bag when not in use - works fine. I like that they are cheap and light but I mostly love that they pack into 1/100 the volume of rigid curved frames AND that they are much harder to break when stowed. Storage case (ziploc) is a few grams and protects them even if pack is abused.

I once had to take them off due to fogging under very strenuous, humid conditions - ONCE.