I've found for skiing, good lenses make an insane amount of difference - there's few conditions tougher on the eyes than flat light on snow, or full harsh sunlight reflecting off snow. But for trails, I haven't seen the benefit... if anything, I find colored tints make things worse in the woods. Plus expensive lenses inevitably get scratched from wiping sweat or falling off my collar.
I first switched to $10 safety glasses (i.e. Home Depot buys like Milwaukee and Carharrt branded) which were actually pretty great, then ordered 3 different styles of $20-$30 sport photochromic options off amazon. Ended up liking the fit and field of vision on the Rock Bros best (for my face) over 2 models of Kapvoe, and have stuck with them. At $25 a pop, I can afford to have more than one pair kicking around, have found the optics great (clear to a neutral gray). I've been a little tempted to try some of the new D2C mid-grade (<$100) brands like Goodr and Glade, but will probably wait until the Rock Bros need replacing.
March 16, 2024, 6:47 p.m. - ohio
I've found for skiing, good lenses make an insane amount of difference - there's few conditions tougher on the eyes than flat light on snow, or full harsh sunlight reflecting off snow. But for trails, I haven't seen the benefit... if anything, I find colored tints make things worse in the woods. Plus expensive lenses inevitably get scratched from wiping sweat or falling off my collar. I first switched to $10 safety glasses (i.e. Home Depot buys like Milwaukee and Carharrt branded) which were actually pretty great, then ordered 3 different styles of $20-$30 sport photochromic options off amazon. Ended up liking the fit and field of vision on the Rock Bros best (for my face) over 2 models of Kapvoe, and have stuck with them. At $25 a pop, I can afford to have more than one pair kicking around, have found the optics great (clear to a neutral gray). I've been a little tempted to try some of the new D2C mid-grade (<$100) brands like Goodr and Glade, but will probably wait until the Rock Bros need replacing.