Goggle's vs. Motorcycle Glasses vs. Sunglasses Choices Choices Choices

THE NEED If you aren't wearing a helmet with a face shield, you should be wearing eye protection when riding a motorcycle (driver and passenger). In almost all US states - if not all by now - it's the law. Sure it may sound like common sense, but you would be surprised how many people hop on, especially passengers, without the proper eye protection. Some states require specific eyewear requirements, so be sure to check any local laws which may apply. COST If you are one driven by cost, you will be glad to know perfectly acceptable options are available under $10. Sure the fit may not be as great, but they'll do the trick. Just like any product out there, some are selling for $150+ too, but is there that much of a difference? Often you can get the same features for a fraction of the price if you avoid expensive brand names. DAY RIDING & NIGHT RIDING You need different eyewear for day and night. Day time lenses should provide UV protection and polarized lenses work best at cutting out glare. Voodoo Eyewear makes a few padded styles which are polarized and designed for bikers for under $35. By far the best option to those high priced alternatives. For night riding, clear is best. Many riders opt for yellow lenses since they can be multi-use from evening into night, but yellow is really best for cloudy days. Don't forget your girls fellas. Just because they're on the back doesn't mean they don't want to see. Sunglasses at night are not acceptable when there are so many choices out there. Global Vision has styles starting at $8. There has been some buzz about Transition Lenses which change from sunglasses in the daylight to clear (almost) glasses at night. We have yet to find a satisfied customer with those because they don't ever seem to provide enough glare reduction in the day and they are too dark at night. So until that technology advances a little more, we suggest you get two pair or one pair with interchangeable lenses. Interchangeable kits (available for glasses & goggles) can give you the right eyewear for any light situation. You can buy one frame and pop in a variety of lenses. FOGGING TROUBLES? WHY THE HAZE? The temperature difference between your glasses and your face will cause fogging. On a cool night, if you keep your eye wear on you when you go inside, they may be less likely to fog, but if it's downright cold out there, not much can be done with average glasses. As you get moving, some of that haze will fade. That's because the air is moving around the lenses and the temperature is getting back into balance. If you wear goggles, they should have small vents somewhere around the eyes to all for that minimal air circulation. Otherwise they will be cloudy all the time when it's chilly outside. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT? Well, you can buy Anti-Fog glasses or goggles. This is eyewear designed for these situations. The manufacturer treats the lenses, front-back-and sides, with a solution which prevents fogging. It works 99% of the time, and when they do fog under extreme conditions, the haze will fade more quickly than it would with regular glasses. Goggles are less likely to fog if they have small vents/holes around the eyes which allow for that air to pass through. I know, you're thinking that's the point of goggles, to keep the wind out, and they can still do that quite well while allowing for a little bit of air movement. I've seen solutions available which you can apply yourself to your eyewear to prevent fogging, but I honestly don't know how well it works. I would suggest you don't treat your own glasses if they have polarization (which is actually a film on the lens) or if they are mirrored. If any of you out there have tried to treat your eyewear yourself, I'd love to hear how it worked for you.

PRESCRIPTION LENSES? You can find a frame you like and have your lenses put in it. A frame cannot take RX lenses if it has too much curve - like wrap around glasses. Ask your optometrist what they can do for you. It's surprising how many frames can accommodate prescription lenses. A better option would be an RX kit. These, like the Bomber Kit for from Voodoo Eyewear, are frames with interchangeable lenses. Then your prescription lens fits into an insert which rest just behind your lenses. That way, you pay just once to have your RX put into the insert, and with that, you can have up to 4 pair of glasses (depending on how many of the optional lenses you get - it comes with 2). The cost for having your optometrist put the lenses in for you can vary greatly so shop around. The cost can range from $50 to $90 for the insert. Most bifocal prescriptions cannot be put into the RX inserts that come with glasses kits. There are a number of goggles on the market which will fit over most glasses too. Global Vision offers the Big Ben and the All Star Goggles for that very use. I suggest finding goggles which are anti-fog or you're going to end up with a hazy mess more often than not. Glasses which go over your prescription glasses aren't really an option when talking about motorcycle riding because they will generally not ride properly with the wind. OPTIONS TO CONSIDER Protection: Padded Frames, Shatter Proof/Shatter Resistant Lenses, UV Protection, Anti-Fog Lenses Goggles are the best for keeping out wind and dirt. Most have an adjustable head strap. The foam around the lenses keep your eyes protected well. Some manufacturers are addressing biker's needs and have developed sunglasses with the padded frame. Fogging is often a problem with goggles or padded frame glasses, especially when riding at night or cooler weather, so consider getting an anti-fog style. There are two kinds of padding put into glasses/goggles - soft, airy foam padding and firm neoprene padding. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Soft, airy foam padding POSITIVE: it conforms well to your face and so it is the most comfortable and effective way to keep out wind/dust NEGATIVE: soft, airy padding will wear out faster than firmer neoprene padding. If you're a "ride hard and put up wet" kind of rider, a pair may only last a month before that padding starts to come apart. They'll be great for that month, but they won't last long because of sweat, moisture, and regular wear and tear. The soft airy foam lining is also more likely to cause fogged lenses unless those are anti-fog. Firm Neoprene Padding POSITIVE: it is durable and the padding helps keep out wind/dust, it would be less likely to fog up than the soft airy foam padding NEGATIVE: neoprene padding doesn't squish right up against your face like the soft foam padding so the neoprene doesn't work quite as well at keeping out the wind/dust but it's a 9 out of 10. Upgrades: Anti-Fog, Polarized, Transition Lenses