USA Sport Wraparounds

[neil0502]

Just back from my ophthalmologists's office. He noticed my Panoptx glasses and asked about them. Then he told me about a San Diego-based eyeglass retailer that had excellent quality products and offered polarized, photochromic, and changeable lenses at much cheaper prices than I paid for the Panoptx.

I just found their website: http://usa-sport.com

My eye doctor says that they have "phenomenal lenses--better than Revo ... better than Maui Jim."

I haven't tried them yet, but I think I will. My Panoptx are the photochromics and--even at their lightest--they're slightly tinted, leaving me with no usable protection for nighttime (the tint causes me eyestrain). Since the shop is only ten minutes from me, I'll try to get there in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, their prices look excellent. Anybody tried/heard of them before??

Neil

[20/20_Hindsight]

A store near me carries these. They look real nice, but have the "perforated" foam gasket. Not a solid seal, if you know what I mean. They were about $65 I think.

[Dotanne]

Do let us know which are the best. I would dearly love to get some all purpose photochromic etc glasses that can include reading lens(not inserts-progressive would be ideal) so that I can use them all day and night and not look too geeky but still keep my eyes from drying out. I have Adidas bike goggles at the mo with separate little lenses that fit inside for reading. The double lens works but it is not ideal and cleaning two sets of lenses is a pain. I have a small face and vanity gets the better of me wearing these in public! I so wish I could pop into a shop and try the different styles on but alas being in NZ prevents that!

[neil0502]

Slight update on these:

DISCLAIMER: this shop had TONS of different frame styles and lens options. I bought one pair of glasses with one set of three lenses--bluish, brownish, and clear. I bought them for the clear lenses, particularly.

After four months of travel, using my USA Sport wraparounds, I think they make a pretty darned good product. It hugged my face well and offered pretty good peripheral vision.

But ... agree with 20/20: the gasket does NOT seal as tightly as my PanOptx. Also, for me (your mileage will probably vary), the optics on the clear lens were not as good as I had hoped (unrealistically??), inducing eyestrain in the already-tough-for-me evenings. I wanted polarized, but he didn't have them in clear the day I was there and I was operating on a very short time frame.

I may return (store is close by) and ask for polarized clear options. I actually like the frame's look, feel, and fit. I also used the brownish lens a few times and found it considerably better, though I restricted its use to daylight hours.

Lastly, though the case isn't quite as rugged in form as PanOptx, these things took heaps of abuse while banging around in my backpack for four months and seem none the worse for wear.

Worth considering .... or ... (you out there, Miltoney?) asking about safety-certified lens options.

Good luck!

Neil