I have tried many different brands and heard many different opinions but I keep coming back to Oakley. This weekend I purchased my third pair of Oakley wire frames. The first two were both killed in the line of duty after many years of honorable service.

What I own and how I use them:

Currently I am actively using three pairs of Oakleys. First my regular Oakley optical glasses. Why do I wear them? Mostly because I like the style, I am a fan of their sunglasses and more importantly my wife likes their looks.

My second pair, and what I bought this weekend, is a pair of Oakley Whisker. These are my dailys that I use while I am wearing my contacts. They look good enough that you would wear them with business attire but are glued to your face with enough conviction to endure any sport. They also have enough wrap or coverage from most dirt or debris. My previous two pairs of C Frames survived, rowing crew, track, rock climbing, skateboarding, various shooting activities, international travel and various other daily abuses.

My third pair is prescription Oakley Water Jackets. Here is a little background for you good eye types. Contacts are not meant to be worn in the water for two reasons. First they could float off and second they seem to make your eyes more infection prone. If you are say, white water rafting, you are totally screwed. Enter the prescription Water Jackets. They are prescription so you can see (most people would agree this is good). Second they have a built in strap, so they are not coming off your head. Third they come with a hydrophobic solution that acts like RainX keeping water off your lenses. I have worn these swimming (while camping), rafting and surfing. No mater how big the wave or how hard you get hit they stay on your face, dry quickly and keep you in the game.

Other Noteworthy Items:

Oakley produces some very high quality lenses. This means they will not interfere or change your vision and they keep your peripheral vision sharp even as the lens curves and ends. If my personal abuse tests weren’t enough you can read all about the test they pass on Oakley.com.

Buying advice:

Oakley products are generally very price fixed. If you went out to any random Oakley retailer you could expect to pay the same price. Furthermore the sunglasses prices have really not changed in years. There are a few tricks. First, if you are getting prescriptions let your insurance pay for them. This is strange but as prescription glasses go, Oakleys are cheap. Take a look at what REI carries. For the first time this year I was told I could use my 20% member coupon on Oakley. Even if you can’t you still will get like 10% back in your member refund, granted that goes toward more REI gear (but is that really a problem?). Finally, ask for a discount. You never know what will happen and it does not hurt to ask.

Update: Also found out that you can sign up for REI Gearmail and save 15% on one item.

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