Prescription sunglasses/googles with strong eye Rx? / Shop for me!

[fallstoclimb]

I've been recently convinced of the need to protect my eyes from cold wind during my winter commute and road rides. I wear eyeglasses and hate contacts, so clear lens prescription sports glasses are the obvious solution. However, my prescription is STRONG. I don't have actual prescription handy but I know my contact lens Rx is -6 and -6.50. I tried to get nice cycling prescription glasses once for the cool factor but was told bc my eye sight was so bad I'd have to get basically prescription insets set behind the shaded lenses, which sounded visibly dorky and I was a little worried about poor peripheral vision.

Anyway, now I'm worried about protecting my eyes so I don't care about the dork factor. Zennioptical.com has a bunch of prescription sports glasses / googles (with big insets, it looks like) for $25-$30, which confuses me greatly. Anyway, does anyone have experience with this site? Other options for strong prescription protective eyewear?

I'd like something like this, but my understanding is that the curved wrap-around doesn't work well with strong prescriptions:
http://www.zennioptical.com/705224-prescription-wind-goggles.html?nav_cat_id=2

Something like this might work better for my prescription but I'm not sure how much it would really protect my eyes?
http://www.zennioptical.com/705015-prescription-wind-goggles.html?nav_cat_id=2

Someone on bike forums just mentioned pteryguim, and I've had constantly red eyelids from commuting this week, so I'm a little freaked out.

[tulip]

I get mine from the optometrist. Polycarbonate with scratch resistance.

[Catrin]

I get mine from the optometrist. Polycarbonate with scratch resistance.

Same here. I have a quite strong astignatism prescription myself. In order to get into wrap-around lenses - which I think is important on the bike - we actually had to cut back a bit on my prescription. There was an adjustment period when I would go between glasses, but once my eyes became accustomed to the change I stopped even noticing it. I won't use those glasses for anything outside of riding or driving - AND they don't have a bifocal...it was the solution that worked for me. My prescription can vary quite a lot from year to year, both directions, so am hoping it will be less complicated next time.

[thekarens]

Another one who got theirs from the optometrist. I didn't qualify for the sunglasses that only had the frame on the top. I had to go with full frame, but I'm mostly happy with them. They are wrap around Ray Bans. I'm another one who won't wear contacts

[zoom-zoom]

I don't have a strong prescription, but have wondered if there are pros to having the prescription inserts with something like Rudy Projects...I gotta have photochromic and REALLY do not like the full frame. I always seem to have a blind spot from the bottom of the frame when I'm trying to see cars behind. Seems like having inserts would make for the same issue, but they're so much cheaper than the wrap-arounds with prescription built-in.

[Catrin]

The inserts are less expensive? ??? Hmmmm

[Owlie]

I don't have a strong prescription, but have wondered if there are pros to having the prescription inserts with something like Rudy Projects...I gotta have photochromic and REALLY do not like the full frame. I always seem to have a blind spot from the bottom of the frame when I'm trying to see cars behind. Seems like having inserts would make for the same issue, but they're so much cheaper than the wrap-arounds with prescription built-in.

Less expensive for sure, and probably "better" (read "more available") for those of us with crazy prescriptions. I imagine you would end up with a blind spot. I ride with an old pair of prescription sunglasses (non-cycling) and I get a blind spot from the frame and the fact that the shape doesn't really work. I end up having to look under the corner. Blech.

It's either Rudy Project (and they don't go up as high as I need either!) with inserts, contacts, or Lasik for me. Blah. I tried the contact route but couldn't get past the mental block on sticking my finger that close to my eyeball. And Lasik? Heck no!

OP: My 'script is in the same range as yours (-5.something, -6.something). BF has a pair, and if you have the sunglass insert in, you can't tell. The clear lens, you probably could, but no one is going to notice.

Or, there are these guys. They seem to get good reviews on other cycling forums. http://www.sportsoptical.com/index.htm

[Eden]

I got my custom prescription wrap arounds from Sports Optical. They did an excellent job. My problem is not a particularly strong prescription, but rather a very small interpupillary distance, but it leads up to the same thing - lenses too thick around the edges for curved frames.. I got photochromic lenses to save some cash and I've been extremely happy with them. I've had them for 4 or 5 years now and they are getting scratched to the point that I should really get new ones. I'll likely go with the same company. I'm unwilling to go with behind the lens inserts because I ride in the rain quite a bit and can't imagine that they wouldn't end up getting wet in between the two sets of lenses... that would be impossible to wipe away and I can't see well enough without glasses to simply take them off...

[smilingcat]

I took Eden's suggestion about 3 yrs ago and bought a replacement insert for my Scotts from Sports Optical. great place. then I lost my replacement on an airplane. I had my regular glasses on and I had put my Scotts in my purse... It fell out either in the cabin or somewhere on the concourse/jetway. sniff... I've been using my regular glasses since then.

Sports Optical was really nice about explaining things to me about different make/model. I found one I liked and he told me that the lens is inserted by cutting out the whole lens then inserting a prescription lens. And it would lose that smooth one piece cool looking factor. It would have a circular line around each lens as if someone took a marker to outline each of my eyes. That is what I remember him telling me. So I just ordered a replacement Scotts at the time. the one I lost... My first one literally dissolved from my sweat and the oil.

[zoom-zoom]

I will have to look at Sports Optical. I'd like to have polarized shades to keep in the car, too. And contacts are a definite no-go. Between all my allergies and the debris that flies around behind sunglasses that seems like a bad option for me.

[nuliajuk]

It's true about the curved lenses not working well with strong prescriptions, my husband had the same issues before he developed cataracts and his natural lenses were replaced with Toric artificial lenses.

Prior to that, he had a pair of prescription racketball goggles that he used for cycling, as well as a pair of traditional sunglasses with big flat lenses. His eyes are sensitive to wind, to he preferred the racketball goggles for most riding.

Now he has 20/13 vision in one eye and 20/15 in the other and can ride without a prescription. He's been buying sunglasses off the rack and really enjoying being able to do that.

e.t.a.: Here's a solution that I sometimes see on site visits. We're supposed to be using the special safety glasses with the dust gaskets that the client specifies for their minesites, but sometimes I see people using these add-on side shields for their regular prescription glasses:
http://www.northernsafety.com/News/Article/800548233/n-specs%C2%AE-premium-side-shields-make-eye-glasses-a-quick-and-convenient-safety-device

[Thorn]

Along the lines of nuliajuk, if it is just for the cold winter days, a cheap solution is to buy over-the-glasses (OTG) safety glasses. I bought some off the internet that aren't the big, bulky safety glasses you get from the hardware store, but instead just fit over my glasses.

One of these days I'll buy prescription cycling glasses, but I'm not convinced I can successfully purchase glasses over the internet (I know, I know, many do it without issue, but I've had problems with in-person purchase that I'm skeptical)

[fallstoclimb]

Yeah I think I'm gonna try safety glasses and see how that works out at first. Zennoptical gets pricier when you put your Rx info in and I'm just not sure what will work out for me. Maybe next year I'll talk to my opthamologist about getting real rx glasses.

[soprano]

Fit-over sunglasses tend to have very full coverage and are a heck of a lot cheaper than prescription sunglasses. Try TJ Maxx.

[Boudicca]

I looked into these a year or so back when I couldn't wear lenses for a while. The insert-behind-dark-glasses route seemed to be the best one -- if your prescription is even remotely unusual, or if your eyes are weak it's just prohibitively expensive to create a curved rx lens that is large enough to keep all the dust and grit out of your eye.

[Catrin]

Fit-over sunglasses tend to have very full coverage and are a heck of a lot cheaper than prescription sunglasses. Try TJ Maxx.

I found these online - at $30 a pop that is a LOT better than what I paid a couple of years ago for wraparound Oakleys without a bifocal!
(http://www.yorktowneoptical.com/Productlines/HAVENFITSOVERSUNWEAR.aspx)

I DO wonder how well this actually works with a helmet - it is the side pieces of the two frames that has me wondering. This is affordable enough that a couple of pair would be feasible - one with amber and other with grey lens. They have both "Sport" and "Panorama" styling, either would be fine for riding/running/etc.

[AppleTree]

I liked the looks of the panorama style on those, didn't look as bulky as what you would find in the drugstore. Thanks for the link Catrin.

[goldfinch]

I've bought glassses though not goggles from Zenni. I find they do a great job with single vision but I haven't had as good luck with bifocals/progressive lenses. My vision is as bad as the OP's plus I have astigmatism. A friend bought a pair of their goggles and is happy with them. Her vision isn't quite as bad as mine.

[maillotpois]

Thanks to this thread, I just ordered glasses from Sports Optical. They were very nice, and I am really looking forward to having glasses to ride in. Sometimes my contacts get fogged during ride to the point where I can't see, which is bad.

I also got the photocromatic because I ride in dark conditions. I basically wanted something I could use for long brevets as I think I have convinced my husband to do a SR series next year.

I'll let you know what I think when I get them.