Oakley Jawbone Sunglasses
* Oakley Jawbone Reviews from Amazon
Looks:
The sunglasses are gorgeous, I always admired the Oakley Jawbones. I'm hispanic so I tend to have a slightly dark, tanned skin color and have a long and skinny face but with a strong jawline. The yellow on the bottom adds a really nice touch. Now, it does take time to get used to how they look because the yellow is really bright but it does look really good. Since I'm slightly dark, my skin balances the really bright yellow. They might not look too good on those who are slightly pale especially with the yellow on the backs of the legs of the glasses.
Build:
The Jawbones are made of a nice and sturdy plastic. I've always trusted Oakley with the build quality and this pair does not differ from my standards for them. They are just as strong. The lenses are replaceable and the glasses have maneuvering to add/remove new lenses. Just lift the nosepiece, lower the "jaw" and replace. Easy.
Protection:
This is going to sound pretty funny but when I got these I told my girlfriend to push them into my face (to test how well I can be protected from impact). If I were to be hit square in the face, the sunglasses would concentrate the blow onto the top of my nose (due to that 3 point system mentioned earlier). The glasses do not touch my eyes at all so I have no worry about another detached retina. Maybe I'd have to worry about a broken nose, but I'd rather have a broken nose than a broken eye :p
As far as protection from the sun, I can't add much to Oakley's already great reputation. Oakley's reputation for this is just too much. The Black Iridium lenses are nice and dark and have 10% light transmission. In other words, they're dark enough for anything.
Performance:
They feel as if nothing is there. They are lightweight and the lenses have holes on the outer edges that "vent" so the lenses do not cloud over from sweat and humidity. They have their HD Optics which supposedly protect from sweat and smudges but I don't know how that's possible. My pair already has some fingerprint smudges. Regardless, nothing a microfiber cloth can't do.
Accessories:
The box includes a black and yellow case, extra nosepieces, extra yellow lenses and pouches for lenses and the glasses. The case is nice. It has respectively shaped "pockets" to snugly fit 2 pairs of extra lenses and the sunglasses themselves. I haven't tried the extra nosepieces but it is to my understanding that they are different sizes to accommodate different shaped noses and faces but don't hold me to that. I heard that somewhere but my memory might just be failing me. The extra yellow lenses are for indoor sports and allow 90% light transmission so they let most light in. They will give your eyesight a slightly yellowish/brownish tint. They can probably be used for other outdoor, ill-lit situations such as during a sunset. The black lenses will definitely be too dark for that situation.
All in all I am very happy with my purchase. These are exactly what I needed in every aspect of what I was looking for in a pair of sunglasses. From all this, the only downside I can point out is the iridium on the lenses. Don't get me wrong, they make things look great but are extremely delicate. They can probably get scratched from a direct blow. My parents had iridium Oakleys in the past and scratches randomly appeared on the lenses (probably from them putting the glasses in purses and pockets). And if you ever need to clean them, you will need a microfiber cloth and the spray that Oakley sells which I believe runs for about 10 bucks. All I can say is, if you need sporty sunglasses, get these, they are all you would ever need.
Today was my first use of this Oakley Livestrong Jawbone on road cycling.
First impression is that the sun glass case is good quality, it can also carry your second pair of interchangeable lens.
Once on, the sun glass felt comfortable and light. The nose piece fit perfect.
At first I thought that the thick bottom part of the frame (yellow part) was going to be annoying, limiting the frontal view, but that did not happen.
The ventilation was perfect, no condensation at all.
So far, very satisfied with the product, only waiting for a low light ride in order to test the second yellow lens included.
If they are good for riding at night then it would be the perfect couple.
Just got these last month and thought I'd share my thoughts.
Quite simply, these are the BEST riding glasses I've ever owned. I don't say this lightly. I've been riding 10+ years and have had just about every brand, including Vuarnet, other Oakleys, Ray Ban, etc. You name it, I've tried it in search of the "perfect" riding specs.
Fit: I have an average face, and these are a dream. They don't squeeze my temples at all, and the arms are flexible enough to ensure a tight fit without hurting. The biggest benefit is the lower and upper frame fits against my cheek and brow, keeping wind and road debris out. It is also large enough to keep sunlight out of the top and sides, and peripheral vision is not compromised at all.
Optics: Nothing beats polarized lenses. A quick review: Light comes in waves (see: quantum mechanics) and this causes natural distortion as the light bends across the eye's own lens and hits the retina. Polarized lenses dramatically decrease this distortion (too detailed to explain here). That means you see that pebble from 100 feet instead of 15, that small hole from 200 feet instead of 40. It is AMAZING how clearly you see things. I ride one route very regularly, so I know every nook and cranny of it. At least I thought I did. The first ride on that same course with the Jawbones exposed some hidden dangers I had never seen with my Oakley Scalpels, Laser, or Flak Jackets (or any other glasses for that matter). It is amazing what TRUE polarization provides. Now, you often see the word "polarized" advertised on glasses costing less than $100, and that is a bunch of b.s. You can't do it right for such a low cost. Why do you think Ray Bans all cost $125 and up? Because they do polarization right. And so does Oakley.
Cyclocomputer: One of the ways you can tell glasses have lesser optics is when you look at your cyclocomputer, there are dark and bright areas (I have a Garmin Edge 305). With Jawbones, every # and letter is crystal clear and easy to read. I don't have to lift my glasses anymore to read the display. That's important for safety.
Light Filtering: In even the brightest sunlight, these work like a charm. No pair has provided the light obscuring effects these do. The amazing part? I was out on a ride, and what was a sunny day turned dark and rain soaked. Somehow, and I don't know how, these glasses did not make it seem darker. They almost know how to let more light in when it's cloudy. I was able to see just as clearly going out as coming back. And the water just beaded up on the glasses, unlike other glasses where it blotches everywhere. This is due to the hydrophobic coating. Further, because they are close to your face, rain didn't seep in through the top part of the frame.
Iridium: I don't know what the purpose is of this compound, but whatever it does, it works. Perhaps it is to reduce glare? If so, it works.
Vents: They have designed ingenious vents in both lenses, in the outer upper portions. But they're not normal vents. Normal vents let air enter in a laminar pattern, which directs it straight into the eye and dries it out. By using small dividers in their vents, they produce turbulent flow, which creates a vortex of air in FRONT of the eye very close to the rear of the lens, so your eye never feels the breeze. This is exactly where it is needed to keep the lens from fogging up from perspiration or when it rains.
UV protection: Guaranteed 100% against UVA (low energy, but penetrates pretty deep), UVB (does most eye damage), and UVC (a new player, generally considered the most powerful of the UV spectrum). I have no machine for testing this claim, but I'm sure Oakley does, and if they say it, I'm inclined to believe it.
Frame: It is hinged, and unfortunately, it is a tad difficult to open it to swap out the darker for the yellow lenses. However, I have another pair of lighter colored glasses (Bolle) with yellow lenses, so I wear these when needed. Thus, I don't plan on ever switching the lenses on the Jawbone. While I'm sure they work well, I have never used them so I can't comment here.
Protection: I got hit square in the middle of the lens with a rock during a paceline, and it just bounced off. No scratch, dings, or damage. And this was a BIG pebble. Other glasses might have broken or scratched, but not these. I was amazed quite frankly. These glasses meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specs for impact protection. ANSI specifies protection levels for motorcycle helmet shields, for example. `Nuff said.
Summary: If you want the ultimate in fit, geometry, sun filtering, road debris protection, polarization for maximum clarity, and on and on, then these are the glasses for you. If you can't get yourself to spend the money to provide your eyes with all the advanced benefits of the Jawbone, then I suggest you buy the $15 pair from CVS and call it a day. However, they'll fall short of these spectacular biking sunglasses
For me, it's the Jawbone. Nothing else even remotely compares.
FIVE MONTH FOLLOW UP:
I've put a good many miles on the bike with these glasses. They continue to amaze. They seem to resist smudging and water drops, which don't splatter, they just stay as drops so you can see through them in the rain. One minor issue is that they are polarized which it makes it somewhat difficult to see my computer when riding. I have to make sure my head is tilted at the proper angle to be able to read it, otherwise the light entering the glasses is at an improper angle and gets filtered out, thus unreadable. But that means they're also filtering out ALL the bad wavelengths, which is what makes them so crisp and sharp. I gave my Oakley Lasers to my son, which he loves, so we're both happy.
Enjoy the ride!!
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
Post a Comment