I get polarized sunglasses because of windshield and dashboard glare, which is not so much of a problem on a motorcycle (I rode motorcycles for 15 years). I also get road glare on clean, dry asphalt. My eyes are also a bit more sensitive to light than average, and if I don’t used polarized glasses for driving I get very fatigued on a long daytime drive.
I had never thought of the downside of failing to see slick spots. I have never had a mishap due to using polarized sunglasses. I never rode a bike in weather conditions where ice could form. The only two times I did have a problem were not due to glasses hiding conditions. One time I tried to brake my bike at a red light on a city street, in the rain, and the road was so slick from the rain loosening up oil I just sailed right through the light. I was very lucky I stayed up and there was no cross traffic. I wasn’t wearing sunglasses. The only time I had an accident on ice was in my car, no sunglasses, and hit a patch of “black ice” so there was no visible glare.
Bottom line is if you are comfortable wearing regular shades there is no need for polarization. In my case, I feel like I need it so I make the tradeoff, which so far has not been a tradeoff at all.
I hate polarized sunglasses. I forgot when I ordered my sunglasses from my optician to make them not be polarized, and they didn’t mention it. I use them for driving, and I have to tilt my head to be able to read the in-dash screen. Luckily, in my car, that screen doesn’t have vital info on it except when I’m backing up.
Even when I’m not driving, though, I dislike the effect of polarized sunglasses, unless I happen to be on the water.
I got a pair from Warby Parker a year and half ago. They send the frames to you to try on and you send them back and place your order. I was very happy with the service.
If my frames break while I am driving (as an example) I won’t be able to see further than the steering wheel. This makes coming to a stop without ensuing mayhem… challenging.
I’ve never broken any of my lenses, I have broken frames. Sturdy frames are a requirement for me, your mileage may vary.
If having a variety of frames is important to you have at it on Zenni or WarbyParker or wherever. For me, swapping out frames on my “eyewear” is not the priority - getting something that can fit with my prescription, is durable, and have a fine-tuned fit to me is my priority. I’ve actually had the same style of frame for the past 10 years or so, so clearly having different shapes/colors/etc. is not a thing for me.
There can be a correlation, at least in some cases.
The type of vision problem I have also puts me at increased risk of retinal detachment, for example.
Wearing contacts does put a person at increased risk of some types of infection, at a minimum.
While it’s true many people go decades without a visit to an eye doctor that’s no different than people going decades with never seeing a doctor or dentist. Sure, most of them will get away with it, but serious stuff might be missed until a late stage, where dealing with it can be much more difficult.
I’ve been wear glasses for decades. I have only once been refused an adjustment on the fit when I walked into a shop for that particular service, and aside from that one instance don’t ever recall being asked if I was a customer there for exams/prescriptions.
Providing free adjustments is not required, but it also a very, very common practice in the five US states I have lived in over the years.
They’re not so flimsy that they’ll spontaneously self-destruct just while being worn. What I meant is, I wouldn’t wear them as safety glasses, or while getting punched in the face, or something like that. Maybe don’t drop a heavy book on them, either.
I always got free adjustments at the chain eyeglasses store where I bought my glasses, but figured that I’d need to offer payment there if I walked in with a pair I bought online. As it turned out, the online-purchased glasses were a good fit out of the box and haven’t needed adjustment.
Have any of your frames you’ve broken just spontaneously broken while you were driving? Mine never have; they broke when I dropped them, or set something on them by mistake, or something of that sort, none of which should be happening while I’m behind the wheel.
This is another thing that pisses me off about the opticians in New York City. Every one has a sign up saying that they’re not responsible for damage if they adjust frames, etc.
Screw that. They’re supposed to be opticians, trained in how to adjust frames and lenses. That’s what I’m paying for, as opposed to buying online. That’s the whole point of going to a brick-and-mortar place and paying the premium for personal service.
Would you pay someone to, say, work on the gas line into your house if they said “hey, I’ll work on this, and charge for it, and I’m certified to work on gas lines, but if I blow up your house, that’s your problem, I’m not responsible”?
I think this sub-discussion is confusing three things here.
The first is: Should brick-and-mortar retail opticians provide free adjustments or minor repais for glasses bought there (or posibly another store of the same chain)?
The second is: Should brick-and-mortar retail opticians provide free adjustments or minor repais for glasses bought elsewhere, i.e., another brick-and-mortar place or online?
The third is: Should brick-and-mortar retail opticians be liable for damages they cause to glasses on which they perform adjustments or minor repairs?
I think there is near-universal agreement that the answer to the first question is yes, and I think this is also practiced by the overwhelming majority of opticians.
I would also agree that the answer to the third question is yes, if there is a degree of culpability such as negligence involved (though I would think many jurisdictions would limit liability here in cases where the adjustment or repair was performed for free).
As to the second point, that’s where we differ. I don’t think it’s good business practice to do that, and that arguing that it is is, really, just a rationalisation brought forward by people who think others should work for them for free. I also think that it’s a bit much to expect opticians to repair other opticians’ glasses for free (second question) and bear the risk of liability in case something goes wrong (third question).
Agreed. I’m complaining about the ones that don’t do that, don’t do it for (expensive) frames that they themselves have sold the customer.
Of course they should. They’re selling themselves as offering services that online sellers don’t offer. Well, they should deliver those services. And back up their sales pitch with a guarantee.
I don’t see why they should be liable for flaws in glasses bought elsewhere. If they’re providing free adjustments, as long as they declare their no-liability policy up front, I have no issue with that.
My everyday wearing involves things for which safety glasses might suddenly and unexpectedly be useful; ranging from overly playful cats, through tree branches, to whacking item A with item B.
People’s lives vary, of course.
I would be, but they quit making them; and even high quality safety-style frames eventually wear out.
Luxottica also owns the EyeMed insurance company, which was the only vision care plan my former employer offered. It’s another way of trying to keep people inside their ecosystem. To get in-network coverage of your eye exam, you had to go to an optometrist who typically was inside, or adjacent to, a Luxottica-affiliated optical shop.
Their frame/lens coverage looks okay on paper, but every time I tried to use it, I would end up getting soaked. It’s a weird state of affairs when having insurance results in paying more.
My Zenni frames feel a little flimsy in comparison to what I’d get from a brick-and-mortar optical shop, but honestly, I don’t care.
Yeah. I have VSP, which is not owned by Luxottica, but it’s not great, and it doesn’t save me that much money.
One big flaw is that they require lenses to be made in their lab. And it’s been my experience that the lenses coming out of their facility are not equal in quality to lenses from other places.
