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Recommends for lower priced sunglasses with interchangeable lens for the missus

Folks,
Looking for recommendations for any sunglasses with interchangeable for the missus who has recently taken up road biking, obviously I'm not talking Oakley here ideally something around £20-£40 £50 at a push if they were worth it & it would be preferable if the additional lenses come in the package too.
I know I could go to flea bay & get knock offs but prefer to try real ones first
thank you

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35 comments

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DaveE128 | 7 years ago
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There are tonnes of good cheap sunglasses out there, but I'd personally steer clear of buying sunglasses on ebay. UV protection is extremely important for the health of your eyes, as the darkness of the lenses opens up your irises so that much more UV enters your eyes. You only get one pair of eyes and UV damage can be permanent. Fake sunglasses are highly likely to be deficient in the UV protection department, and cheapy unbranded ebay ones may not be any better.

I've never bothered to buy anything fancy like Oakleys, but I'd only buy from a reputable retailer in the hope of avoiding dangerous fakes.

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chris_lord | 7 years ago
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i have used oakleys, and i can say that do not waste money on them, if you find uv protecting Polarized wrap around sunglasses at a cheaper price then buy them, because they offer the same amount of protection like the oakley and if they break then you can easily get them repaired. 

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Saint Mark | 9 years ago
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+1 for Aldi. Less than a tenner for three lenses and a case, they fit me well and vision is good. I would estimate comparable quality to named-brand glasses of about £30-40 so check them out before spending more if you have a store nearby.

I think with glasses the mid-priced ones say £20-£40 aren't enough of a step-up over the cheapies to make it worth it.

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James Warrener | 9 years ago
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Another vote for BBB Select. Really good for the money.

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chris75018 | 9 years ago
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Have a look at Sunwise - I've had a pair of their Twisters for a couple of years now which have survived being dropped on tarmac umpteen times, look just as good as anything else IMO, and can be picked up on Tredz or amazon / ebay for somewhere in the region of 20 /25 quid.

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thesaladdays | 9 years ago
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I bought these Venitex safety glasses the last time I needed a new pair and the orange tinting is perfect for the grey months, seems to emphasise road surface contrasts. The frame and temples are minimal, so visibility is good.

I bought a second pair and my wife pinched 'em and hasn't given them back, so I guess they're unisex  3

The lenses aren't interchangeable, but for £10 (I think I paid about £6 at the time) it doesn't really matter.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Venitex-Safety-Glasses-Eyewear-Cycling/dp/B0033R...

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dave atkinson | 9 years ago
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check out decathlon's orao range too

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jollygoodvelo | 9 years ago
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I've been using a pair of £3.99 Aldi ones all year. First better than my 'nice' Uvex pair (on which the noise piece cracked) and the lenses pop in and out without trouble.

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PonteD | 9 years ago
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My photochromatics from Decathlon were £21 by the way. so the decision between these and a full set of swappable lenses was a personal one as they both cost the same.

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IngloriousLou | 9 years ago
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+1 for photochromic lenses for the rest of the year.

I bought a cheapish pair from planet x, I refuse to pay much for eyewear as I lose or break them to often  1

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edster99 replied to IngloriousLou | 9 years ago
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I bought some photochromic ones from CRC 18 months ago, almost never wear anything else (ocassionally orange ones for very low light). At £35 they have been really excellent value for money - even at full price of £60(?) they would have been. Still in really good condition even though they have seen masses of use.

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PonteD | 9 years ago
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I used to wear the DeWalt ones and they do the job well.

Now I have some from Decathlon. You can get single tint ones for about £4, but they sell ones with interchangeable lenses for about £20. I bought the photochromic ones, so I only need one set but these change tint based on the light (they were reviewed on here a few weeks ago) I still have to carry clears though if I plan to ride at dusk or in the dark.

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Initialised | 9 years ago
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chrisl | 9 years ago
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Aldi's ones were pretty nice when I got them last year (better quality plastic than the ebay specials) but probably not due again for an inconvenient amount of time. Also not too wide for a female face (I can look totally weird in them if they're too big). I've also been using the Bolles as the ESP ones are great for night-time city riding - cut a bit of headlight dazzle whilst hardly making any difference to general light.
I've gone off the changeable lenses personally, after a couple of years I decided it's less faff to have 2 pairs of glasses than to change the lenses over as you'll be carrying a case in your bag regardless. Plus saves losing a lens like I might have done on one or two occasions.

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Alan Tullett replied to chrisl | 9 years ago
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I also use Aldi ones but not interchangeable as I find them a fuss; just buy a few different types for £3 each and they're ok for that price. Take out two pairs if I think conditions might change. If I cycled in an area where there were many rapid changes of light - tree-lined roads with gaps - I'd consider photochromic lenses but they are definitely more expensive.

There are often some around long after a special so it's worth a look if you have an Aldi nearby. Returns and such like are never a problem.

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IngloriousLou | 9 years ago
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For days when it's not sunny (that's probably now until May) I use DeWalt safety glasses from ScrewFix.

They'll keep your eyes safe, they have no thick frame to block the view and they're less than £3 a pair.

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leqin | 9 years ago
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I have used Oakleys. Once owned a set of - DHB's - Adidas - Alpina's and some Lazer's and they all either broke or wore out.

Today I own 10 pairs of 'New UV Protective Goggles Sunglasses Cycling Running Sports Sun Glasses TN2F' that I bought on ebay for 99p a pair and they look real good and if and as they wear out I can just toss them in the recycle bin and use the next pair... and the next pair... and the next pair... ain't buying costly glasses ever again and yes I did have to wait a week or two until they arrived, but why pay crazy money for a thing that can break so easily.

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matheson | 9 years ago
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sneakerfrfeak | 9 years ago
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Have had Oakleys and TBH i loved then but wanted to try something different this time. I know this is slightly outside your budget at around £70 but I'm loving these Salice 006, gotta love that euro look!
http://www.salice.co.uk/product/006

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Eebijeebi | 9 years ago
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Oakley with a varifocal prescription...................ouch.

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Spunkymonkey | 9 years ago
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I got a pair of Rockbros ones on ebay recently to tide me over till I could get to the big smoke and try some on to replace my old (broken) Specialized adaptalite jobbies. They arrived pretty quickly considering they came from HK and they seem to be pretty well made. They come with 5 sets of lenses, an elastic headband that you can swap in for the legs and an optical insert which I have just sent away to get glazed if so that I will be able to see if I don't feel like wearing my contacts, all of the above comes in a robust cordura case. I have been wearing them for about 3 weeks now and have used the yellow lenses for low light and the dark polarised ones for sunny days. They are brilliant so far and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. I seem to remember that they cost me the princely sum of a little under £8!!!!

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Shades | 9 years ago
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Madison d'Arcs (£30ish - 3 types of lens) are pretty good and you can buy spares (I think) for them. They tend to come apart if you 'squash' them by accident but clip back together very easily.

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Adlopa replied to Shades | 9 years ago
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+1 for Madison. I broke the arm off my 7-year old pair recently and they sent a new frame in the post the next day under their lifetime warranty.

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lukea-d replied to Adlopa | 9 years ago
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Damn, Adopla. looks like I got conned!

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lukea-d replied to Shades | 9 years ago
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+ for the Madison Arcs. I snapped an arm on mine and a replacement was a fiver.

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bfslxo | 9 years ago
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Thanks to everyone for the replies appreicated
the wiggle triples look like the business - saved in the wishlist pending cash
(I don't like her that much to be buying her Oakleys  19 )

tell you what though folks, both the velochampions & the bolles look very good, I've been riding for months without any glasses myself as I'm short sighted but don't wear my glasses riding, yes i know doesn't make sense but for some reason my eyes can deal with cycling easier without the glasses than with them especially when it rains but I need a very clear clean lens i reckon coming into winter so one of these may well fit that bill

thank you

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NeilG83 | 9 years ago
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Dhb triple lens sunglasses from Wiggle are good. Had mine for a couple of years. Only £20 and they do a ladies version too. They also come with an excellent hard case, whereas some other cheap sunglasses don't.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-ladies-triple-lens-sunglasses/

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Tjuice | 9 years ago
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Very happy with my BBBs

I like the styles with no frame around the bottom edge of the lenses - really hate that getting in the way of my vision.

Might also be something worthwhile and low cost in Decathlon.

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pablo | 9 years ago
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I have the dhb ones they are pretty good.

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TheFatAndTheFurious | 9 years ago
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I go through about 2 pairs of Bolle Contour lab safety specs each year, bought off ebay from some chap calls himself wiwuk, for about £6 each.

This auction lets you pick from Clear, Smoke/Shaded (which are much darker than the pic shows) and ESP, which is a mild tint with a bit of a blue sheen.

They are impact-resistant polycarbonate, optically neutral without distortion, and I find them to be dead comfortable. The lack of rims is great when looking out over your shoulder. The lenses do come out, with care, for a proper wash.

Now these are disposable specs. The longevity isn't that good - the "paint" on the frame can start to peel off after a few months.

I reckon they look not too bad, and even the guy I met in France riding last year's Cannondale EVO team bike was wearing them.

I'm sure somebody can tell me what a £100+ pair of Oakleys does better, but thus far, I don't think I need whatever that is....

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