Oakley Sunglasses - Why Are They The Best?

When shopping for Oakleys, you will notice that their descriptions are littered with trade marked marketing terms - 'High Definition Optics' and 'Unobtainium' to name but two. Despite these, the technology behind their lenses is unmatched - it just happens they are also particularly good at marketing it! Their term 'High Definition Optics' is a collective term for several technologies used in most of their sunglasses. Firstly it incorporates yet another marketing term, XYZ Optics. This refers to the lenses ability to provide clear vision, despite the rake (top-to-bottom curvature) and wrap (side-to-side curvature) which tends to distort the vision (especially in the peripheries) on lesser brands of sunglasses. Oakley have managed, through varying the thickness of the lens, to all but eliminate this distortion. This includes when viewing through the edges of the lens, where the effect is most noticeable.

The real-life affect of this is that everything appears where it really is. The distortion will usually cause a slight offset in the position of objects viewed through your sunglasses. Usually, this is not an issue. However, if you are trying to catch a cricket ball, or hit a golf ball, then being a couple of millimeters out can be a real problem.

What else does High Definition Optics include? As well as clarity, Oakley focused on protection too. By using the highest grade of polycarbonate that they could get their hands on they managed to produce lenses that conform to the ANSI Z87.1 standard. This is a standard that tests both heavy impact (using a 500 gram weight) and high speed impact (using a 100 mph ball bearing). Passing the test meant that no part of either the lens or the projectile could come into contact with the eye.

Most sunglasses in Oakley's range are made from a material that Oakley refer to as 'O Matter'. This is simply a high-grade polycarbonate that was designed to give a large amount of strength and flexibility. Oakley's metal frames are mostly made from another Oakley creation called C5 Alloy. This is a blend of five different metals - it is not known which metals, but one of them is very likely to be aluminum. Again, high strength and flexibility were the properties that they were looking for here.

The top of the range Oakley sunglasses tend to be made from titanium (or a titanium alloy Oakley deemed 'X-Metal'). Titanium is a material known for its high cost, high strength, and low weight.

With their lens and frame technology as a base, Oakley have built on this, adding features that solve problems based on direct feedback from their sponsored athletes. Examples of these include their hydrophobic coating (a lens coating that causes water, skin oil and other liquids to bead up and flow off the lens) and their Switchlock quick lens changing technology. The constant refinement of their eye wear design is what makes Oakley sunglasses the best choice.