Oakley Prizm Lens Technology – A Hit or a Miss?

Sunglasses have always been my secret vice (well maybe not that secret). �As a matter of fact If you looked in my drawer you would see dozens of�pairs of sunglasses.

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So when I got a chance to test out a few pairs of glasses that used Oakley’s Prizm Lens�technology I was pretty excited. �

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A few days before mine showed up, I spent a few minutes on the phone with some of the team at Oakley because I wanted to really understand Prizm Lens Technology and why I needed it.

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To break it down into easy to understand terms, �Prizm lenses are activity specific lenses designed to enhance the contrast on colours in sport specific scenarios. Each model’s lenses contain a colour-specific�dye that increases the contrast on colours that are important for performance in the intended activity.

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If you are a skier or snowboarder, think about when you are�up on the mountain. The skies are�clear, and the sun is�shining down on the�snow. �It seems like the perfect opportunity to lose the goggles and enjoy the wind in your hair. �The only problem is, with the sun shining on the snow, it makes it almost impossible to see the contrast on the snow without your goggles. �This�makes it difficult to to see the variance in terrain. �

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Not having goggles isn’t going to stop most casual�skiers or snowboarders from riding, but for someone with performance in mind, enhancing your understanding of your environment gives you a huge edge.

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For this particular review I tried three different Prizm models. The Oakley Silver Polished Black XL, The Oakley Mainlink Woodgrain and�The Prizm Jawbreaker

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For two weeks, I flipped between the Oakley Silver Polished Black XLs and the Mainline Woodgrain as my daily wears.�

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Build quality is what I have come to expect from Oakley. �All three glasses were light, but had enough weight to them to feel valuable. �They fit great without any pinching, which for a guy with a slightly larger than average head size is super important.

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Like most high end sunglasses the visuals were extremely clear, but for me, Prizm lenses offered one major advantage when I compared them�to some of my other sunglasses. �

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All three pairs�effectively cut out the glare of the sun without turning my world dark.

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I didn’t notice it at first but when I compared�them to a set of Maui Jim Stingrays and a set of Maui Jim Kumus I was blown away by how much brighter my world was. �Both pairs of Prizm dailys did an amazing job of allowing me to see in bright situations without compromising my vision when transitioning to spaces with less light.

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Increased brightness is significant(at least for me) for a two reasons. �

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First of all I’m�able to wear these sunglasses in lower light scenarios. �This meant�I could�keep them on�while�twilight golfing without reducing visibility while still allowing me to see when the sunset is directly in your eyes. �Normally I would fumble between storing my glasses on my head and wearing them as intended depending on the lighting. �

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Next I wear�prescription eye glasses and I find that darker lenses tend to block out more light, meaning my eyes having to work harder. �The fact that the Prizm lenses were brighter�meant less strain on my eyes.

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I tested the Prizm Lenses out during a round of golf and noticed one major benefit. �It improved my ability to read the green. �The increased contrast provided by these lenses made it easier to see which way the greens would roll.

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Did they knock 10 strokes off my game? Definitely not, but they definitely saved me a few misreads.

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In a world where marketing and gimmicks are more common than delivering on promises, �Oakley’s�Prizm technology has definitely surpassed my expectations. �They aren’t outrageously priced compared to some higher end brands and offer a refreshing visual experience.

If you want to learn more specifics about the technology, you can see more at the�Oakley Prizm website.