Tonic Eyewear, but not really a gear review
I recently replaced my sunglasses used for saltwater angling. The purchasing process involved decisions on lens treatment, finish and glass colour – questions that are crucial to my enjoyment and success on the water. This was a lot harder than I expected and it got me thinking.
Overall, it strikes me as odd that this process of selecting new sports sunglasses is so arbitrary. Surely in 2024 we should have an online repository of accurate data on the major optical brands, critical independent analysis of glass versus polycarbonate et al, industry standard measurements giving us quantifiable measurements and a trusted scorecard to choose from, regardless of the brand we choose.
Instead an online search reveals a swath of enthusiastic reviewers –some presumedly incentivised clandestinely with undeclared free or cheap gifted sunglasses and therefore weighted down by conscious bias, strenuously denied of course. And a dearth of easily comparable data on competitive offerings.
Without wanting to add to the stream of exuberant unboxing and biased reporting I waded through, I will simply report on the information I read, then weighed up for objectivity and accuracy, and the subsequent decisions I made and why I made them.
I’ll document my eventual brand shortlist, the process of trying to buy online, lens and frame selection including frame size and shape, prescription glass, research including wading through the jargon and the various proprietary brands, glass weight (it’s real!), anti-reflective coatings, price, warranties and my after-sales service.
Finally after a seemingly successful purchase as you’ll read below, I’m now about to do the same again to replace my aging backcountry river sunnies (they’ve made it through 4 seasons). So I’ll circle back through this process again, perhaps with a head start this time around. I’ll be paying full price again of course. And then after some use, I’ll cover off my thoughts on sunglasses for the freshwater fly fishing I do too.
As always, I hope you enjoy this review. Any feedback is gratefully received in the comments section. Here’s my journey of sunglass discovery.