December 11, 2000


What's the best pair of polarized sunglasses?

I do a lot of fishing in both salt and fresh water. I have had several pairs of polarized sunglasses and I have not been very pleased with any of them. What would be the best pair of polarized sunglasses in your opinion?

— Pete Raleigh, North Carolina

From the sounds of it, you're fishing in a variety of lighting conditions, and making one pair of glasses work for all of them. But, you probably know the drill: Darker is better for very bright, flat light such as you might find on the ocean —- in terms of tint, dark brown works well, as does dark grey. For early morning or late evening, or when it's cloudy, amber is best. To some extent polarizing is polarizing, so tint, coatings and lens quality will be what makes a difference.

Beyond that, check out Smith's "Action Optics" line of polarized sunglasses. They're very popular with fishermen and other folks who rely on good vision in their sport endeavors. Action Optics come with either polycarbonate (cheaper) or glass lenses. Examples include the Bruneau ($75), which have polycarb lenses and a medium-dark grey tint for all-around use with neutral color transmission, and the Lost River ($130), which have glass lenses with a copper tint that's best for medium to bright conditions.

You might also look for a pair of Serengeti Lagunas ($110), which are very popular with boaters due to their gray polycarb lenses, which cut glare nicely, and wide coverage. Maui Jim's Volcanoes ($179) also score high in glare-prone locales; double-gradient mirroring in the glass lenses helps cut extra glare from above or below.

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