Drennan Kenderdine reviews the new five-lens shooting glasses set from Evolution; an affordable option offering he highest level of protection.
credit: Drennan Kenderdine
Purchasing a pair of shooting glasses can be an absolute minefield for shooters, with a dizzying array of choice on offer. When it comes to looking after the mince pies, I see a lot of shooters struggling to make their mind up on which model and specification to go with. Shooting glasses have evolved over the years and there are some great products on the market with a range of capabilities, functionality and good looks to boot.
Prices vary like the UK weather, and price definitely seems to be the top of the list of factors that influence many shooters’ purchase decisions. To a fair extent, price plays a part in the quality of glasses, and I have a friend who recently upgraded from the dreadful (in terms of shooting capabilities) but very cheap safety glasses from B&Q, to something custom-made for the job. He’s noticed a big difference! Honestly, wearing those sort of glasses for shooting is akin to donning a pair of wellies and expecting to run a marathon!
Anyway, moving on, I’ve had the Edge 5 Interchangeable 5 Lens Set by Evolution Sunglasses & Eyewear on test/review for the best part of six months now. The Edge 5 bundle comes with interchangeable Grey, Purple, Orange, Yellow and Rose coloured lenses, and you can still purchase additional lenses and colours if you want to.
The set comes with the Evolution vault case to protect your lenses, a pouch, and a microfiber cleaning cloth, so it is a complete package allowing you to keep the glasses safe and clean without purchasing any additional accessories.
The glasses themselves feature class 1 optical grade lenses, and a full-wrap rimless design for completely unobscured vision, which is a must for me. The clarity and the rimless design combined allow for a brilliantly clear, uninterrupted view. They also feature quick-release black and grey frame arms, allowing for fast lens switching. This is done via a cam hinge system allowing snap closure for added security, and the whole system really does work; I was able to quickly pick the best lens for the light conditions when out shooting, and make the switch easily with no faffing or fiddling around!
The frame arms are made of TR90 (thermoplastic polyamide) which is strong but light, and they are also highly flexible with 100% memory allowing the frames to bounce back to their original shape when changing lenses. The flexible temple tips are firm but comfortable, and fit snugly, and the adjustable non-slip nose piece is very comfortable – it doesn’t dig into the nose after wearing the glasses for a long time.
The lenses are impact-resistant and shatterproof polycarbonate (complying with EN166F, which is the European certification for eye protection) and are also UV400, which is the maximum for UVR protection. They have more technical coatings than the Forth Road Bridge has layers of paint! The oleophobic and hydrophobic lens coatings give an invisible film which protects the lens surface and makes them water and oil repellent, as well as resisting smudges and fingerprints. A superior hard coating on the lens front protects the surface from scratches and abrasion, and on the rear of the lens is an anti-fog coating to prevent misting, which I found to be effective.
All in all, a very well put together shooting glasses bundle with a quick and straightforward lens changing system, which are comfortable to use for long periods of time and which perform in all weather and light conditions. It's quite a bargain, especially when compared to some choices on the market.
RRP: £139.95 (5 lens interchangeable set)
evolutionsunglasses.com