All posts tagged tactical sunglasses

Ballistic Eyewear, frames and lenses, how do you decide?

Smith Optics Elite EyewearMany people I know go to gun clubs with inexpensive eyewear that they may have picked up at a hardware store because it was only $7.99 and they didn’t want to spend the money on something they hardly use.  It still amazes me to this day the number of people that don’t where eyewear when shooting but I learned my lesson the hardware, or better yet, avoid serious eye injury.  Years ago I had a magazine blow out on me on cheap surplus ammunition and if I hadn’t been wearing my WileyX ballistic eyewear I might have lost an eye.  I’ve heard horror stories of soldiers in Iraq getting eyewear from family members or purchased themselves that they thought was ballistic but after an IED went off, they lost an eye.

People don’t realize that in a major gun fight, fragmentation is a serious issue and it’s not only the bullet that can cause injury.   Take a shot at a 300yd target with an AR15 about 3 feet in front of your target and watch how many fragments of stone, rock, lead, or steel will fly through paper.  Our chosen ballistic eyewear has been the Smith Optics Elite eyewear and a large selection of ballistic sunglasses and tactical googles since many of the Elite Military have given us positive feedback.   The Outside the Wire Turbo fan is probable the highest price ballistic goggles we sell but in most situations, having a fan vent out moisture is going to get you through the fight and not relying on a piece of eyewear to not fog up.

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All safety eyewear is not the same, and you don’t want to make mistakes!

Smith Optics Elite eyewearThere are plenty of stories out about guys being deployed to Iraq or over sears and having eyewear on and then finding out later that the eyewear they were using did not have any ballistic safety rating.  Sure you can wear regular sunglasses on a firing line and you might think that’s all you need, and statistically you probable are fine, but in high risk line of work, things fly around during gun fights or in military engagements that aren’t always lead.   Go to a rifle range and put a 55gr bullet into the ground right in front of a paper target and check out the bumber of holes that will be on the paper from rocks or sticks that flew up from the bullet strike and blew through the paper target.  Sure the human body is not made of paper but that means cuts or scraps and if you get hit in the eyes, that can mean you have lost an eye.

We’ve tested lots of eyewear out over the years and ESS, Revision, Oakley all have their good points and are all good at protecting your eyes but Smith Optics Elite is a new product line that gives you another option.   Like much of the tactical industry, it’s about preference not  just quality and Smith Optics Elite Eyewear has an ever expanding product line, from tactical goggles, turbo fan goggles, the Boogie Regulator that are very low priced but very popular for training.   The Smith Optics Elite protective sunglasses are my favorite due to the durability and ease of maintaining the lenses.  This an a great factory warranty means getting your moneys worth.

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2yrs of running with Smith Optics Elite Eyeshields

Smith Optics Elite eyeshieldsI’ve been through so many safety glasses that I’m really sure I put my money in the right place when I drop $85 for a Smith Optics Elite eyeshield kit.   I don’t have a need for the amber or yellow glasses but sometimes its nice to just run clear shields and not  have the sunglasses style.  On those dark over cast days you don’t want any light limitation. We’ve mostly had positive feedback on the Smith Optics Elite ballistic eyewear.   Every product line has a glitch or whoops but there have been very few of them from this product line  unlike some of the others we have dealt with.   Our main selling point with this ballistic eyewear are the warranties on the sunglasses because some people are afraid to drop $80-$125 if they know they can loose or break them.  Well, if you get fragmentation or they get cracked the lenses on the protective sunglasses are replaceable not the frames.

I went with the Aegis Compact eyeshields because they fit my head better and fit is just as important as clarity with something like this.  We’ve had a lot of junk, and cheap eyewear but those tend to not be as strong and the clarity usually deteriorates and fogging is always an issue with the cheap stuff.   My choice for the Smith Optics Elite eyeshields are the compact ARC field kits.   The Echo is pretty cool but seems to be more for guys wearing helmets or larger ear protection.  I’m good with my Ear Pros that only cost me less than $15 and are more comfortable than using foam ear plugs.  There is also an asian fit for people with wider noses so you may have to stop in and try them out so you know what fits you.

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Getting your money’s worth from Smith Optics Elite

Smith Optics Elite EyewearThis is one of those products that people are somewhat afraid to buy online because they are afraid to drop $100 on sunglasses that they haven’t looked through.   We’ve tried out a lot of eyewear over the years and we think we have a pretty good idea about what is good and what is crap.   Everyone asks the same questions about them when they see them, “do they fog up”, well the real deal with them is yeah, they can, like anything that you can look through, but the standards are very high.   If you want to really avoid fogging you’re going to have to sink some money into the Smith Optics Elite outside the wire turbo fan goggles.  They have a very quiet running 2 speed fan for intense situations.

The best range glasses i ever had were are the Aegis Eyeshields, I’ve found the compact versions to fit my head better.  Some other options are  the Smith Optics Elite eyewear called the Aegis Echo which has a metal frame that is flat and very comfortable if you have a helmet or eye protection on.The thing I find likeable about these are the interchangeable lenses.   It’s nice to be able to go back to clear lenses if it’s not that sunny out because low light conditions and sunglasses makes identifying targets problematic and you don’t want that to happen.   The kits come in 2 sizes and you can always buy replacement lenses if you loose them or break them.

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New Products from Smith Optics Elite

It looks like we have a good review of the new  Smith Optics Elite eyewear that was on display at Shot Show this year.   Last year the Boogie regulators were the big hit but we kind of fell a sleep at the wheel on some of the other Smith Optics Elite eyewear.   The Aegis Echo is something we forgot to list on our website and now that so many of our customers have asked us why we have not been carrying them, we brought them in late January 2013.  The Aegis Echo is something that anyone with hearing protection or helmets might prefer due to the fact that it does not bend around your ears and press against your head.

Comfort is with eyewear is something anyone in the Military or SWAT Team is going to know about.  There are so many styles of frames from Smith Optics Elite protective sunglasses that  you really need to try them on and see how they feel because your eye and comfort tolerances will vary depending  on what  you are doing.  Some of the ballistic eyewear, like the goggles can feel different on  your face and even eye lashes will get annoyed depending on the fit.   All Smith Optics Elite eyewear has a lifetime warranty on the lenses and many of our customers have taken advantage of that.

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Ballistic eyewear and spitballs

I recently got off the phone with a local Law Enforcement Officer that mentioned that he was shopping for new eyewear.  It’s funny how often I hear the same thing from Law Enforcement because it’s not something that occurs on a firing line at all.   If you are a Law Enforcement officer you are dealing with the lowest elements of society and having one of those lower elements of society spit on you is repulsive.  Having on eyewear that keeps scum from getting into your eyes.

There are varying degrees of bullet proof vests you can wear, but the higher the protection the more weight and bulk you will be carrying around.   Ballistic eyewear or tactical eyewear may not stop a bullet, but when bullets fly you can still have debris from concrete, wood or metal fly up into your face.   A splinter of metal is enough to cause blindness and a $70 pair of ballistic lenses can stop a 650fps debris particle.  Worth it?  You bet.

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Preferences in tactical eyewear for work

I think it’s pretty obvious to people that go shooting with firearms that having eyewear or safety glass is important.  Those 22 caliber semi-autos are known for kicking out debris and all it takes is a little bad luck and your in the hospital with an injury.   The military found out in WWI that helmets could save lives and now our military has realized that ballistic eyewear, sunglasses or goggles can prevent injury.  There are a lot of things we know we can do to protect the human body, but being practical is what it’s all about.

The more gear you throw on you the more you are going to be weighed down, and one thing I have found out quickly is that many optics in tactical eyewear have blind spots for your visibility that I would not take them into combat with me.   The Smith Optics Elite Aegis Eye shield is probable your best range eyewear and fighting eyewear because it gives you the most visibility and the most coverage next to goggles.  Goggles will still give you limited visibility and the extra weight is not something you will want to have to carry around.

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New Polarized Smith Optics Elite in stock

I just got done going through all of the Smith Optics Elite Division tactical eyewear that has been out of stock for a long time now.   I’m not sure if it was a production issue or a demand, although I’ve heard a few rumors that there were some issues with the manufacturing them.   Polarized lenses that can take an impact are in high demand and especially for our private contractor clientele.   Smith Optics are one of the five authorized eyewear for military purpose and the designers of the eyewear already have experience working with some of the other competitors.

The Aegis eye shield is still  probable the best tactical eyewear for military use because it’s not as heavy as wearing goggles but it gives you full eye coverage with zero obstructions. Smith Elite eyewear is something you’ll want to try out in a stocking dealers shop.   Ordering sunglasses online is probable just as difficult as ordering clothing or apparel because the look and fit of them is very much about preference and style.  The lifestyles give you the street cool guy look, but not the best thing to wear at a shooting range or in a combat situation.   I personally prefer no frames when I’m working with my Carbine.

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Rogue Elite is now carrying Smith Optics Elite tactical eyewear

Not only have we been organizing the new location to look as cool as it can look, we got an awesome looking Smith Optics display case in our store.   The LED lighting and design of the case makes viewing numerous styles and designs easier.   It was nice to be able to get something like that from a company.   There is a very long history to the Smith Optics production line, but there is a very big difference between Ski goggles and the eyewear that many military contractors are going to want to wear.  Having a turbo fan for our ski goggles would be nice, but if you have a smudge you just take it off and clean them, nobody wants to do that in a combat situation.

There are close to 14 or more designs to choose from that have a level of ballistic protection, glare relief and comfort.   The Max factor tactical eyewear is something that you can use at a gun club or use as military or law enforcement protection.   I’m somewhat amazed at the number of people that are buying the clear Lifestyle glasses from Smith Optics Elite eyewear.   Many of them just want to be able to have a wide angle of protection from blood born pathogens, and flying debris.   If you are not  sure what tactical eyewear you want to use stop in our shop and we can show you.

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Sometimes eye protection means eye protection

I may have sounded redundant, but I didn’t mean to.   When we first started carrying eyewear for Law Enforcement we kind of thought that all of the eyewear was for Police guys to look like Police.   I have to admit that the majority of the eyewear are the Ignitor Smith Optics, but I’m shocked at the number of emergency responders that wanted the clear lenses.   The Lifestyle lenses look like they are for the sun, but there is a reason there are clear lense and not the gray or polarized.

In the age of blood diseases and what Cops are exposed to,  sometimes looking good on the job and avoid blood born diseases means always having eyewear on.  Smith Optics Elite Lifestyle lenses were designed for this.  If you are out in the sun  you have the choice of the gray, ignitor, polarized gray and clear lenses.  If your job is that demanding you may want to look at the outside the wire turbo fan googles.

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