We tried out the Rheos floating polarized sunglasses to see if they might just deserve a place with the rest of your fishing gear.
Rheos Gear, for the uninitiated, has not only a line of men's favorite floating sunglasses, but a very stylish women's line as well. Rheos recently sent us a pair of their UV protected, anti-scratch eyewear to test out for durability, style, and usefulness on the water.
For our purposes, we will be reviewing a pair from the men's line, which includes the Bahias, Breakers, Coopers, Eddies, Sapelos, Waders, and the Wyecreeks, the last of which we received for testing. All the sunglasses include a hydrophobic finish, polarized lenses, and 100-percent UV protection. They are meant to be unisex in design. Rheos eyewear selections come in a gunmetal or a tortoise shell finish with a super lightweight frame and several lens colors to appease a wide range of preferences.
Rheos says, "Our Nylon Optics capture all the benefits of a glass and polycarbonate lens without the drawbacks. The only way to see and feel the difference is to try them. These lenses are clearer than glass and light enough to be the most comfortable sunglasses to ever grace your face."
That was enough to intrigue me, and I was eager to try out a pair. Here's a video with more:
The hydrophobic coating, which acts as a water repellent by helping H2O bead off the lens without covering the user's view, works on combination with the polarization (which blocks horizontal light, so you don't get all of the glare) to provide all of the same features that sunglasses at much higher prices can tout.
The only question remains: How to they perform on and around the water? I used the pair of Wyecreeks that I received on an open, running stream, from the shore of a local pond, and off of the rocks at a nearby State Park.
They were useful in cutting down the glare off of the surface of the water and the lightweight frames are great to wear for long periods. I could see these being the ultimate beach and boating sunglasses, too.
As far as their floating prowess, there's no denying their capabilities. In fact, I actually tied them to my 7' 6" Toadfish rod via the Power Pro line that I used, and I casted them out a few times!
These glasses float just fine, and if you were ever to lose them off the side of the boat or in the pond, you should be able to retrieve them quickly and easily. There is one proviso: if you lose them in a fast-flowing stream or river, that floating action might work against you. You had better hope you can chase them down!
Also, since I've only had these sunglasses for a few weeks, there is no good way to describe their longterm durability. They do seem very well put together, and feel like they are sturdy enough to take a few bumps and jostles without sacrificing their integrity.
The bottom line is that these are stylish, good-looking shades that come in many different varieties. They're quite affordable at $55, a vast difference from the typical polarized sunglasses price point. For men and women alike, a fishermen could certainly make good use of these sunglasses. In fact, they could make good use of more than one pair!
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NEXT: SUN MASKS: BEST FISHING + OUTDOOR MASKS OF 2020 FOR UV PROTECTION
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