Eyeglass Wearers, You Can Finally Wear Sunglasses!

I wear glasses and I have since I was in the 3rd grade, but I’ve never really liked wearing them. By the time I was in 7th grade I had contacts and the only time you ever saw me in glasses was right before I went to bed and right when I woke up in the morning. I went all through high school and college barely being seen in my glasses.

After college I got an ulcer in my eye and so began my eyeglass-wearing days. For a good four years I couldn’t put a contact in my eye without it hurting or turning super red, and if I did I could only wear them for short periods of time before they had to come out. I squinted my way through those four eyes every time I stepped outside, but as much as I wanted to wear sunglasses it really wasn’t an option.

Fast forward several years and I’m back in contacts 90% of the time. But, without fail I seem to get an eye infection once a year that puts me right back in my glasses for a good week or two. When that eye infection hits I’m back to no sunglasses and the kicker is that’s when I’m usually the most sensitive to light. So when Megan approached me about writing a review for Solar Shields Fits Over Sunglasses – sunglasses that you can wear over your eyeglasses, I was excited to give them a try.

Jena wearing Dioptics Fits Over Glasses

Excited and skeptical. Sunglasses over glasses? Would they look like those giant paper sunglasses you’re given after you’ve had your eyes dilated? Would I look like a 90-year-old man in them? I was leaning towards yes. Megan had told me that they were “actually pretty cool” but I was still weary. When I finally got them (a big box of 11) I was surprised that they looked like designer sunglasses.

Dioptics Sunwear

The sides are a bit wider than normal but you can’t really tell when you put them on and they do fit seamlessly over your own glasses. After trying on each pair I picked ones I thought fit and looked the best on me and tested them out on a recent road trip to Tampa. Here are the results:

The Pros:

  • Fantastic shielding. The lenses block 100% UVA/UVB rays and are polarized, which reduces glare. They made everything super bright and vibrant. I kept commenting on how green the trees were to my husband. It wasn’t until I took them off that I realized the trees really weren’t that bright. It was the glasses!
  • Fashionable. If you get a pair that fits your face properly (see con below) they are pretty stylish. You can choose either a black or brown and sometimes white frame. The lenses also come in different tints like blue, yellow, amber and grey.
  • A fit for every style. No matter whether you want to wear them for fashion or sports these sunglasses come in numerous fits including classic, signature, fashion, panorama and sport.
  • Durable. The Fits Over Sunwear seemed like it would be able to survive an accidental butt sit and/or a drop on the sidewalk. They are thick enough to be durable but not too clunky.

The Cons:

  • Not for small faces. I guess I have a small face because there was only one pair of sunglasses (out of 11 that I was given) that somewhat fit my face. The rest were way too big, and not in the cool way either. But it’s worth mentioning that I have a hard time finding regular sunglasses that don’t look ridiculous on me.
  • See Through. While they do fit over your glasses you could still see my frames through the sunglass lens. From a distance you can’t tell but up-close it definitely looks odd.
  • Weird fit. Not sure this is quite a con but wearing two glasses at once does take a little getting used to. Eventually you don’t notice it but it is awkward at first.

Since I was given a box of 11 sunglasses I decided to let a friend try a pair for a day. Here’s what she had to say:

“I actually really like the concept because I have been needing to get contacts for over a year now and just haven’t taken the time to go for the exam. I like my glasses too, so that is another thing holding me back from getting contacts. I was really excited to try the glasses and the functionality was awesome, they just slide over your seeing glasses and they are polarized which is nice too. They work perfectly! Feel light and yet cover your entire glasses, which mine are actually pretty big, so that surprised me too. The only setback was that when I looked in the mirror I could see my glasses straight through the lenses. Not so cool. I did try a brown pair. The black probably would have hidden my seeing glasses a little more. I love them for driving!”

sunglass_model

Dioptics also touts a clip on lens that offers the same protection as the Fit Over Sunglasses just without an actual frame. This option essentially turns your regular glasses into prescription sunglasses by simply clipping lenses onto your regular frames. The CLips Ons are made from optical grade lenses and also come in a variety of styles and shapes to fit all glasses. You can choose from Full Frame, Ultra Light or Frameless, Fits PLastic (for plastic or thick frames) and FLipUps.

Bottom line, if you wear glasses all of the time and don’t want to pay for prescription sunglasses Solar Shields Fits Over Sunglasses are definitely worth trying out. And even if you only wear glasses every once in a while, they are a great way to get the best of both worlds. Plus, the sun protection is fantastic and may totally be worth buying just for when you’re driving. Next time I’ll try the sport and let you know how well they hold up during a workout.
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Jena Pugh
Jena Pugh is a stay-at-home working mom, a wife to her adoring husband Paul, and mama to two spunky girls. She currently writes daily blogs for Entertainment Benefits Group, a travel company that sells discounted tickets to Orlando theme parks (BestofOrlando.com, OrlandoFunTickets.com) and Las Vegas (BestofVegas.com) shows and attractions. Her blogs include happenings in both Vegas and Orlando as well as celebrity sightings in Sin City. Jena also teaches group fitness classes with Jacksonville Stroller Strength and is certified as a nutrition coach.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for the review, just happened across it after seeing an ad on tv for Solar Shields Fits Over Sunglasses and searching Google endlessly for images of people actually wearing them. Whenever I think of sunglasses that fit over glasses I also think of a senior citizen with crazy-big slip-over glasses. So I was glad to read your review and see your pic while wearing them. I have the full-frame clipons right now from the same company and while the lenses work beautifully I don’t like how there can be a glare from the side since they are open of course, and how obvious it is that they are clip-ons.
    So going to try these Fit Over Sunglasses.

  2. I’ve had a couple eye infections. They weren’t ulcers so this may not be of benefit to you. Apologize in advance if you already be aware of this. My eye doctor told me to wash my eyelashes with baby shampoo. Haven’t had an infection since. Don’t use regular soap. I did at first, and that is why I had two eye infections instead of one. The baby shampoo has grit in it that cleans along the eyelashes much better. Plus no eye stinging. Always a plus. 🙂

    Thanks for the review as I am looking for sunglasses to wear over my regulular glasses.

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