Polarized Sunglasses

[Steve Kolenda]

Recently purchased an expensive pair of Driveware prescription sunglasses to use on the motorcycle. I was not nuts about the polarization because of it's masking of liquids but wanted something that would darken and lighten as conditions changed. After wearing these for a short period of time behind my clear Arai shield I have found that I will not be able to wear them because of distortion and all kinds of funny colors popping up on trees, the ground and oncoming vehicles. Is this typical of any polarized lens behind the shield? If I pop up my shield I do not see the same mess looking through my windshield. Anyone familiar?

Thanks in advance.

 

Steve

[pbbeck]

The glasses I wear while riding are not polarized. but the ones I drive with are. I notice that when looking out through the side windows of my car, I see a regular pattern of dark colored (blue/purple) splotches. Fortunately it doesn't happen when I look through windshield.

[FrankBrown]

The color changes are normal behind "plastic" or whatever compound face shields are made of. Since the "plastic" blocks most of the UV rays, your lenses will not darken behind it.

[E30TECH]

Recently purchased an expensive pair of Driveware prescription sunglasses to use on the motorcycle. I was not nuts about the polarization because of it's masking of liquids but wanted something that would darken and lighten as conditions changed. After wearing these for a short period of time behind my clear Arai shield I have found that I will not be able to wear them because of distortion and all kinds of funny colors popping up on trees, the ground and oncoming vehicles. Is this typical of any polarized lens behind the shield? If I pop up my shield I do not see the same mess looking through my windshield. Anyone familiar?

Thanks in advance.

 

Steve

 

I wear prescription polarized sunglasses (regular sunglasses, but prescription). I get the distortion of colors with certain things as well. At first it was annoying, but I have since gotten used to it. I think anything polarized will do this behind the face sheild.

 

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Your face shield already acts as a sort of polarizer. When you add the polarized lenses you are, in effect, working with stacked polarization. It can have all sorts of weird effects.

 

I have found that the Iridium coated shields such as the ones made for Shoei helmets give me the best of both worlds. The gold colored ones are really nice. Plenty bright during the day and no UV getting through. Vision is slightly diminished in the true dark but I don't ride very much then. No problems in the city or on well lit suburban streets. I do carry a clear shield in my little Givi tail trunk but rarely have use for it.

[Jake]

Steve -

 

As you've found out, polarized sunglasses and helmet shields do not mix - same thing happens in cars w/tinted glass.

 

My fave sunglass mfgr, Tifosi, makes a number of non-polarized models which have variable tint - called Fototec. Check out their website. They are priced right, durable, and light wieght.

[Steve Kolenda]

Frank,

 

The Driveware lenses are designed to darken even if UV is blocked. That's why I thought they would be good behind the shield, not knowing that the shield would be a problem with the polarization.

[Tony_K]

This exact topic was covered a while back.

 

Consensus... do not use with motorcycle helmet with visor. Read this

[E30TECH]

It can have all sorts of weird effects.

 

I find it pretty trippy. Purple trees, blue grass, colorful swirls on the road

[Woodie]

Me too. But I think I'll get used to them.

 

I hope I do, since they're not available in non-polarized!

 

 

[RTinNC]

Yep ... simple answer is skip the polarized lenses.

[Fubar]

If you need shades while riding, I humbly suggest Serengeti's. Been wearing them for over 20 years and the only issue I've ever come across, regardless of clear shield or smoked, is that streetlights looks somewhat amber-colored at night. (Yes, I realize that wearing shades at night is not bright but with the crap helmet (a Bell) I had then, it was necessary to keep the wind out of my eyes and my contacts in them.) They are available at Walmart of all places for about $100.

[mrsoup]

I will NOT wear polarized sunglasses when riding, period. Polarized lens were the cause of a serious accident that inolved life threatening injuries and a helicopter ride.

 

How? They block too many of the hazards that are important for us to see. On a hot summer day on a 'chip & seal' road the ooze that comes to the surface is not visible as such and I went down. I literally slid sideways in a curve before high siding according to friends that visited the accident scene, I don't remember any of it.

 

Thank GOD I am able to ride again, went out for a spin today in fact.

 

Please consider this before making the decision to use polarized lens in your sunglasses. The 'trippy stuff' that you see through the faceshidld can't be good either. We need to be able to quickly evaluate the road conditions accurately with minimal distractions.

 

My two cents...

[Steve Kolenda]

Thanks to all. I obviously missed the earlier post covering this. I am going to try and return them and go with something with no polarization.

 

Steve

[Selden]

Polarization reveals stress -- the weird rainbow effects reported are stress patterns in faceshields and auto glass. Mrsoup is on the mark. My bike was slipping all over the place on a warm afternoon last spring as I traversed fresh tar snakes on a mountain road -- fortunately, I could see them and had slowed down accordingly. Non-polarized photosensitive lenses are fine.

[RTinNC]

If you need shades while riding, I humbly suggest Serengeti's. Been wearing them for over 20 years and the only issue I've ever come across, regardless of clear shield or smoked, is that streetlights looks somewhat amber-colored at night. (Yes, I realize that wearing shades at night is not bright but with the crap helmet (a Bell) I had then, it was necessary to keep the wind out of my eyes and my contacts in them.) They are available at Walmart of all places for about $100.

 

Just a heads up ... my buddy had worn Serengeti's for years and loved them until ecently when he caught a pebble while riding with his shield up and the "GLASS" lens shattered. Yes .... they were glass . ...I told him I was shocked they even made glass lenes today ... he too was shocked and has now ordered more motorcycle friendly glasses.

[Fubar]

Yeah, I know they are glass. I was reminded of this when I dropped my newest pair a week after getting them and got but one little chip in them, right in my sight line. D'OH!

I always ride with my shield down, if not completely, no more than 1/2" raised (on a full face helmet) for a bit of ventilation at low speeds. Then there is the bike's shield....

But most importantly, the visual acuity is excellent and the photosensitivity is very good to have when the sun is low.

[Sailorlite]

I imagined what might happen to glass sunglasses inside my full face helmet if I happened to crash. So I bought a pair of Harbor Freight plastic tinted safety glasses ($4) for motorcycle use.

[Bologna]

Your face shield already acts as a sort of polarizer. When you add the polarized lenses you are, in effect, working with stacked polarization. It can have all sorts of weird effects.

 

I have found that the Iridium coated shields such as the ones made for Shoei helmets give me the best of both worlds. The gold colored ones are really nice. Plenty bright during the day and no UV getting through. Vision is slightly diminished in the true dark but I don't ride very much then. No problems in the city or on well lit suburban streets. I do carry a clear shield in my little Givi tail trunk but rarely have use for it.

+1 on the iridium face shields.