With warmer weather on the horizon and the expectation for more outdoor work, I grabbed some Wiley X WX Ozone sunglasses. First pair with Matte Black frames and the new Captivate Polarized Grey lenses and the other with Matte Grey frames with Silver Flash lenses. I have owned several pairs of Wiley X glasses during my career, all of them are ANSI rated for safety. Several pairs of the classic blade style from the early 2000’s, goggles and some more stylish but black frames for uniformed wear. Honestly, I have several pairs that are still serviceable, some of which is because of specific application. The goggles were used heavily while running UTVs and helo operations, because they had interchangeable lenses for day and night use (like the SG-1 or Spear Goggles). I have a pair of Saber (updated with the new Saber Advanced) glasses kit that are still serviceable with all three lenses and case from over 18 years ago. Think 90’s Special Operations blade style glasses. Recently, at SHOT Show I stopped in the Wiley X booth and checked out their line-up in person. They still have a lot of protective eyewear for use in the military and law enforcement but have also kept up with the times offering many modern style sport frames and lenses. The Ozone is one of those new styles with several options for lens choices.
The WX Ozone are the newest in their Climate Control Series with the Click Air Gasket. The Climate series are designed to provide protection against allergens, sweat, dangerous airborne particles, weather and debris with their removable facial cavity seals or gaskets. The Click Air Gasket provides a seal around the eyes to protect the eyes from the elements, with a quick-click ventilation option to eliminate fogging. The gasket snaps in and out of the frames while the earpieces are folded in. Once snapped in they seal up tight with the frames, even after several removals or remaining out. It matches up snuggly with the nose piece to provide a comfortable contact with your nose. The earpieces are made with a rubber grip to assist with staying in place during physical activity. The lenses are ANSI Z87.1 rated for both optical clarity and high mass/high velocity impact protection, plus 100% UVA/UVB protection without distortion. The lenses are prescription ready with all the same features.
The Captivate Polarized lenses are packed with additional features. I am going to get a bit nerdy but it’s a lot of technology for one lens. First of all it filters out the light where colors overlap in the color spectrum, creating a more definitive contrast between the blues, greens and reds which provides true color definition, better depth perception, and superior optical clarity. They also block the harmful UV and “blue light” (HEV) protecting our eyesight. The lenses have an Oleophobic coating which prevents oil, water, dirt, and dust from sticking to the lens, extending the time between cleanings. I have already noticed less oil from my fingers and eyebrows on the lenses and the rain forms droplets. The industry standard for abrasion resistance for premium coatings is a four on the Bayer Abrasion Test, Captivate are rated at a 7 extending the life of your glasses. This lens is also available in prescription. There are several versions of the Captivate Polarized lenses that provide different color enhancements based on the base colors available in various models from Wiley X (you can see a chart here from Sport RX). The Ozone comes in a Blue Mirrored Captivate Polarized lens as well as the Grey I have. The pair with the Silver Flash lenses are not polarized but are a darker lens for brighter days.
The Ozone has a clear lens option as well for low light activities or prescription glasses for an active lifestyle. These are larger lens glasses than I usually would get and looked really big with the gaskets installed, but they provide the same protection as wrap-around glasses and cover from eyebrow to top of the cheek. They feel like the same fit with or without the Air Click Gasket installed. Because of the shape of the frames/lens and my face, there is an air gap on the side of my face and the usual at the top of the bridge of the nose and the nose piece (I haven’t had a pair of glasses or small frame goggles that didn’t). Haven’t really had a chance to test the open vent to reduce fog, don’t wear them with the gaskets that much. There are holes in the end of the ear pieces for use with either of the leash styles that Wiley X carries or other popular retainers. This frame doesn’t have an alternate fit option.
Final Thoughts: I am impressed with the Captivate Polarized lenses with their visual clarity and color contrast. They seem to stay clear longer, with less need to be cleaned. The Silver Flash lenses are good for times when polarized is less favorable or those brighter days. These are stylish enough for everyday use and capable of all around protection for the range or other hazardous activities.
By the numbers:
Comfort – 4/5 These are light glasses but very large lenses so I find that they push down on the bridge of my nose when wearing a hat (which I wear most of the day).
Durability – 5/5 Most of Wiley X glasses are ANSI Z87.1 rated for protection from dropped objects and flying fragments, this includes a shatter resistance quality. The Captivate Polarized lenses have an extra anti-abrasion coating protecting above the industry standard. The frames have a little flex and the earpieces have more to endure our rough treatment.
Functionality – 4/5 As with any gasket protective eye protection it’s almost impossible to get a perfect seal to all faces. I will get air flow through the gap above the bridge of the nose and that usually blows straight into the eyes, providing less protection than they were designed for. The Captivate Polarized lenses provide lots of protection and visual clarity.
Weight – 5/5 For as big as these glasses are they are very light and even with the Click Air Gaskets installed feel light.
Value – 4/5 These glasses are on par with other leading brands providing polarized lenses and ANSI ratings, but the non-polarized ones are only $20 cheaper. The clear lenses are $80 less making them a decent value.
Overall rating – 4.4/5 As stated in my final thoughts, these are good glasses for on and off the range or whatever hazardous activities you may do. They will look stylish on and off the clock.
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience with the product.
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