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Oakey is a company based out of Lake Forest, California that is best known for making glasses that are designed for active lifestyles. While many companies focus on the style, Oakley focuses on how well they perform while you are in motion.
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Best Oakley Sunglasses For Men
Even though they are best known for their sports glasses, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a perfect pair of shades to use when you are not being active. Whether you want a great pair to go fishing, head out for a beach day, or backyard BBQ, Oakley offers many different timeless styles, and you are sure to find one to fit your lifestyle as well as your budget.
With so many amazing options provided by Oakley, we wanted to break it down for you to help you find the perfect frame for yourself or maybe even provide as a gift. Below you will find a list of the best Oakley sunglasses for men.
Gascan
Frame Size: 60-15-127 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
When you think about Oakley there is no other pair that fits the “Oakley look” more than the Gascan sunglasses. This iconic frame is made with Oakley’s durable O-Matter and can handle most of what you can throw at it and still be ok. This frame is designed with a three-point fit and is designed to hold in alignment while providing all-day comfort and protection.
Flak 2.0 XL
Frame Size: 59-12-133 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
This has been one of Oakley’s most popular frames for quite a long time. This frame provides great optics, with every part of the lens optimized to provide you with high definition clarity. This lightweight design, but durable design is built to take performance to the next level without compromising comfort and protection.
Holbrook
Frame Size: 55-18-137 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
The Oakley Holbrook frame is a classic design that has been modernized by Oakley technology. This is a great frame for those individuals who want a good balance between performance and style. While the frame itself is on the thicker side, there is no compromise on your vision due to Oakleys curved designed lenses.
Half Jacket 2.0
Frame Size: 62-15-133 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
These Oakley sunglasses are a revision of the classic Half Jacket frames and take the best from its predecessor while improving on many aspects including widening out the ear stems and upgraded hinges. This frame also exceeds ANSI standards and is built to withstand impacts to protect your eyes from anything that could be flying towards it. Built with Oakley’s lightweight O-Matter polycarbonate material.
Frogskins
Frame Size: 55-17-139 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
This frame is a recreation of a classic frame from the early 80s. This resurrected piece of history comes with a keyhole bridge and mirrored lenses. This frame has been equipped with Oakley’s latest technology to give you superior optical clarity and provide you with all-day comfort and protection.
Targetline
Frame Size: 57-16-135 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
This frame was designed with those individuals who want a good balance between style and sports performance. This frame was designed with the active individual in mind and is designed with thin sleek temples to easily fit underneath a hat. The larger lens design is intended to help provide you with an uncompromised large field of vision, whether you are using it for your active lifestyle, or just spending a day at the lake. Designed with Oakley’s three-point fit to hold the frame in place and not compromise alignment in motion.
Frogskins Lite
Frame Size: 63-10-132 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
This frame is one of the latest recreations of Oakley’s iconic classic sunglasses. Sporting the same classic design with the keyhole bridge, but equipped with sporty semi-rimless lenses. This frame is equipped with all of the latest Oakley technology and is perfect for anyone looking for a different look than Oakley’s traditional aggressive sporty frames and more of a retro classic.
Latch
Frame Size: 53-21-140 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
The design of this particular frame was created with inspiration taken from the skateboarding world. Fitted with the classic keyhole bridge and round lenses this frame takes a classic look and fits it with Oakley technology to provide you with a comfort as well as protection. This frame is equipped with a feature on the hinge that allows you to clip the glasses to your shirt.
M2 Frame XL
Frame Size: 170-16-120 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes (Not all retailers can put prescription lenses in this kind of frame, We recommend purchasing this frame from a retailer such as SportRx , directly from Oakley, or any retailer that can sell you the frame and the prescription lenses together to avoid any fit issues)
This version of the M2 Frame takes performance to the next level by providing you an unobstructed view in any direction. Whether you are keeping an eye on something above your eye level or on your peripheral vision this large lens is sure to give you the best view possible. Which makes this frame a great frame for individuals who cycle or does an activity where a wide field of vision is important.
Fuel Cell
Frame Size: 60-19-130 | Frame Material: O MATTER | Lens Material: Plutonite | Available in Polarized: Yes | Prescription Ready: Yes
This is another Oakley frame that is designed with the aggressive Oakley “look”. This frame looks somewhat similar to Oakley’s Gascan sunglasses, but the Fuel Cell sunglasses are much larger than the Gascan sunglasses and may not fit well if you have a medium to a small sized head. This frame is made with Oakley’s O Matter material, therefore very lightweight, providing you with all-day comfort and protection. This frame exceeds ANSI Z87.1 optical standards, as well as meets ANSI Z87.1 basic impact standards.
Why sunglasses are important
Oakley sunglasses are stylish, and a great way for you to set a fashion statement. But looks aren’t the most important aspect when it comes to sunglasses. The most important reason for wearing sunglasses is to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays from the sun.
We all know what happens when you spend all day out in the sun without sunblock on, but what most people don’t know is that your eyes could get sunburnt as well. This is especially true if you are hanging around large bodies of water, or in an area where there is snow. 
Overexposure to harmful UV rays over the course of your life could eventually lead to dangerous eye conditions, many of which are not treatable.
Luckily for us, Oakley has fine-tuned their lenses and developed them to effectively filter out all of the UV rays. All Oakley sunglasses come with lenses that block out 100% of harmful UV rays whether the lenses are polarized, non-polarized, or has a mirror coating, you still get the same great sun protection.
What are UV rays
UV or Ultraviolet light is a form of electromagnetic radiation that radiates off of the sun. These rays are not visible to the naked eye and have wavelengths between 10 to 400nm. There are three main forms of UV rays:
- UV-A | There is nearly 500 times more UV-A than UV-B in sunlight. These UV-A rays come in wavelengths between 315-400nm. UV-A can damage parts of your retina as well as your central vision.
- UV-B | There is much less UV-B rays than UV-A however that doesn’t mean that it is any less important to protect your eyes from UV-B rays. These rays come in wavelengths between 280-315nm and are the rays that is responsible for causing sunburn on your skin.
- UV-C | These UV rays are the ones that carry the most energy and has wavelengths between 180-280nm. Luckily for us, UV-C rays do not reach the surface of Earth due to the atmosphere completely absorbing all of the shortest UV wavelengths including everything between 10-180nm.
Benefits of polarized lenses
You may have noticed that many Oakley sunglasses come in a polarized option and you may be wondering if the extra cost for a polarized lens is worth the money.
If you spend a good amount of time outdoors you may benefit from polarized lenses as they effectively block glare from reflecting light. These lenses can provide you with better clarity, and comfort by reducing eyestrain. Polarized lenses filter out glare from light that is reflecting off of horizontal surfaces, such as large bodies of water, the ground, snow, or a hood of a car. Horizontal light produces extremely strong glare and can obscure your field of vision creating a dangerous environment. This effect is temporary, and is sometimes referred to as “snow blindness”.
Non-polarized sunglass lenses still provide you with protection from the UV rays and do provide your eyes with some comfort in dealing with the glare by reducing its intensity, but the glare is still there.
However polarized lenses are not for everyone, individuals who operate any electronic instruments that use LCD screens such as pilots are not recommended to wear polarized sunglasses. LCD screens emit polarized light. which means polarized sunglasses would reduce the ability for pilots to read their instrument panels. Pilots also rely on glare to see the shimmer off coming off of any other aircraft that might be nearby.
What to consider when deciding on your pair of Oakley sunglasses
When you are considering purchasing a pair of sunglasses, aside from the fashion statement, your sunglasses should be able to effectively protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays from the sun, as well as give you good coverage around your face to keep the sunlight out.
Remember that the main reason for you wearing sunglasses is to protect your eyes, this is especially important if you are planning on spending a good amount of time outdoors.
With Oakley sunglasses, you don’t need to worry about your glasses not having UV protection, as all Oakley sunglasses come standard with UV protection. Oakley sunglasses are also designed to give you great coverage from the sun while providing a large, unobstructed field of vision.
What is the deal with Oakley’s Iridium, Plutonite, and PRIZM lenses
If you are looking to purchase Oakley sunglasses, chances are that you noticed that they offer lenses with a variety of different options for the lenses and many of which can be confusing if you do not know what you are looking at. While most traditional sunglasses have a single job of protecting your eyes from the harmful UV rays from the sun, Oakley takes their glasses to the next level with their patented technology for their lenses. Let’s take a look at each individual one.
- Iridium – Oakley’s Iridium is actually not a part of the lens itself, but it actually refers to a special metal oxide coating that is applied onto the lenses, that allow Oakley to tailor the lenses for specific conditions. Essentially this coating is a flash mirror coating, and functions by reducing the amount of light that passes through your tinted lenses. These lenses can be designed for specific conditions whether you are golfing, spending some time by the lake, or cycling through a trail there are different Iridium coated lenses that is designed for specific environments to provide more detail, more dept, and more definition.
- Plutonite – This special lens material by Oakley is designed to filter out all forms of UV rays coming from the sun, as well as HEV (High Energy Visible) wavelengths. HEV wavelengths are commonly referred to as blue light rays. This is particularly important as recent studies have shown that exposure to HEV blue light to cause irreversible damage to your eyes. Plutonite is Oakley’s trademark name for its special blend of polycarbonate used for its lenses
- PRIZM – Oakley’s PRIZM lens technology is a new lens technology that is designed specifically to enhance detail, and provides you with ultra-precise color tuning for specific environments. This lens technology allows you to see details that you might otherwise miss with the naked eye.
All of these lenses have polarized options that are available depending on which lens tints you end up going with. Having the Iridium or PRIZM lenses in combination with polarization can give you the best all-around protection from UV as well as glare while giving you clear distortion-free vision. Check out the video below from SmartBuyGlasses that explains the difference a bit more in detail.
Takeaway
With so many options from Oakley, these few are just a fraction of what they actually have to offer. Always be sure when you are making your purchase for Oakley frames to make sure you are getting all the features that you want as well as in the correct tint to suit your lifestyle.
If you need more information on Oakley’s lens technology or various tint options and what they can do for you, visit Oakley’s official website for the most up to date information.
Have you tried Oakley sunglasses before? Do you feel like they are worth the money? We would love to hear from you, comment below! If you have any additional questions or comments, feel free to leave them below or contact us through our contact form and we will be sure to get back to you as soon as we can.
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It is my first time come across with Oakley, and I quite like the look of them. Quality pair of sunglasses is a must, to protect our pair of eyes so we can enjoy seeing beautiful things! I’m looking one for my husband, for fishing:) And one for me, but I’m wearing glasses, do you have good recommendations or suggestions if I should buy a big sunglasses to wear with my glasses or I should wear contact lens instead?
Hi Emily, I generally recommend people that wear glasses to have a pair of prescription sunglasses as well. You can always use contacts and wear non prescription sunglasses as well if that is what you want. It is a personal preference. The big sunglasses that fit over your prescription glasses would work, but sometimes those don’t always fit right over your glasses. Hope that answers your question.
Brilliant post! I actually have prescription Oakley sun glasses (Gascan) and they are very cool (to me anyways)! I think that the look of Oakley of very distinctive. You get a lot of glasses that could easily be mistaken for another brand but you can spot Oakley’s from a mile away.
The prism lenses sound incredible and I would definitely like to give them a try! I think it is important to remind people of how sensitive the eyes are, because I actually don”t think about it but it is a real danger. I Will definitely be more continuous of this from now on.
Thanks!
Hi Renton, One of our main goals here is to spread more information about eye health and the things that we should be doing to protect them. We never think about what UV rays are doing to our eyes when we are outside, because it is an invisible danger and doesn’t exactly cause immediate damage, but over the course of your lifetime. Thanks for stopping by!