Gun Tests Reader John suggested we take a look at eye protection, so we tried out a range of shooting glasses from inexpensive to expensive. On the low end, we started with Radians Revelation Protective Shooting Glasses ($10), then moved up in price, trying Xaegistac Tactical Eyewear ($19), Venture Gear Howitzer glasses ($24), Wiley X Omega ($100), and a replaceable lens model, the Gatorz Magnum glasses ($160). All of these shooting glasses can easily be purchased online.
How We Tested
Some of the characteristics looked for in these products was how comfortable the protection was to wear for extended periods, how easily they are adjusted for fit, and what type of glasses paired better with what type of ear protection, We also used all of the eyewear while using a lawn mower and power tools like a leaf blower and line trimmer. Our general observation with eyewear is that thin flat temples, the hinged part that sits onto of your ear, are best with muff-style ear protection. Better lenses also provide a clearer view, and wraparound styles offer the most protection. Following are the details about each product.
Radians Revelation
$10
The Revelation (Radians.com) protective shooting glasses are a no-nonsense pairs of glasses that won’t break the bank. They feature a five-position ratchet temples length adjustment for a near custom fit for child-to-adult- sized heads. The temple tips are curved and flare out. It uses a one-piece non-slip rubber nosepad that is easy to adjust just by squeezing. There is a ventilation channel between the lens and frame so the lenses do not fog up. The lenses wrap around the eyes, providing protection on the sides. The lenses offer 99.9% UV protection and excellent peripheral vision.
The glasses were comfortable to wear and offered good protection. The shooter in a neighboring lane was spitting 22 LR our way, and the wraparound lenses offered good side protection from his brass. When wearing earmuffs, we found the Revelation was difficult to put and take off. We needed to remove the earmuffs to take the glasses on and off. The temple of the glasses also snagged the lanyard on the Axil GS Extreme 2.0.
Our Team Said: The Radians Revelation shooting glasses are an inexpensive solution. We don’t know how durable the temples are, or how scratch resistant the lenses are. You will need a case so the lenses don’t scratch when they are stored in a range bag.
GUN TEST GRADE: B+
Xaegistac Tactical Eyewear
$19
Xaegistac shooting glasses (Amazon.com) feature three interchangeable polycarbonate lenses: clear, smoke, and yellow. Yellow is good for low-light conditions, smoke is good for sunny conditions, and the clear is good for all light conditions. The wraparound lenses offer good side protection. Also in the hard zippered case is a soft drawstring bag to store the glasses, and a neoprene strap helps keep the glasses around your neck when not in use. The case has a foam insert with slots to store the extra lenses scratch free.
Lenses are replaced by opening the two handles on the polymer frame and snapping out one lens for another. The one-piece rubber and polymer nosepiece is not adjustable. Squeeze the two tips of the nosepiece to remove it from the lens. The temple tips are straight and made of flexible rubber. The rubber ensures the glasses stay on your face even when looking down. A ventilation port between the lens and frame ensures the lens won’t fog. The rubber section of the nosepiece ensures the glasses won’t slip. Peripheral vision was excellent.
The temples bowed out when the shooter wore large muffs like the Axil, and the earmuff pressed the temples, slightly distorting the frame. Usable, but not as comfortable as flat temples. The temple tips are rubber and straight. Earmuffs needed to be removed to put on the Xaegistac glasses. The rubber also snagged on the ear loops and lanyard of the Axil earbuds hearing protectors.
Our Team Said: The Xaegistac shooting glasses are versatile with the three lens. We liked the case to store the glasses and ensure the lenses are not scratched. Swapping lenses was easy, but we are not sure how the polymer frames will wear with consistent lens changes. The frames were a bit flimsy. They were uncomfortable with large earmuffs. These are other low-cost alternatives.
GUN TEST GRADE: B
Venture Gear Howitzer
$23
Venture Gear (Pyramex.com) is a Pyramex brand of PPE glasses that passes the Ballistic MIL-PRF-32432 High Velocity Impact standards and meets ANSI/ISEA Z87.1+ High Impact certification. The wraparound lenses are fully enclosed in the nylon frame. The temples are half polymer and half rubber and have a straight tip. The non-slip rubber is on the bottom parts of the temple tips and helps keep the glasses on your face. It also didn’t snag on the lanyard of the Axil earbuds. The non-slip rubber nosepiece flexes to fit your nose. The frame has some flex to it. The polycarbonate lenses are available in clear, gray, or bronze. The bronze lens was tested and proved to be a good choice for sunny days. Frame color is either black or tan. The glasses come with a soft microfiber bag that doubles as a cleaning cloth.
These were comfortable to wear with or without earmuff-style hearing protection. It was difficult to put on the Howitzer glasses while wearing earmuffs due to rubber on the temple tips. The temples were fairly straight and laid flat against the side of our head. We liked that the lenses were fully enclosed by the frame. They offered good peripheral vision. The frames were flexible and light.
Our Team Said: The Venture Gear Howitzer glasses offer good vision and certified impact protection. They worked well with earmuff and lanyard earbuds and were very comfortable to wear. These could double as sunglasses. They seemed rugged and could take abuse.
GUN TEST GRADE: B+
Gatorz Magnum
$160
The Magnum (Gatorz.com) is made with a lightweight aluminum frame with dual hinges in the temples. The dual hinges offer excellent tension so the temples stay open. The finish is matte-black Cerakote. Lenses wrap around your eyes to provide excellent and maximum peripheral vision. A variety of lens types are available: non-polarized, polarized, OPZ, and Ballistic. The OPZ lenses are optimized polarized for full visibility of digital screens. Ballistics lenses have an anti-fog coating. A variety of lens colors is available in all the lens types, from clear and mirrored sunburst to brown and gold, as well as others. All are ANSI/Mil-Spec Ballistic certified, and they help defend against lasers. The non-polarized grey lenses were tested.
The frame is adjustable so you can custom fit these for a comfortable fit. The one-piece silicon nosepiece is also adjustable and comfortable with no slipping. They adjust to fit the shape of your nose and can be adjusted to create more space between the eye and the lenses. The frame is adjustable by bending the temples toward or away from each other to tighten or loosen the fit, respectively. The temples can be bent to loosen or tighten the fit. The temple tips are straight, and the Magnums are very comfortable to wear, even with earmuffs. You can put them on and take them off while wearing earmuffs with no discomfort. Replacement nosepieces ($10) and lenses ($65 to $160) are available.
The Magnum comes with a hard zippered case and cleaning cloth. The case has MOLLE straps to attach to your gear.
The glasses stay on your face once you have them adjusted. The wide temple at the hinges block sun glare. The temples are thin so they work even when wearing a helmet.
Our Team Said: The Magnum is the ultimate in performance and the “tacticool” look. These glasses are built tough to take a lot of abuse. The peripheral vision is excellent. Comfortable and lightweight, so you can wear them all day. These work well as sunglasses or shooting glasses.
GUN TEST GRADE: A
Wiley X Omega
$196
The Omega sport nylon frames (WileyX.com) are lightweight with little flexibility. They are ANSI Z87.1+ certified. The polarized lens come in mirror, bronze, or grey. We tested grey. You can also get these with prescription lenses. The high-wrap frame and thick temples at the hinge block out peripheral light while still providing good peripheral vision. The lenses are high and wide, and you don’t see the frame when wearing the Omegas. Replacement lenses ($130) are available.
Included is a hard black zippered clamshell case, cleaning cloth, and leash cord with rubber grips so the glasses can hang around your neck when you’re not wearing them to shoot. The nosepiece is rubber and smooth and offered no-slip comfort when wearing the Omegas for extended periods. The temples curve in and down and are smooth so you can take these off and put them on while wearing earmuffs. They curve in to wrap around your head with no fear of them falling off your face.
Our Team Said: The Omega glasses are suitable to wear as sunglasses as well as shooting glasses. The polarized lenses cut glare, and we were able to spot fish in water. These are very comfortable and lightweight to wear. We like the hard case and cleaning cloth. These make you look like a tactical fly fisherman.
GUN TEST GRADE: A
Written and photographed by Robert A. Sadowski, using evaluations from Gun Tests
Team members. GT
