COCOONS EYEWEAR COCOONS OVERX
SUNGLASSES
Test Series by Chari
Daignault
 |
| Cocoons OveRx
Sunglasses |
LONG-TERM REPORT
INITIAL REPORT - January 10, 2010
FIELD REPORT - April 06, 2011
LONG TERM
REPORT - June 13, 2011
TESTER INFORMATION
| NAME: |
Chari Daignault |
| EMAIL: |
chari.daignault@gmail.com
|
| AGE: |
48 |
| LOCATION: |
Orlando, Florida U.S.A.
|
| GENDER: |
F |
| HEIGHT: |
5' 6" (1.70 m) |
| WEIGHT: |
135 lb (61.20 kg)
|
I've been a light hiker for 36 years. I take
the minimum I can with me and prefer a pack close to 15 pounds [6.80 kg]. I've
hiked all the Florida State Forest trails in Central Florida, backpacked the Na
Pali coast on the island of Kauai and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan. I have hiked
dry & sandy, rough & rocky and wet & boggy trails and as a result,
have found what does and doesn't work for me in terms of equipment and clothing.
INITIAL
REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION &
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Live Eyewear
Year of
Manufacture: 2010
Manufacturer's Website: www.liveeyewear.com
MSRP: US
$49.95
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured Weight: 1.1 oz (31.2 g)
Size Tested:
Mini Slim (MS) Fits over frames measuring less than 4 15/16 inches in width by 1
3/8 inches in height (125 mm in width by 35 mm in height)
Additional Sizes
available: Stream Line (S), Slim Line (M), Wide Line (ML), Pilot (L), and
Aviator (XL)
Color Frame / Lens Tested: Soft Touch Sand / Polaré Polarized
Amber
Additional Frame Colors available: Black, Tort, Slate, Burgundy, and
Ivy
Additional Lens Colors available: Gray, Copper, Yellow, Clear, and Blue
Mirror
Other Details: Polarized UV400 - Scratch Resistant - Flex2Fit Temples
- Lifetime Warranty
Additional Information (from the manufacturer's
website): Cocoons OveRx polarized sunglasses are designed to securely and
comfortably fit over a wide range of prescription eyewear frame sizes and
shapes. The patented frames are constructed from extremely durable ballistic
nylon and feature the Polaré lens system that exceeds the highest level in lens
quality, the Class 1 European Standard for optical clarity and performance. All
styles feature adjustable Flex2Fit® temples that enable each wearer to custom
contour the temple shape for an exact fit that is extremely comfortable and
secure.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The Cocoons came with a zippered neoprene
carrying case and a cleaning cloth. The case has two clips which allow the case
to be secured to my backpack or to my belt (The belt clip is not visible in the
picture below). They also came with an illustrated Use and Care Guide which
featured one half page of instruction and eight-plus pages of product detail,
available accessories and warranty information.
 |
| Included accessories |
I like
the smooth, soft feel of the frames and am happy with the color choices (frame /
lens) I chose. The Sand / Amber combination look good together in my opinion;
and looking-good will definitely make me want to wear them more often.
 |
| Cocoons Eyewear - front
view |
The Cocoons have the "normal" eyeglass
lens I'd expect in a pair of sunglasses, but in addition, they have a set of
side lenses - in the same polarized lens material as the front lenses - which
offer peripheral vision and peripheral protection. It's nice to have a
fully-surrounding pair of sunglasses without losing my peripheral
vision.
 |
| Cocoons Eyewear - side
view |
The Cocoons feel light-weight and appear
minimally bulky. They did not fit over my usual prescription glasses -- the ones
I meticulously measured using Live Eyewear's online Sizing Calculator, along
with their Printable Sizing Guide. However, they did fit over my "backup" pair
of prescription glasses, which I will use with the Cocoons for the purposes of
the entire testing period.
READING THE INSTRUCTIONS
The only instructions that are in the Use and
Care Guide are with regard to the Flex2fit adjustable temples. The stems of the
frame which go around the ear actually have a piece of wire inside which allows
them to be bent and shaped to fit my head. No pre-heating of the stems is
required and they keep the shape into which I bend them! This is nice, because I
have a very small head and ears and most stems are so long that they stick out
past my head. I am able to bend these around the tops of my ears and also shape
them so they stay put along the side of my head. This also helps to keep them
securely on so they don't slip off if I bend over and look down.
 |
| Cocoons M/S with my glasses
inside |
There really weren't any other
instruction needed; I just slipped them on over my glasses and that was
that.
TRYING IT OUT
As I'd mentioned earlier, the Mini (MS) Slim
Cocoons did not fit over my usual, everyday glasses. Even though I checked and
double-checked using the online calculator and printable sizing guide, when I
tried to fit the Cocoons over my glasses, they just would not fit once I got
them to the area just behind my temples. I think the reason for this is because
once my glasses are on my head, the stems push out from the normal 90 degree
angle they make with the glasses. I could pretty much only measure them when
they were off my head, so this is an unfortunate possibility for mis-sizing. All
my prescription glasses have flexible hinges which allow the stems to expand and
contract as needed (I guess in case my head swells).
 |
| Where's my tiny dog and my
latte? |
In the above picture, I'm wearing the MS
Cocoons over my backup glasses. They must be slightly smaller than my usual
glasses, but not by any way that I can discern. My backup glasses have the same
prescription as my usual ones, so using them for testing purposes is not a
problem.
Although the MS Cocoons are small, they still look pretty big on
my face; then again, I have a really small face. They feel light-weight and
don't put any pressure on the tops of my ears or bridge of my nose -- at least
that I can tell so far. They seem to offer excellent coverage and protection
from the sun and glare. I will be able to test that further during the Field
Report phase.
SUMMARY
Things I've learned / noticed so
far:
LIKES
Color
Shape
Weight
Coverage and
protection
DISLIKES
Didn't fit my first pair of glasses (I
really did measure correctly!)
FIELD
REPORT
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
During the Field Testing period, the
sunglasses have been worn in Central Florida, in the areas surrounding Orlando.
The terrain covered has been sidewalks, asphalt, high grass, brush, gravel, sand
and hard-packed sand/dirt. Temperatures during the testing period in this area
have ranged from highs around 88F [31C] and lows around 54F [12C]. It's been
extremely dry during this timeframe and we were in our fire season here. Many of
the trails I would hike on during my day hikes were closed intermittently due to
controlled burns to prevent brush fires.
I've worn the sunglasses just
over 60 miles (97 km) during this time on approximately 21 separate day hikes of
3 to 4 miles (4.8 km - 6.4 km) each. They made a two night, three day trip down
to Naples for a wonderful weekend walking on sandy beaches. They went over
really well at a golf tournament in which I played in February. I wear them
during my drive into the office each day and on walks with the dogs through our
community. I've also worn them four separate times while doing spring cleaning
yard work.
 |
| Tiny Dogs |
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Cocoons OveRx sunglasses have proven
themselves to be surprisingly rugged. Although they've never fallen off my face,
I have dropped them, sat on them and once even kicked them. There are no
scratches, nothing is broken and they keep their shape.
 |
| No Damage |
The amber polarized
lenses offer a much better field of vision than my regular prescription
sunglasses. Without glare, there are so many more things to see! I've found that
I don't squint as much, which also helps with seeing a lot better. For me, there
is a bit of loss of peripheral vision near the front of the temples, most likely
due to the frames being wide along that part of the stems so they can block
sunlight. Having worn glasses since I was seven years old, I'm used to having to
turn my head to get a good view of what's to the left or right of me, so the
obstruction doesn't bother me per se; it just requires a bit of getting used to.
One advantage of the wider side stems is that my eyes are protected from any
debris that flies up while I'm working in the yard.
The Cocoons are so
light; I always have to double-check the case when I go to take them with me --
it feels as though there's nothing in there. I've experienced no pain on the
bridge of my nose or the tops/backs of my ears when wearing them over my
glasses. The Cocoons don't push my regular glasses into my head and they don't
pinch the sides of my head. They do look very big when they're on my face;
probably because I'm used to seeing thin-rimmed glasses there.
SUMMARY
Throughout the Field Testing period, I've
experienced no real issues with wearing the Cocoons over my glasses. It's very
convenient to be able to wear them in the car, on the trail and while doing
anything out in the sun. Although they won't take the place of my Transitions
lenses, they do appear to be a less costly alternative and offer a lot more
physical protection to my
eyes.
LIKES
Lightweight
Convenient
Rugged
Good
protection
DISLIKES
Obstructed view at temple
Rather large
on my face
LONG-TERM
REPORT
LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND
CONDITIONS
I've continued wearing the sunglasses around
Central Florida, in the areas surrounding Orlando. Terrain encountered has been
sidewalks, high grasses, brush, gravel, sand and hard-packed sand and dirt.
Temperatures during the testing period in this area have ranged from highs
around 95F [35C] and lows around 74F [23C]. The fire season has unfortunately
extended itself into our rainy season. We've had little to no rain yet and brush
fires are prevalent throughout the area.
I've worn the sunglasses
everyday riding to work in the mornings. For two weeks, I was detailed out to
our downtown office and had to park in the parking garage. It was very nice to
just take the Cocoons off each time I entered the garage and then slip them back
on in the evenings when I left. I've worn the Cocoons every weekend doing weekly
yard work. Due to my work schedule and the fires as of late, my day hikes have
been cut back considerably.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Cocoons have continued to perform as
expected and have offered benefits in everyday life outside of my active outdoor
activities. Being able to remove them as needed when entering buildings and not
having to dig through my bag for my glasses to swap out with sunglasses is
really convenient. I've not experienced any issues with fogging and although
there is some obstruction at the temples, the field of vision with the Cocoons
using the amber lenses is remarkably crisp and clear even when going from the
shade of trees out into full sun (and visa-versa).
Although the Cocoons
do not add much weight to my glasses, they do rest on my glasses at certain
points and after a while (several hours of wearing them), I do notice the
weight, but it's not painful. If I sweat a lot, the whole shebang of Cocoons and
glasses will slide a small bit down the bridge of my nose, but I can nudge them
back up -- pretty much without even thinking about it. I've not ever had the
Cocoons come anywhere near falling off; they stay on very well and hug my head
without pinching, even over and behind my ears.
SUMMARY
As mentioned, I've experienced no real issues
with wearing the Cocoons over my glasses.They're very convenient and easy to
use. To me, they are an inexpensive alternative to Transitions lenses -- and
they work while in the car, where Transitions lenses do
not.
LIKES
Lightweight
Convenient
Rugged
Good
protection
DISLIKES
Obstructed view at temple
Rather large
on my face
This concludes my Long Term Report. Many thanks to Live
Eyewear and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test these
sunglasses.
This report was created with the
BackpackGearTest.org
Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
