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RYDERS EYEWEAR VIGOR SUNGLASSES
TEST SERIES BY DON TAYLOR
LONG-TERM REPORT
January 08, 2010
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT
TESTER INFORMATION
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NAME:
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Don Taylor
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EMAIL:
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anfhiker AT yahoo DOT com
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AGE:
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32
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LOCATION:
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Youngstown, Ohio USA
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GENDER:
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M
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HEIGHT:
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5' 7" (1.70 m)
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WEIGHT:
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195 lb (88.50 kg)
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For the past 12 years I have been camping/backpacking primarily in Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Virginia with the Allegheny National Forest as the most frequented location. My trips are generally long weekends and I try to camp or hike at least once in all 4 seasons with the fall being my favorite. My backpacking trips usually consist of 15 mile (24 km) days and a group of 2-3 other hikers in forested, moderately hilly areas. I consider myself a lightweight, slow and steady hiker. The winter hikes often involve heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
INITIAL REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
 | | Box Contents |
Manufacturer: Ryders Eyewear
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Manufacturer's Website: www.ryderseyewear.com
MSRP: $44.99 US
Listed Weight: Not available from manufacturer's website or brochure
Measured Weight: 1.0 oz (28.35 g), 1.2 oz (34.02 g) with storage bag
Other details:
Frame: Gloss Black-the manufacturer's website shows that the frames are also available in Pearl and Bronzed Carbon
Lens: Grey with Flash (silver tint), Polycarbonate, Shatterproof, Optically Correct, Scratch Resistant, 100% UV Protection, Vented-also available in brown and orange according to the manufacturer's website
Lens Tint: 15% VLT (Visible Light Transmission)
Size: Medium-Large (only size listed)
Features: Adjustable Anti-Slip Nose Pads and Adjustable Anti -Slip Temple Pads
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The glasses arrived in a plastic bag inside the supplied carrying pouch. The carrying pouch is made of a smooth material similar to that of a lens cleaning cloth and is equipped with a drawstring. Also included in the box were the manufacturer's 2009 catalog and two Ryders Eyewear stickers.
One of the two tags attached to the glasses shows that the Vigors provide 100% UVA and UVB protection and are priced at $44.99. The other tag points out to the user that the nose pads and arms can be adjusted for the best fit.
The lenses are tinted with a slightly reflective silver finish and are manufactured with three vent holes in each lens to provide ventilation.
The frames are plastic and the temple pads are made of a flexible metal with a rubberized coating. The hinges do a good job of holding the arms in place when they are folded out. When the arms are folded in, they are just long enough to reach past the lenses to avoid scratching them up.
My initial impression is that the glasses are made of heavy duty material that is put together well.
 | | Adjustable Nose Pads |
READING THE INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions were not included with the glasses although I found that making adjustments was very self explanatory.
TRYING IT OUT
With a few minor adjustments to the nose and temple pads, the glasses felt comfortable right out of the box. My first use of the sunglasses was on a road-run on a hot sunny day. The non-slip, hydrophilic nose and temple pads kept the glasses in place even during heavy sweating.
A few days later I wore the Vigors on a day hike in the Allegheny National Forest. The glasses were comfortable during the hike, stayed in place and kept my eyes adequately shielded from the sun.
In addition to wearing the glasses on my run and hike, I have worn them while driving and working in the lawn. In both cases the glasses were comfortable and provided adequate light blocking.
TESTING STRATEGY
Over the test period, I plan to continue looking into the following:
Overall fit/comfort
Slip control
Durability
Light filtering
Adequate coverage around the eyes
SUMMARY
For the short amount of time I have used the glasses I have found that they provide a comfortable, non-slip fit. So far, the glasses are what I expected from researching them on the manufacturer's website.
This concludes my Initial Report. The Field Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report . Please check back then for further information.
FIELD REPORT
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I have worn the glasses on hikes in the Allegheny National Forest and Cook Forest State Park in Pennsylvania and throughout a 5 day canoeing trip in Algonquin, Canada. My hiking trips included two overnighters in which we covered up to 20 miles (32 km) and several day hikes with the longest being 12 miles (19 km). Elevations on these trips ranged from 500 ft (152 m) to 2100 ft (640 m) above sea level. Thankfully on all of the trips the sun was a factor for at least part of the time. Temperatures during the trips varied from 20 F (-6 C) to 85 F (29 C).
In addition to wearing the Ryders on my wilderness excursions, the glasses have been worn on many runs and drives on the few sunny days we get here in Northeast Ohio.
I would definitely consider the glasses well worn throughout the period.
 | | Tester Doing All of the Work |
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Ryders Vigors have provided a very comfortable fit since I initially made adjustments to them when they arrived. They have stayed in place even during the sweaty conditions of a fast run on a hot day. The nose pads are where I normally experience the most discomfort with sunglasses however with the Ryders this was not the case. Up to this point, the glasses have done a great job of staying in place without slipping or bouncing around.
Fogging up during humid conditions has not been an issue with these glasses. The vent holes do provide a little ventilation which is much appreciated on hot days, however the holes on the bottom of the lenses were a little distracting until I got used to them. After wearing the glasses a few times, the holes became much less of an issue.
The frames of the glasses have held up well. They have not shown any signs of fatigue or severe scratching. Same goes for the nose pads and side arm adjustments. The only durability issue that I have so far is with one of the lenses. During my canoeing trip in Algonquin, I noticed severe scratching on the left lens. While I cannot rule out a rouge piece of dirt or sand, I cannot determine the cause of the scratching. I have cared for the glasses in the same fashion that I have done with my other pair of sunglasses for the past 3 years with no issues. I have been storing the sunglasses in the bag that they came with and I only use a micro fiber cloth to clean the lenses. The scratches are very noticeable during use which can be very distracting. The right lens has stayed in great shape with very little scratching.
Even during very sunny days, the glasses perform well when it comes to filtering out the bright light. The optically correct lenses do a great job of taking out the glare without diminishing my vision. I notice that I squint much less while wearing these glasses than I have with other pairs. This really helps control headaches from being out in the sun for extended periods of time and proved to be very helpful during my canoeing trip to Canada where the sun reflecting off of the water was a major issue when I didn't have the glasses on. Because of the clarity of the lenses, I have been able to leave the glasses on when transitioning from lighter to darker parts of the trail. The shape and size of the glasses provides ample coverage and I have not noticed any areas where the sun reaches my eyes because the lenses were not adequate.
The look of the glasses is a little out of my norm as I am pretty conservative when it comes to style. They definitely have a hardcore sports look to them which has sparked a few comments from my hiking companions.
.jpg) | | Tester With Glasses |
SUMMARY
Other than the scratching of the left lens, so far the Ryders Vigors have worked very well during hiking, driving, running and canoeing. The style takes a little getting used to but it has proven to be effective.
Likes
Glare Filtering
Comfort
Ability to Stay in Place
Adjustability
Concerns
Lens Durability
This concludes my field report. Please check back in 2 months for my Long Term Report.
Thank you to Ryders Eyewear and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test these glasses.
LONG-TERM REPORT
LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I have continued to wear the sunglasses countless times since my last report. I have worn them in many conditions including extreme snow glare, bright sun, rain and low light settings. The glasses were worn on six day-hikes and three weekend hiking trips in western Pennsylvania and on countless road runs. In several cases the glasses experienced heavy sweating and/or rain conditions. In addition to outdoor use, I have used the Vigors many times while driving.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The glasses continue to hold their fit well and they still do a great job staying in place even during rain and heavy sweating. I have not noticed any worsening of the scratching on the left lens and the right lens continues to hold up well. This leads me to believe that I may have picked up a small piece of sand during the cleaning process when the original scratching occurred.
The adjustment points on the frame continue to hold their shape. There are no noticeable weak spots forming where the adjustments flex. The frames have proven to be very durable to this point.
Recently I wore the Vigors on a very sunny day. There was fresh snow cover that was causing an extreme glare. The glasses performed very well with filtering out the bright light. I have not experienced any conditions where the lenses did not filter out the light adequately however I have found that the lenses could be shaped or sized differently to provide more protection on the bottom of my vision field. Light reflection off of the road or snow can cause some squinting.
On another occasion on a sunny day in November, I wore the glasses while hiking on a trail that crossed over open fields and through dense forests. The design of the lenses allowed enough light to pass through in the darker areas so that removing them as I passed in and out of the dense forest areas was not necessary. This was helpful because I did not need to remove them very often throughout the day.
SUMMARY
The additional testing has confirmed my original feelings as to the positives of the Vigors. The glasses provide adequate glare filtering, slip control and adjustability all while allowing for a comfortable fit.
Because the lenses have held up well since the initial scratching of the left lenses, I would change my previous concern about the durability of the lenses to a neutral feeling.
The only improvement I would recommend is a size or shape change that would allow for better light blocking on the bottom side of the lenses.
Overall I am happy with the glasses and if it wasn't for the scratching on the left lens, I would plan on using these glasses for all of my running and hiking trips.
Thank you to Ryders and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test these glasses.
This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Read more gear reviews by Don Taylor
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