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Oakley Square Wire® 2.0 Spring Hinge Sunglasses Owner Review
Biographical Information
Name: Stacy Brock
Age: 23
Gender: female
Height: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)
E-mail: kalrnux@yahoo.com
Location: Ashland, Oregon, USA
Date: June 26, 2004
Backpacking Background: I've lived in Oregon all my life, but until recently only took the occasional daytrip or car camping trip. A year ago, I finally decided to get off my rear and play in the great outdoors. I've been a weekend dayhiker since. I enjoy dayhiking and snowshoeing. This season I'm planning weekend backpacking trips and have started to assemble the necessary gear. Having new gear and a trip planned to try it out is like waiting for Christmas, and boy, I am excited!
Most of my hiking is done in Southern Oregon, in terrain ranging from level lakeshore trails to bare rocky lavabeds to steep mountain scrambles. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is very close to Ashland, and I'd love to thru-hike Oregon sometime in the near future.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Oakley
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Manufacturer's Web Site: http://www.oakley.com
MSRP: $155.00 USD
Listed Weight: no weight listed
Delivered Weight: 1.3 oz (36.85 g)
Manufacturer's Description:
"A Metal blend that defies both gravity and abuse, Square Wire® 2.0 Spring Hinge is decked with refined bridgework and mounted with spring hinges. All Square Wire® 2.0 Spring Hinge frames are held comfortably in place by the stable tension of a spring hinge mechanisms [sic]. Available Iridium® lens coatings tune contrast for any light condition while patented XYZ Optics® maximizes peripheral clarity."
Overview
Oakley Square Wire® 2.0 Spring Hinge sunglasses (a mouthful of a name which I will shorten to "Square Wires" for the remainder of this review) are the second iteration of Oakley's original Square Wire sunglasses. Square Wires are available in a variety of lens styles, some of which are also polarized. A version of the sunglasses without the spring hinges is also available.
Oakley is a behemoth in the high-priced, high-performance optics game, and the Square Wires are no less hyped than any other pair of sunglasses in their current lineup. This review seeks to find out if the performance of the Square Wires from an outdoor recreation perspective justifies their rather stiff price.
The pair of Square Wires that I will discuss in this review have the spring hinge option and non-polarized, Ice Iridium lenses.
Construction
Oakley Square Wires feature a metal frame made out of proprietary C-5 alloy, polycarbonate lenses with too many techno-buzzwords for me to enumerate, and rubbery Unobtanium® earsocks. The Ice Iridium lenses have a dark blue mirror finish when viewed from most angles. When viewed closely or against light, the lenses resolve to a dark grey. The nosepads are soft, clear, and grippy, and are indistinguishable from nosepads found on high-quality eyeglass frames. The pads are firmly clamped to curved metal prongs welded to the frames, a design which does not use screws. The clamp is very tight, which keeps the pads from wiggling and reduces the chance of accidentally pulling one off. The screwless design makes it difficult to remove the pads for cleaning or replacement purposes. While I've never needed to replace the pads, I've wished that I could remove them in order to clean out the gunk that plagues those who often wear sunglasses or eyeglasses. However, I've found that a concentrated stream of hot water and a cotton swab will let me do a fairly good cleaning job in a pinch.
I have to admit that I originally purchased the Square Wires based on looks -- and because I was curious about all the hype surrounding Oakley sunglasses. Because of this, I gave the glasses a thorough inspection at the store before shelling out the cash. I looked very hard for a blemish or evidence of shoddy construction, but found none. I was also impressed by the spring hinges; they open and close smoothly and with just the right amount of resistance.
Fit
The quality spring hinges are an asset because they allow the Square Wires to fit a wide variety of faces. I have a narrow face, and I've found it difficult to find a pair of sunglasses that fit securely on my head. Oakley Frogskins, for example, are far too big for my face and feel like they're on the verge of slipping right off. The Square Wires, on the other hand, are a perfect fit: secure and comfortable.
The Square Wires measure approximately 5 inches (12.70 cm) from hinge to hinge. The earpieces are curved to fit the outside circumference of the wearer's head. Traditional eyeglasses have a "hockey stick" bend at the ear; the Square Wires, like nearly all Oakley sunglasses, do not have this bend. Instead, the earpieces extend straight back 5.25 in (13.34 cm) from the hinge. This took a bit of getting used to at first, because unlike traditional glasses, the Square Wires rely on the tension between the earpieces and the wearer's skull for a secure fit. The spring hinges provide constant tension regardless of braincase size.
Lens Transmission
According to the Oakley website, the Ice Iridium lenses block 100% of UVA and UVB light and allow, on average, 10% of visible light to pass through. It's important to note that the different lenses available for the Square Wires are more than just different colors. Each provides unique light transmission characteristics which are noted on the manufacturer's website. Out of curiosity, I asked the salesperson at a retail sunglass store about the difference between lenses, and she stated that the only difference was color. This could indicate a lack of training on the part of the sales staff at that particular store, or it could mean that Oakley does not provide this information to retail outlets. My suggestion is to do a bit of research on the manufacturer's website before making a purchase.
While I can't confirm the claim of 10% light transmission with any accuracy, I have found that the Ice Iridium lenses are quite effective at blocking glare during my hikes. I've also worn the Square Wires while on water and snow, the results of which are described in the Field Test Information section of this review. The lenses are horizontally long and vertically narrow. This leaves a rather large gap between the face and the top of the frame through which light can enter. The only time this has been a problem for me is during early evening softball games where I'm constantly facing the setting sun at just the right angle for light to pass through the gap. This has not been a problem during hikes where I'm always on the move. The frame of the Square Wires hugs the face. This "wraps" the lenses around the eyes to provide good light-blocking coverage at the bottom and sides.
The grey tint of the lenses does not shift the color of objects viewed through them. Colors remain the same but are dimmed. This is necessary for me because I am annoyed by lenses that make colors look weird. For everyone else, I suggest trying the sunglasses on at a store.
A Brief Discussion Regarding Polarization
Light waves (and all forms of electromagnetic waves) have a forward-moving direction (ie. the light "ray") and a plane of electric force that moves up and down as the wave moves forward. This can be visualized by holding out one's left arm to point directly left while the body is facing forward and flattening the hand. The arm is the light ray. The plane of the hand is the plane of electric force. When the palm of the hand is parallel to the ground, the light is horizontally polarized. When the hand is vertical to the ground, the light is vertically polarized. The hand can be turned in various directions while the arm remains steady. This is an example of light where the direction of the plane of electric force is not constant, otherwise known as unpolarized light.
Most light is unpolarized. Light can be made horizontally or vertically polarized by reflecting off different surfaces at various angles. Light reflecting off water is horizontally polarized, as is the glare off the back window of most cars. Light reflecting off snow is unpolarized.
This information can be used to determine if polarized lenses are a reasonable (and often extra) expense when purchasing a pair of sunglasses. Polarized sunglass lenses are vertically polarized to cancel out horizontally polarized light. For activities such as fishing, where most light glare will be horizontally polarized off the water, a pair of polarized sunglasses is a good bet. For snow-sports or hiking, polarization is helpful but not absolutely necessary.
This concludes Polarization 101.
Field Test Information
My sunglasses are always with me when it's sunny outside. Thus, I've had many opportunities to put them to good use. The following are two notable trips where the Square Wires came along for the ride:
Rogue River, Oregon, USA
Last summer I spent a day rafting down the Rogue River. The sun was merciless and the glare off the water was particularly intense. Despite not having polarized lenses, I didn't have a problem with glare. I hardly noticed the sunglasses at all, I have to admit. I agree with the opinion that the best gear works so well that it "disappears" from awareness while it's being used. The Square Wires did just that. Midway through the trip, I took a spill out of a Tahiti and had to clear some rapids before swimming to shore. The sunglasses held fast, even after I had been tumbled in the water like a load of laundry. For extra security, I used a set of sunglass retainers (similar to Croakies), but they were never really tested since the Square Wires remained on my face the whole time.
Crater Lake, Oregon, USA
I wore the Square Wires during a snowshoe daytrip at Crater Lake. The weather gods couldn't decide if they wanted it to be cloudy or sunny, so they decided to alternate every 15 minutes or so. I found that I could still see very well during the cloudy periods, which was nice since I didn't have to take my sunglasses on and off. During sunny moments, the glare off the snow was reduced considerably. I wore a fleece balaclava and the Square Wires fit comfortably underneath.
Durability
My Square Wires are a year old now and are showing some signs of wear and tear. There is a small, shiny, silver blemish on the frame where I rested the sunglasses down on a rough surface. Sharp metal objects such as keys will easily scratch the lenses on contact. However, the damage to the frame and lenses could have been prevented by storing the glasses in the soft microfiber bag that is provided at purchase. After scratching the lenses once, I started being very diligent about putting the sunglasses in the bag as soon as I take them off my face.
Small scratches to the lenses and frames are nothing, however, to two tiny cracks that have developed on one of the lenses. The cracks are at the edges, where the lenses fit into the frames, and measure 1/16 in (1.59 mm). They do not affect the performance of the lenses, but are somewhat worrisome because of their potential to expand in size. Cracking lenses sounds very dire, but I realized that I was storing the glasses (in their soft storage bag) in a pocket of my daypack that is subject to bumps and compression against other items. Because of this, I now store the sunglasses in a rigid ballistic nylon case when they are going to be put somewhere where they could be compressed against other objects.
When cleaning the lenses, I use a microfiber cleaning cloth and lens cleaner solution made for sunglasses. Oakley specifically recommends using the included microfiber bag for lens cleaning. I have found that the bag works well for cleaning, provided that large dust particles are blown off the lenses first. The double-duty bag is a nice feature, especially when I am concerned about weight and don't want to carry around a cleaning kit.
Summary
Oakley Square Wire sunglasses are a good all-around pair of sunglasses that are effective at blocking glare in most conditions. Those who are looking for a pair of sunglasses for one activity such as driving, fishing, or mountaineering should probably look for specialized sunglasses. The Square Wires are constructed to exacting detail, but must be treated with care to keep them looking brand-new.
Likes:
- Wrap-around design effectively blocks glare
- No color distortion
- Fits comfortably and securely
Dislikes:
- Care must be taken to avoid "tweaking" the rigid frames, which can cause tiny cracks in the lenses
- Oakley luxury tax (i.e. price)
Read more reviews of Oakley gear
Read more gear reviews by Stacy Brock
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