Smith Theory Sunglasses

Field Report

Biography

Name:  Ashlee Gunter         
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 1” (1.55 m)
Weight: 110 lb (50 kg)
Email address: Ashlee(dot)gunter(at)gmail(dot)com
City, State: Baton Rouge (Denham Springs), LA
Date: 05/24/2005
 
I have been backpacking and hiking most of my life. While I was growing up, my father was a Scoutmaster. He would load my sister and me up with packs, just like the guys, and take us along with him on their trips.  I’ve had the opportunity to hike and backpack in Florida, Utah and Idaho, and now presently Louisiana and Mississippi. I’ve hiked terrain from high desert, to swamp and most anything in between.  My backpacking partners include my husband, our 4 yr old son, and sometimes our dog, Brownie.  Since my husband and I share our son’s load, I am always looking for ways to cut bulk and weight from my pack without sacrificing comfort.  I am not an ultralight extremist and will carry a little extra if it makes my trip more pleasant. Because of a busy life, my trips are limited mostly to day or weekend trips.

Product Information

Manufacturer:	Smith
Website:	www.smithsport.com
Model Year:	2005
MSRP:	$109.00

Test Locations

Since the beginning of this test series in March, I have used these sunglasses in a few different locations.  The majority of the time, I have worn them in South Louisiana.  During this portion of the test series, the temperatures have been mild with high temperatures ranging between 50F (10C) and 80F (27C) though we have seen days over 90F (32C) during the past two weeks. The weather has been unusually dry and clear with lots of sunshine.  I also took these glasses with me on a short trip to Eastern Utah at the end of April.  I spent most of this time in the high deserts where it rained almost continuously and high temperatures ranged from 80F (27C) on one day to 50F (10C) for the next three.  The activities I’ve participated in while wearing these sunglasses have included day hikes, camping, and canoeing.  I have also worn them as my everyday sunglasses while driving and walking around town.

Listed Features

• Small/Medium Fit
• Patented Interchangeable Lens technology
• Polarized include 4 sets of lenses
• 9 base TLT™ Carbonic™ lenses
• Grilamid™ TR90 Nylon Frame
• Hydrophilic Megol™ nose/temple pads
• 100% UVA/B/C Protection
• Distortion-Free Polarized Lens Model

Additional information on the features of these sunglasses can be found in my Initial Report of the Smith Theory sunglasses.

Field Information

Lenses

The one thing that makes these sunglasses unique is the interchangeable lenses.  The Smith Theory sunglasses are designed to be able to remove the current lens and replace it with another lens that is suitable for the conditions I am in.  The first time I swapped these lenses, I was a little disappointed that they were stiff and difficult to remove.  Then I decided to read the directions.  The directions were easy to follow and instructed me to grasp the portion of the lens closest to the nose piece between my thumb and forefinger.  It said to gently pull the lens downward to remove it.  After a little bit of pulling the lens ‘gently’, I realized that I may need to use a little more force. To replace the lens, they basically go in the way they come out.  This too was a little stiff. At that point, I was able to remover the lens.  The directions said that this process would get easier as I did more times, and I at this point, I was hoping they were correct.  After two or three times of swapping the lenses out, this process became much easier.

The Smith Theory sunglasses that I am testing include the following lenses: Polarized Sienna (dark) Brown, RC36 (light brown), Yellow, and Clear. Additionally, two Max (slightly larger) lenses were included in Sienna Brown and Yellow.  Although I have used all of the lenses included in the package, I have used the Polarized Sienna Brown and the RC36 lenses the most.  I will discuss the more frequently used lenses in depth and also touch on the other four lenses.

The lenses I have used the most have been the Polarized Sienna Brown lenses.  For the most part, this is the lens that stays in the Smith Theory sunglasses on a regular basis.  In the bright Louisiana sun, the darkness of the lens is excellent.  I can look up towards the sky and the sun does not bother my eyes.  South Louisiana is mostly swampland.  This means that it is not unusual to find water on all sides when driving on the interstate.  When the sun reflects off the water, it is easy to be blinded.  This also occurs when it has been raining and the sun reflects off the water on the roads.  Because of this, I have found the polarized lens to be beneficial when driving in this state.  I can watch the road and the lenses do an excellent job of blocking out the glare from the sun.  I also wore the Sienna Brown lenses on a recent canoe trip.  The thing I noticed immediately was how bright everything looked.  The leaves in the trees looked like they were glowing.  I thought this was pretty interesting as I had never noticed this on other sunglasses.  Additionally, I noticed minimal, if any, distortion in these lenses.

I have also used the RC36 lenses quite a bit.  There were times that I found the Sienna Brown lenses to be a little too dark, so I would use the RC 36 instead.  These lenses are not polarized, so they don’t work as well for canoeing or driving by the water, but they are great for day hiking and driving in the city.  Like the Sienna Brown, I have not noticed any distortion in these lenses.  For me, these would be the perfect lenses if they were only polarized. 

I have not used the yellow or clear lenses anywhere near as much.  It was only recently that I found out that the yellow lenses were designed to help one see better at night.  I put them on and walked around on my street at night, but really could not tell a big difference from not wearing anything at all.  They also seemed to hurt my eyes, but the street lights may have been a factor in that. This is something I will play with a lot more during the remainder of this test series.  The package came with a Max (larger) RC36 lens and a Max yellow lens.  I tried these on, but they felt awkward on my face.  I prefer the smaller lenses.  The clear lens I have not found a use for yet, but I will be sure to by the end of this test series.

Comfort

I have been really happy with the comfort of these sunglasses.  Other sunglasses I have worn in the past have rubbed me behind the ears or the nose and have sometimes given me headaches.  I have had none of these problems with the Smith Theory sunglasses.  I have worn these sunglasses all day long in the hot sun and high humidity with minimal discomfort. 

Durability

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I have worn these sunglasses hiking, camping, canoeing, driving, and around town.  They have traveled and been stored in purses and backpacks, and have been left in my truck, where temperatures can easily reach 150F (66C) this time of year, with virtually no signs of wear.  I have always stored them in their case which has proved to be pretty durable itself.  I usually have at least one change of lenses in the case as well.

Overall Comments

During this portion of the test series, I have enjoyed using the Smith Theory sunglasses.  I am not always a sunglasses person, and find myself to be a little particular about the sunglasses I do wear.  I guess you could say that I am picky.  As I stated above, I really like the Polarized Sienna Brown and the RC36 lenses.

I do have a couple of minor gripes about the Smith Theory’s.  As I said in my Initial Report, I still wish I had a cleaning cloth.  I have also found that I really only have a use for the two of the lenses offered with these glasses.  I owned a pair of Smith Sunglasses with interchangeable lenses about 10 years ago and found this to be the case back then as well.  I’m not sure that the extra cost to have the interchangeable option would be worth it if a lot of extra money was charged for it.

Test Plan

During the next phase of this test series, I am going to continue to test the sunglasses as I have been.  I will wear the appropriate lenses and uses them in my hikes and other outdoor recreation and I will continue to wear them as my everyday sunglasses.  I will be testing the overall performance of the sunglasses as well as the durability of them.  In addition, I am going to focus more time on the alternate lenses that have been offered to me for testing.

Things I Like

• Comfortable
• Clear vision
• Deflects the sun

Things I don’t like

• No cleaning cloth