Are all fitovers created equal?

Having spent all of my professional career in the fitover sunglass business, I’ve come to learn that there’s a glaring

dichotomy when it comes to fitover sunglass perception and the actuality. Unfortunately, it’s come to be that many

fitover manufacturers focus more on puffery and presentation to achieve sales than they do on the product itself. The

reason this trend has developed is because by and large… it actually works! Manufacturing a pair of fitovers using top

quality materials and building in features, that are often unseen, and that deliver the upmost in performance and

comfort is expensive. It’s less costly to garner sales with marketing hype, elaborate colors and ornate embellishments.

But why do these decoys work? It’s because someone who isn’t educated to the nuances of a fitover will typically pay

attention to the same characteristics that motivate them when picking out a conventional sunglass. The aesthetics. The

color. The style. The “bling”. You may be asking yourself why the manufacturers of professional grade fitovers just

don’t cater to these buying stimuli as well. I’ve already explained that it’s cheap to do, so what’s the harm in having a

sleek in addition to top of the line performance and quality?

The answer is that to achieve contemporary styling, a translucent finish or a more streamlined profile, the overall

performance of the fitover has to be compromised. By creating an aesthetic distraction, the primary reason for buying a

fitover in the first place is relegated. The function it’s supposed to deliver and the problem it was initially supposed to

solve unknowingly become less important to the buyer. The allure of sparkly embellishments and exciting coloring

often ends with people evaluating the fitover as they would a fashion accessory.

Eyecare professionals the world over recognize that most of the public think all fitovers are basically the same. Since

they’re all similar why not buy the one that looks the coolest? Thanks to their eyewear expertise, optometrists and

opticians are able to explain why that’s the one thing not to do.

If you’re reading this it’s probably because you want to

make the right choice before you buy. You want to understand

what’s important and what’s not when selecting a fitover.

A little research goes a long way. A good pair of fitovers should

be a blessing. A bad pair can be an absolute curse. It’s a shame

when someone writes off the entire fitovers category because they

ended up using a poorly designed model. That’s what can happen

when the assumption that a “fitover is a fitover” is made. Nobody

concludes that all apples taste bad after biting into a rotten one.

The same can be said about fitovers.

Function First! Cocoons® by Live Eyewear.

There’s three main facets to evaluate when looking for a pair of

fitovers. Performance, comfort and quality. A shortcoming with

any one will usually end up with the glasses not being used.

Performance means how much of the light that reaches the eyes is

filtered and to what level of effectiveness. To determine this you need

to look at the frame and the lens system. The frame needs to have two

features that not all fitovers have. Firstly, it needs a brow bar. This

is a section of the frame that blocks light from entering between your

forehead and the front of the frame. It looks like a ledge. It extends horizontally from the back of the main frame

towards your face.

Secondly, it needs to have an undercarriage. The undercarriage is similar to a brow bar but it’s located below the

lenses. It extends horizontally towards your face, blocking light from penetrating from below. Up to 70% of light that

reaches your eyes can be reflected from surfaces such as water, pavement or sand. If this unfiltered light gets in behind

the lenses it mixes with the treated light an dilutes the products effectiveness.

The second variable to performance is the lens system. The front lenses must have a UV400 rating and the polarization

must have a 100% efficiency score. Many fitovers use UV380 lenses because they’re cheaper than UV400. One of the

problems that leads to people unwittingly wearing UV380 lenses is some manufacturers label the lenses UV400 when

they aren’t. An eyecare professional can quickly test the lenses for you on a UV meter. Polarization is a must. It

eliminates glare. In my opinion there’s no point in wearing fitovers that aren’t 100% polarized. Countless fitover lenses

are labeled “Polarized” but they don’t include the efficiency score. It’s relatively easy to check if a lens is 100%

polarized by holding a second pair horizontally in front of the first pair. Look through the lenses of the first pair so that

you can see through the lenses of the second. Then rotate the second pair 90% so that they’re vertical. When the second

pair are perpendicular to the first, they should completely “black out”. You should not be able to see through the

second lenses whatsoever. If you can even see slightly through them they’re not 100% polarized. And if you can see

through them clearly, they’re not polarized at all.

Fashion First! Vistana® by Live Eyewear.

BROW BAR

UNDERCARRIAGE

Then look at the side lenses. If the fitover design doesn’t have side lenses at all, don’t buy it because you have little or

no peripheral vision. They can be dangerous in situations such as changing lanes when you’re driving. If the side of the

frame is cut-way completely, you’ll have good peripheral vision but unfiltered light will stream in and dilute the overall

effectiveness. Side lenses don’t need to be polarized. Polarization doesn’t work unless you’re looking directly through

the lenses. However, the lenses should be injection molded and optically correct. There must be no distortion otherwise

you may misjudge where something in your peripheral actually is. Too determine if a side lens is optically correct just

look through it. Hold it up so you can see a straight vertical line, such as a doorway, and see if the line of the door stays

straight. If it appears warped at any point, there’s distortion. To check if a side lens is injection molded, simply press

your thumb down on the lens. If it bends or dislodges, it’s made of lens film and can eventually become loose and rattle

or even drop out completely.

Comfort is also a question. Try the fitovers on over your prescription glasses. If they feel comfortable, take them off

and look at the temples. If the temple can’t be flexed to hold a different position and shape, the fitovers can become

irritating and you may end up not wearing them as much as you should. Adjustable temples allow you to customize the

fit and the security of the glasses. There’s nothing worse than a pair of fitovers that move around or constantly slide

forward. The glasses should also be light weight. If they feel heavy, don’t buy them. They should be light enough that

you barely notice that you’re even wearing them.

Lastly, check the overall quality of the frame and workmanship. If the frame is a hard plastic as opposed to a soft,

nylon material it’s easy to break and it will ‘ride’ a lot harder on you’re prescription glasses. A soft pliable frame is

more resilient and has a cushiony feel. Additionally, if the front lenses are loose or flex at all when you depress your

thumb on them, they’re not of sufficient quality for the long haul.

In the United States you shouldn’t pay more than $50 to $60. The best fitovers in the world don’t cost more than that.

Don’t be swayed by the superficial. Great coloring and fashionable shapes soon lose their attraction once you find that

the glasses aren’t what you’d been hoping for on a functional level.

For more information about fitovers, visit our website at www.cocoonseyewear.com.