Bomber Floating Eye Wear’s official website (here) boldly claims that these sunglasses define the standard for extreme lifestyle eye wear. With such a promising claim, we at iJS just had to see what these glasses could do as far as surfing is concerned. After all, being designed by world champion jet ski racer (directly quoted from the website) Tommy “the Bomber” Bonacci, AND being specifically created for active sports enthusiasts in or out of the water, this particular piece of polycarbonate has to be good, right??? Read on for our review …

There is a fair number of sunglasses available from Bomber’s website (here) starting at $16.95, but our sunglass of choice for WATER TESTS was the Bomber Stink Bomb model (at the higher price end of $34.95). As soon as we got our hands on the Bomber “Stink Bomb” model (courtesy of Aloha Boardshop) , a matte black frame pair of sunglasses sporting polarized smoke tinted lenses, we immediately knew that these were not your ordinary pair of glasses. Stink Bombs greet you with a daring bold look and oversized frame, designed to keep your eyes protected as much as possible from the sun’s rays.

We’re not easily impressed with superficial good looks or mere aesthetics when it comes to surf wear, but the very flexible frame does fit most face sizes … allowing for comfortable all day use. The light, wrap around design provides good wind protection. Additionally, the sunglasses claim to block out 100% of harmful UVA and UVB rays while providing the wearer with a clear view via polarized lenses - although it is fair to note that these features have become a standard for most higher end sportswear sunglasses.

THE FRAMEWORK TEST: What immediately stands out about Bomber Floating glasses is the inclusion of patented foam rubber linings along the arms and spectacle corners (foam shown in light cream and dark brown on our test model). Unlike other “buoyant” glasses - which use hollow frames or inserts for float-ability - the foam linings on the Bombers also double as dampening bumpers, useful for reducing friction contact for the wearer … less chafing and skin irritation!

The Stink Bomb frames are very flexible, allowing for an unbelievable range of movement when taking the glasses off, or putting them on. The snug but comfy fit prevents the glasses from blowing off while surfing (or windsurfing) … while the same flexibility also allows for a better fit for the wearer, which extends the wearability of the glasses, a definite plus when going from land to water, and back to land again!

BETTER HALLWAY VISION? The polarized lenses on the Stink Bombs are quite effective in reducing glare and blinding light sources, allowing for better vision whether you are walking down the street or surfing the pounding waves of the North Shore. Much like other polarized sunglasses, there is always a “give and take” when using them - the lenses provides a clear image BUT also reduces some of the wearer’s ability to read subtleties on the water surface, so reading waves from a distance or from differing angles may take some getting used to.

WATER TESTS: The bottom line is that Stink Bombs do float in water, thanks to the foam inserts! During our first paddle out, we gingerly tossed the glasses into the water just to see how well the buoyancy claims held up … and in a matter of seconds the glasses floated up to the surface without any problems. Admittedly, we did this in shallow enough waters so that we could retrieve them just in case they didn’t float … but our worries turned out to be (thankfully) unfounded!

With much confidence in the floatation ability of the Stink Bombs, we paddled out into the head high surf for surf testing.

The wrap around design of the glasses coupled with the snug fit held up well during moderate duck diving on the shortboard, while the longboard tests found that the glasses stayed put while busting through waves, even with the most frothy of white wash. The lenses did not suffer from fogging up like most sunglasses we have typically worn out to surf, and with the aid of some diving lens solution the water beaded off the lenses quite nicely.

We opted to test the glasses without the use of brightly colored tethering devices like croakies, in order to get the full effect of wearing Stink Bombs naturally … and found that the stylish colors of the sunglasses made it difficult to find in the open ocean. Once the glasses drop in moving water, just barely below the surface of the ocean, the glasses were difficult to make out due to the dark color of the frames. Additionally, when we tested the glasses in moving surf, the force of the churning waters mixed with the white wash that directly follows the surf made the Stink Bombs difficult to retrieve immediately.

Out testers found that the glasses took an average of five seconds to float back up to the surface … which would normally be an acceptable time frame. While surfing however, once the glasses fell into the moving water, the constant churning of the water held the glasses down much longer than it took us to easily retrieve them. The glasses did float back to surface as the manufacturers claim, but the glasses were almost always twenty to thirty feet away from where our testers initially (and purposely) fell off their surfboards. And remember how difficult the glasses were to find in the open ocean due to the dark (and yet stylish) coloring? Our advice is to use some form of tethering string or device in order to save you the hassle of lengthy retrievals! Yes, the glasses do float back to the surface, but having to retrieve them from 20 to 30 feet away every so often can dampen your surf session … think of them as a leash for your glasses!

iJS SURF NOTE: During our subsequent test, we found that wearing sunglass leashes made for a more enjoyable surf session … and the foam inserts on the stems bounced back easily after having been underneath the croakies for several hours and a few long session!

THE VERDICT: Stink Bombs by Bomber are exactly what they claim to be … stylish, comfortable, and floaty! There is no doubt that they are a great deal (starting at price of 16.95) for nice looking glasses that provide UVA and UVB protection, polarized lenses, AND the additional bonus of floating in water.

…

Read the original:
REVIEW: Bomber Floating Eye Wear (Stink Bomb)

*articles courtesy of RSS feed, iJustSurf.com