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Besides your helmet, a great pair of motorcycle sunglasses are absolutely necessary for a safe ride. Who better than the original Motocross grip company to trust your eyes with? Here are our top picks for the best Oakley sunglasses for motorcycle riding, in no particular order:
Best Oakley Motorcycle Sunglasses
Oakley Gascan With PRIZM Polarized Lenses
The Gascan is a full wraparound frame with lenses cut from the same shield, giving you excellent all-around vision. Broad temples on the sides provide excellent protection from wind and debris that can fly up at high speeds.
Be sure to choose polarized lenses to help cut down on glare – no one needs an accident because you’re blinded by the midday sun reflecting off the road or shiny objects. PRIZM black lenses (pictured) work well for more visual contrast. Made from Oakley’s O Matter™ material, this pair is a workhorse that’s both durable and lightweight.
If you have a large head, consider the Fuel Cell, which is basically a roomier version of the Gascan.
Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic Shocktube
Finding a frame that doesn’t put pressure on the sides of your head can be a real challenge at times. If that’s you, consider the Shocktube, one of Oakley’s SI-division frames that meets ANSI and military standards for impact protection.
The ergonomic design features Oakley’s 3-point-fit, where the frame only touches your head at the bridge and behind both ears, preventing unnecessary pressure points. Grippy Unobtanium™ nose pads prevent slipping from sweat or rain, and Oakley’s top-tier Plutonite® lenses ensure 100% UV-protection from all the sun’s rays including blue light.
Best Prescription Motorcycle Glasses
Oakley Flak 2.0 XL With PRIZM Road Black Lenses
A streamlined half-rim, the Oakley Flak 2.0 XL is a great cycling frame, but works great for motorcycle riding too. The real edge with this pair are the PRIZM road black lenses, which create more visual contrast on pavement.
Unlike a straight up gray lens, the rose-colored base of the PRIZM road lenses makes everything more vivid, reducing glare and making objects “pop”. It is the darkest lens, with visible light transmission (VLT) of 11%, making it ideal for very bright conditions. For variable light conditions, you can also get it in a PRIZM road jade lens (15% VLT).
Oakley Jawbreaker With PRIZM Road Black Lenses
Another cycling frame that works quite well for riding your hog, the Jawbreaker is a super comfortable pair with adjustable temple arms that you can make longer or shorter to fit your head. The thin arms fit easily under helmets and the large shield design gives you full, unrestricted vision.
It’s excellent at blocking out wind, with just the right amount of airflow through the vents to prevent any fogging. There’s also a good size nosepiece with their Unobtanium™ material, keeping them snug and secure on your face. It’s nearly indestructible with it’s O-Matter™ plastic material and it’s easy to switch out and replace the lens if necessary.
What to Look for in Oakley Motorcycle Glasses
Frame Materials
Oakley sunglasses are well-known for their durability and comfort, and a lot of that has to do with the frame materials they use.
Their famous O-Matter™ is their sport-performance nylon plastic material that’s very lightweight, flexible, and durable.
It’s a nearly indestructible material that works very well for motorcycle riding due to it’s impact-resistance and comfort. Many of Oakley’s ANSI-rated safety glasses are also made of O-Matter™, so you know you’ll be well-protected from flying debris that might otherwise put a dent or worse, shatter your frame.
Otherwise, if you’re partial to metal wireframes, Oakley’s C-5™ Alloy is a five metal compound that’s both flexible enough where it needs to be and tough enough for riding.
It’s able to absorb a good amount of impact without losing it’s shape, and it’s quite similar to titanium frames that are both lightweight and strong.
On the whole, we’d recommend an O-Matter™ frame for durability and protection, especially if you’re not the most careful with your glasses.
Motorcycle Helmet Compatibility
Obviously, it’s important to pick a pair of sunglasses that will actually fit with your helmet on.
If your helmet is super snug against the sides of your head, you’ll want to opt for a pair with slimmer temple arms, such as the Shocktube or the Flak 2.0 XL.
If you’ve got a full face helmet, a thin wireframe may be perfect since it has thin arms.
Your best bet is to try them on with your helmet before purchasing.
PRIZM™ Lens Tech
Of course, let’s not forget what most people enjoy most about Oakley’s when it comes to sport and performance shades – namely, their cutting edge lens technology.
Oakley’s PRIZM™ lenses are specially manufactured to enhance contrast and colors so your view is perfectly vivid and crisp while toning down distracting colors.
You’ll be able to see every detail on the road much more easily than with a standard pair of sunglasses, making it safer for you and your fellow motorists.
Oakley even makes a few PRIZM™ lens specifically for road conditions – PRIZM™ Road, PRIZM™ Road Black, and PRIZM™ Road Jade.
Depending on the conditions you normally ride in, one of these should suit your needs for pristine clarity and contrast when you’re riding.
Unobtainium™ Ear Grips
Lastly (but certainly not least), a good pair of motorcycle sunglasses will actually stay on where it’s supposed to while you’re riding.
No one likes sunglasses that slip down your nose the second you have a bead of sweat. Oakley solves for that by placing their patented Unobtainium™ rubber material on the arm tips and nosepiece for extra grip and security.
The nice thing about Unobtainium™ is that it actually gets tackier the more it comes into contact with moisture, so it keeps hanging on even if you’re sweating buckets.
Can I Get Prescription Oakley Motorcycle Glasses?
Yes, many of Oakley’s motorcycle glasses are available in prescription, including the Gascan, Shocktube, and the Flak 2.0 XL.
For authentic prescription PRIZM™ lenses, be sure to purchase directly from Oakley.com or through an authorized retailer such as SportRx or Sunglass Hut.