Review - Oakley Holbrook Metal Polarized Sunglasses.

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of polarized sunglasses for anyone who works or plays on the water.

Whether you’re searching for tarpon on a saltwater flat, or just driving your boat, getting rid of surface glare can either make you or make you or break you. And this of course is where polarized lenses come in.

I’ve relied on the Oakley Holbrook Metal frames with their patented PRIZM and HD Polarized lens technology for at least the past decade. In fact, I keep two pairs of them on each of my boats, since sunglasses, like phones, seem to have a funny habit of going overboard from time to time.

If you use plastic frame shades, as I did for many years, the first thing you will notice about the Holbrook metal frame is the weight, or lack thereof. I often have them resting on the brim of a ball cap, and I don’t even notice that they are there. They are extremely light, yet due to the stainless steel construction, are also extremely durable.

Lenses are of course the really important part, and of all the available options, I use the trademarked Oakley HD Polarized, blue mirror lenses with PRIZM technology. My main uses for these lenses are for fishing and ocean boating and river rafting in the Pacific Northwest, and searching for tarpon, bonefish and permit on tropical saltwater flats.

I prefer these lenses for two main reasons. First, they are not what I consider to be a “dark” lens. In other words, while they do of course reduce overall brightness, my personal preference is for sunglasses that do not make everything too dark. This basically means that I can wear them in changing light conditions, and can still see well even when it clouds over, or in low light times near dawn and dusk. If you are particularly sensitive to bright sunlight, you may wish to choose a slightly darker lens.

As for polarization, according to Oakley, their HDPolarized technology “produces the best polarized lenses on the planet.” While I haven’t tried all the polarized lenses on the planet, I can attest to the fact that the Oakley’s do work very well for me. Whether it’s being able to spot actual fish, or other things just under the surface like woody debris, weeds or rocks that can be obstacles to navigation or fishing, these lenses perform and can make the surface disappear. Together with the polarization, the PRIZM technology really does seem to increase contrast and make things pop. Also, while some polarized lenses can really impede your view of screens, such as your phone, MFD chart/sounder etc., for reasons I can’t explain, the Oakley lenses do not seem to have this issue.

Finally, on the safety front, these lenses are made of Plutonite, a proprietary material that among other things, filters out 100% of UVA, UVB and UVC as well as blue light. This is like sunscreen for your eyes, as these harmful UV rays can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration. Also, since this UV protection is achieved through the lens material itself rather than a coating, it cannot be scratched off.

For anyone who spends a lot of time on or near the water, I would highly recommend giving these Oakley’s a try. I have spent a lot of years and countless hours staring at glare on the water. I have worn Maui Jims, Costas, Ray Bans, Smiths and Vuarnets which are all quality products. But for the past decade at least, this Oakley combination has definitely been my go to pair of shades.

Price and product info below.

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Oakley Holbrook Metal Sunglasses: https://amzn.to/4bMcMxI