{"id":1683,"date":"2018-09-25T16:22:14","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T16:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/?p=1683"},"modified":"2022-12-11T17:28:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T17:28:22","slug":"best-kiteboarding-sunglasses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Kiteboarding Sunglasses You&#8217;ll Be Happy To Ride With! [2023]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"mediavine-settings\" data-blacklist-leaderboard=\"1\" data-blacklist-sidebar-btf=\"1\" data-blacklist-content-desktop=\"1\" data-blacklist-content-mobile=\"1\" data-blacklist-adhesion-mobile=\"1\" data-blacklist-adhesion-tablet=\"1\" data-blacklist-adhesion-desktop=\"1\" data-blacklist-recipe=\"1\" data-blacklist-auto-insert-sticky=\"1\" data-blacklist-in-image=\"1\" data-blacklist-chicory=\"1\" data-blacklist-zergnet=\"1\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As a kiteboarder, if you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;re constantly torn between the anxiety of your eyes getting damaged from exposure to the sun and the convenience and freedom of riding without wearing sunglasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t you just hate it when your kiteboarding goggles start to fog up or get water-splashed, leaving you partly blind? Or&nbsp;when they get ripped off your face and you have to jump through hoops to try to find and grab them back!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like most of us, I&#8217;ve owned my fair share of kiteboarding glasses, broke them, lost them.&nbsp; Then I just gave up on them. But I must admit I worry about the sun slaughtering&nbsp;my eyes slowly but surely.&nbsp; So I&#8217;m in the market once again for a good kitesurfing sunglasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve learned about glasses over the&nbsp; years: the best kiteboarding glasses should be impact-safe, splash resistant, water draining to avoid fog, floatable and visible in the water. They should provide wide and clear vision when riding.&nbsp; They should stay on your head through most impacts and wave rolls&nbsp;and remain safely attached to your body in all cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the best kitesurfing glasses I&#8217;ve tested and chosen for myself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-typhoon-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Lip Typhoon<\/a>: best kite glasses I&#8217;ve ever owned (read on for more)<\/li><li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-surge-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Lip Surge<\/a>: close second, more affordable yet still very good for kiting<\/li><li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Hsqoz8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\" title=\"\">Seaspecs<\/a>: super-cheap but decent budget sunglasses for kiteboarding <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, I&#8217;ll explain why these pairs of glasses are the best I&#8217;ve found for kitesurf riding. I&#8217;ll also provide a helpful rundown of what specs to look for in a good pair of kiteboarding glasses, based on my own experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:53px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66039e4138bbc\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66039e4138bbc\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#1_best_kiteboarding_sunglasses_Lip_Typhoon\" title=\"#1 best kiteboarding sunglasses: Lip Typhoon\">#1 best kiteboarding sunglasses: Lip Typhoon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#2_best_kiteboarding_sunglasses_LIP_Surge\" title=\"#2 best kiteboarding sunglasses: LIP Surge\">#2 best kiteboarding sunglasses: LIP Surge<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#3_best_cheap_kiteboarding_sunglasses_SeaSpecs\" title=\"#3 best (cheap) kiteboarding sunglasses: SeaSpecs\">#3 best (cheap) kiteboarding sunglasses: SeaSpecs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#Features_to_look_for_in_a_good_pair_of_kiteboarding_glasses\" title=\"Features to look for in a good pair of kiteboarding glasses\">Features to look for in a good pair of kiteboarding glasses<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#1_UV_protection\" title=\"1. UV protection\">1. UV protection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#2_Impact_protection\" title=\"2. Impact protection\">2. Impact protection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#3_Splash_and_fog_protection\" title=\"3. Splash and fog protection\">3. Splash and fog protection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#4_Ultra-secure_attachment\" title=\"4. Ultra-secure attachment\">4. Ultra-secure attachment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#5_Buoyancy_and_visibility\" title=\"5. Buoyancy and visibility\">5. Buoyancy and visibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#6_Vision_range_and_clarity\" title=\"6. Vision range and clarity\">6. Vision range and clarity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#7_Common_pitfalls_of_many_kiteboarding_shades\" title=\"7. Common pitfalls of many kiteboarding shades\">7. Common pitfalls of many kiteboarding shades<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/best-kiteboarding-sunglasses\/#Wrapping_up\" title=\"Wrapping up\">Wrapping up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_best_kiteboarding_sunglasses_Lip_Typhoon\"><\/span>#1 best kiteboarding sunglasses: Lip Typhoon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-typhoon-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"641\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash3-resized.jpg\" alt=\"lip typhoon kiteboarding sunglasse\" class=\"wp-image-1883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash3-resized.jpg 641w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash3-resized-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, I try to stay away from the&nbsp;most expensive products.&nbsp; Particularly when it comes to kiteboarding shades, which I always end up losing, busting or scratching beyond relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s my problem though<\/strong>: the shades I&#8217;ve owned (and haven&#8217;t lost), even though they weren&#8217;t the cheapest (typically in the $25-$50 range), were all so uncomfortable I ended up not wearing them.&nbsp; I couldn&#8217;t deal with the trapped water, the fog, the salt stains and scratches, the constant flying off my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I&#8217;ve been back to square one leaving <strong>my eyes without protection<\/strong> and under the threat of cataract, macular degeneration, and other ugly things (think pterygium).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I see a lot of kitesurfers getting cheap safety glasses, tweaking them to attach some straps and leash onto them, and spraying all kinds of stuff onto the lenses.&nbsp; I don&#8217;t really trust that approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I want real sun protection, I want <strong>scratch and residue resistance<\/strong> and water repellency, I want <strong>loss-proof attachment<\/strong>.&nbsp; Don&#8217;t want to go the &#8220;disposable&#8221; route, I want something that can last for at least a couple of years &#8211; even though I mostly kitesurf in waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So after lots of research,\u00a0 I decided to bite the bullet and fork out the $200+ price for a pair of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-typhoon-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\" title=\"\">Lip Typhoon<\/a>.\u00a0 So far I haven&#8217;t regretted it, and here are the main reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>These glasses give me an <strong>amazingly clear vision<\/strong> and a <strong>wide peripheral range<\/strong> when kiteboarding on the water.&nbsp; For the first time, I can see and judge waves, chop, and rocks as clearly as I would without glasses!&nbsp; Probably due to the high-quality <strong>Zeiss lenses<\/strong>.&nbsp; No reflection or depth issues even though they&#8217;re polarized.<\/li><li>They&#8217;re super comfortable and really <strong>stick to my head and face<\/strong> thanks to their wrapping shape and the wide arm tips that tuck behind my ears.&nbsp; <strong>They don&#8217;t move<\/strong> from my head even when slapped hard onto the water after a kiteboarding trick or when taking a beating in the waves.<\/li><li>The adjustable safety leash clips onto the tips of the arms and seems bullet-proof.&nbsp; But what stands out the most for me is the <strong>silicon band you wear around the neck<\/strong>, which the safety leash attaches to.&nbsp; This setup really makes the shades hard to lose upon impact.<br> <figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"421\" height=\"175\" class=\"wp-image-1884\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash1-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash1-resized.jpg 865w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash1-resized-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash1-resized-768x320.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash1-resized-716x298.jpg 716w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/new-leash1-resized-820x341.jpg 820w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Water really beads off<\/strong> the hydrophobic lenses when sprayed.&nbsp; The lenses <strong>don&#8217;t crust up<\/strong> from the salt while riding, and very little after getting out of the water and drying off &#8211; I can just keep the sunglasses on without any discomfort &#8211; in fact, they are so comfortable that I tend to forget about them on the beach.<\/span><\/li><li>Unlike all my other glasses, the Typhoons <strong>don&#8217;t fog up much<\/strong>.&nbsp; When riding I never have to pause to take them off and spit onto the lenses.&nbsp; The water also <strong>drains very well<\/strong> through the small holes right above and below the lenses.<\/li><li>The Typhoons <strong>fit my face well<\/strong> as my nose is a bit wider at the top, so I need sunglasses with a wide enough nose section to wear them comfortably.&nbsp; I guess someone with a thinner nose would need to tighten the cord a bit to keep the shades from sliding down.<\/li><li>I&#8217;ve worn the Typhoons <strong>in waves<\/strong> and didn&#8217;t feel the need to take them off before dropping in as has been the case with other glasses.&nbsp; They <strong>barely move when I get washed out<\/strong> in a wave, and again they don&#8217;t get foggy or crusty or fill up with water.<\/li><li>The Lip frames are very <strong>flexible and lightweight<\/strong> which contributes to that great feeling of comfort.&nbsp; They&#8217;re also supposed to be extremely durable &#8211; time will tell.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are no doubt the best kiteboarding sunglasses I&#8217;ve had so far.&nbsp; The only &#8220;beef&#8221; I may have about them is that I have to always take great care of them.&nbsp; These sunglasses are specifically designed for water use and shouldn&#8217;t be used for anything else!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do have to keep them spotless, clean them with clear water after each session, and be very cautious <strong>not to scratch them<\/strong>.&nbsp; In fact, you should <strong>avoid touching the lenses<\/strong>&nbsp;altogether, including when riding.&nbsp; Once you&#8217;re done with your session, you should safely store them away in their EVA case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is in contrast with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ocean-Tierra-Fuego-Surf-Sport\/dp\/B016RL7OJ0\/ref=pd_sbs_468_8?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B016RL7OJ0&amp;pd_rd_r=82bef9ee-bfe5-11e8-9fc4-81eb294f983c&amp;pd_rd_w=xStMa&amp;pd_rd_wg=ZBm7L&amp;pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=0bb14103-7f67-4c21-9b0b-31f42dc047e7&amp;pf_rd_r=SXQHWMZ1P9R3TKC9YE66&amp;pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&amp;pf_rd_t=40701&amp;refRID=SXQHWMZ1P9R3TKC9YE66\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Ocean Tierra Del Fuego<\/a> (Amazon page) I&#8217;ve used for a while.\u00a0 The cool thing about these is that they <strong>transform into regular sunglasses<\/strong> for everyday use.\u00a0 After a session, I just clip out the elastic strap and clip in the arms, I pull out the interior watertight &#8220;mask&#8221; and voila, the Oceans becomes a normal pair of sunglasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized.jpg\" alt=\"best kiteboarding sunglasses\" class=\"wp-image-1864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized-300x129.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized-1024x439.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized-768x330.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized-716x307.jpg 716w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ocean-resized-820x352.jpg 820w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At under $80, the Oceans are much cheaper than the Typhoons! However, my experience with the Oceans hasn&#8217;t been perfect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>They don&#8217;t nearly have the vision quality and breadth I get from the Lip&#8217;s Zeiss lenses<\/li><li>They wear more like goggles than sunglasses since you have to take out the arms and put on the clip-on strap before going out in the water &#8211; I don&#8217;t like having an elastic strap in my hair that much, plus the elastic pulls on the mask onto my face too much if I adjust it so that it&#8217;ll stay on.<\/li><li>The clip-on interior mask keeps the water out but the rubber material it&#8217;s made of makes my forehead and cheeks sweaty.&nbsp; With the mask on, the lenses also get a bit of fog which I need to rinse out regularly.<\/li><li>The frame is not that resistant, in fact, it ended up snapping underneath the right lens, perhaps due to the constant clipping on and off and the everyday use.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Following my experience, I decided to invest in a pair of high-quality glasses exclusively for kiteboarding even though they are much more expensive and require more care.&nbsp; Being able to ride comfortably while knowing my eyes are safe is very valuable to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>UPDATE<\/em>: LIP now offers 30-day free return if you don&#8217;t like the glasses or they don&#8217;t fit well. One more reason to give them a try &#8211; the return option wasn&#8217;t there when I bought my pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_best_kiteboarding_sunglasses_LIP_Surge\"><\/span>#2 best kiteboarding sunglasses: LIP Surge<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-surge-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/surge.jpg\" alt=\"LIP surge kiteboarding sunglasses\" class=\"wp-image-2429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/surge.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/surge-300x138.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Lip Typhoons have a more affordable sibling, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-surge-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">the Lip Surge<\/a>.\u00a0 At less than half the price of the Typhoons, the Surge shades are marketed as having the exact same features as its pricier sister, except the Surge doesn&#8217;t come with Zeiss Swiss lenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I haven&#8217;t personally tested the Surge so I&#8217;m not sure exactly how they compare in terms of vision and comfort.&nbsp; They also come with impact\/water\/oil resistant lenses and the same safety cord and necklace as the Typhoons.&nbsp; Had I not be willing to pay the hefty price of the Typhoons I may have considered them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, I may have opted for something much cheaper yet still well-regarded in the Kiteboarding community: a pair of SeaSpecs kiteboarding glasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_best_cheap_kiteboarding_sunglasses_SeaSpecs\"><\/span>#3<b> best (cheap) kiteboarding sunglasses: SeaSpecs<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/seaspecs.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2430\" width=\"509\" height=\"275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/seaspecs.jpg 679w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/seaspecs-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re not ready to fork out $200+ for the Lip Typhoons &#8211; or even $100 for the Lip Surge &#8211; the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/SeaSpecs-Classic-Extreme-Sports-Sunglasses\/dp\/B00OJGOV1U\/ref=lp_3041118011_1_1?srs=3041118011&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1537886864&amp;sr=8-1&amp;th=1\" target=\"_blank\">SeaSpecs<\/a> (Amazon) are a decent and super-cheap alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A LOT of kitesurfers have very positive feedback about the SeaSpecs &#8211; since they&#8217;re very reasonably priced, a lot of riders own 3 or 4 pairs.&nbsp; I know quite a few kiteboarders who have used them for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SeaSpecs generally stay on your head and rarely fall off, including when crashing or getting rolled in waves.&nbsp; &nbsp;Even if you do lose them, the SeaSpecs actually float in saltwater.&nbsp;Choose a pair with a yellow side and brown lenses so you can find it more easily in case they fly off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SeaSpecs glasses provide decent impact protection, preventing your eyes from getting hit by a flying object or when falling on the water.&nbsp; &nbsp;Furthermore, in case you lose a lens from crashing, replacement lenses are available separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the negative side, the SeaSpecs lenses have average quality and don&#8217;t provide very good vision when riding &#8211; something you might expect at that price point.&nbsp; Also, salt crust builds up quickly after getting sprayed in the water.&nbsp; Some kiteboarders have tried adding hydro coating onto the lenses but it doesn&#8217;t help much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, the SeaSpecs kiteboarding sunglasses offer good value at a very reasonable price, especially compared to the Typhoons.&nbsp; Just don&#8217;t expect the kind of clear and broad vision, and the kind of water and salt repellency for kiteboarding that you get from the Lip shades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Features_to_look_for_in_a_good_pair_of_kiteboarding_glasses\"><\/span>Features to look for in a good pair of kiteboarding glasses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s tempting to believe you can just grab your normal pair of sunglasses, strap it securely around your head and go out kiteboarding.&nbsp; Before you do that, though, let&#8217;s look at the things to look for in a decent pair of kiteboarding sunglasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_UV_protection\"><\/span>1. UV protection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Eye protection is the main reason for wearing sunglasses when kiteboarding.&nbsp; It&#8217;s now common knowledge that continuous UV radiation damages the eye and provokes early cataracts and more serious retinal problems such as macular degeneration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re kiteboarding, exposure is even worse due to glare from the water, looking up at the kite (particularly for newer kiters), riding during the most UV-intense hours (in the summer), and riding towards the sun when it&#8217;s getting lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some countries like Australia and European countries regulate and classify non-prescription sunglasses to ensure they offer a clear level of UV protection and sun glare reduction (using a scale from 1 to 4).&nbsp; &nbsp;Categories 3 and 4 (darker) are the most appropriate for kiteboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the U.S, the FDA does not impose a minimum level of UV protection so it&#8217;s important to look for sunglass labels that specifically mention blocking at least 98% of UVA and UVB rays.&nbsp; It&#8217;s probably better to stay away from sunglasses with no specified UV filtering as they&#8217;ll open up your pupil and allow your eyes to take in even more rays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, just because a pair of sunglasses is pricier doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean it will better block UV rays.&nbsp; Cheaper plastic materials can be just as capable of filtering UVs, just look at this graph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"507\" height=\"263\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/pinsdaddy-glass-vs-poly-film-a-full-rundown-on-the-pros-and.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/pinsdaddy-glass-vs-poly-film-a-full-rundown-on-the-pros-and.jpg 507w, https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/pinsdaddy-glass-vs-poly-film-a-full-rundown-on-the-pros-and-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>\nPhoto credit:&nbsp; <a class=\"opinion-popup-img\" href=http:\/\/www.wintergardenz.com.au\/uploads\/3\/0\/5\/9\/30594579\/7820370_orig.jpg  data-size=\"{&quot;w&quot;:1920,&quot;h&quot;:1280}\" >wintergardenz.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Impact_protection\"><\/span>2. Impact protection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While they don&#8217;t regulate the level of UV protection, the FDA imposes a minimum standard for impact resistance on sunglasses to avoid cracking or shattering upon impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For kiteboarding nevertheless, you should make sure your sunglasses are capable of taking a decent beating &#8211; similar to skiing or motorcycling glasses.&nbsp; It&#8217;s quite easy to get hit in the face by your kiteboard after it whips back at you because of the wind while you&#8217;re doing a jump or a&nbsp;jibe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Glasses for kiteboarding should also have some kind of impact absorption on the inside.&nbsp; Look for <strong>polycarbonate frames<\/strong>&nbsp;which are 10 times more resistant than plastic or glass sunglasses.&nbsp; They are also much more lightweight, flexible&nbsp;and float much better in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Splash_and_fog_protection\"><\/span>3. Splash and fog protection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You want your kiteboarding sunglasses to <strong>stay clear in the water or when splashe<\/strong>d.&nbsp; Your lenses should be <strong>hydrophobic<\/strong> (i.e. water-repellent) ideally with coatings on both sides of the lenses.&nbsp; This is probably where the best kiteboarding glasses stand out the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only should the lenses repel the water, but they should also&nbsp;ideally <strong>mitigate salt residues<\/strong> that form on them when dipped in saltwater.&nbsp; Some kitesurfers just take regular sunglasses and treat them with car polish or special wax spray &#8211; I personally haven&#8217;t tried that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your kiteboarding glasses should also have <strong>drain holes<\/strong> in the frame to allow water to evacuate &#8211; nothing worse than having water trapped under your eyes when riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Good airflow help&nbsp;reduce fog<\/strong> on the lenses.&nbsp; You can also use spray anti-fog spray on both sides of your lenses before going out.&nbsp; Or, you can just spit on your lenses and rinse them &#8211; that really works for me to reduce the fog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Ultra-secure_attachment\"><\/span>4. Ultra-secure attachment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is obviously a crucial point: you want your kiteboarding glasses to <strong>hold tight around your head<\/strong> in the face of various impacts or wave washouts.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, though, straps that really work are a rare thing.&nbsp; kiteboarding glasses will always end up coming off your face\/head, perhaps even if you&#8217;re wearing a hat with straps or a buckled helmet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, you should have some kind of <strong>backup leash<\/strong> (e.g. Croakie retainer) tethered to your wetsuit zip puller, harness handle, velcro or a necklace so you don&#8217;t lose the glasses even after a wipeout rips them from your face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Buoyancy_and_visibility\"><\/span>5. Buoyancy and visibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t have a leash, you want your kiteboarding sunglasses to <strong>float on the<\/strong> water so that you can grab them back if you do lose them.\u00a0 Not all glasses float, however.\u00a0 You can also use a floating neck-strap such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Floating-Sunglass-Eyeglass-Holder-Retainer\/dp\/B005OB186K\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">this Bobberz strap<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if the glasses do float, they can be very hard to find after getting ripped away from you.&nbsp; If you can, choose a <strong>flashy color<\/strong> for your glasses so they&#8217;re easier to spot on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Vision_range_and_clarity\"><\/span>6. Vision range and clarity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For kiteboarding, you imperatively need glasses that will give you a <strong>wide vision range in all directions<\/strong>.&nbsp; Ski-type goggles can give you this type of range, but of course,&nbsp;they don&#8217;t always look very cool&#8230; Semi-rimless lenses can also provide high clarity and wide <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">peripheral vision.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, the back of your lenses should have a <strong>non-glare treatment<\/strong>, which will result in better contrast and eliminate annoying ghost image impressions, improving comfort significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This brings me to a common debate, should you have polarized lenses or not? I&#8217;ve tried a few polarized sunglasses for kiteboarding but they have always gotten in the way of my riding.&nbsp; Polarization often keeps me from accurately reading the surface of the water &#8211; I actually see through the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With certain positions of the sun, polarized glasses also seem to make me lose some depth perception &#8211; i.e. the water looks flat to me,&nbsp;making it harder to evaluate chop and waves.&nbsp; Nonetheless, the sunglasses I ended up choosing are polarized&#8230;&nbsp; Read on for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Common_pitfalls_of_many_kiteboarding_shades\"><\/span>7. Common pitfalls of many kiteboarding shades<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Glasses quickly end up scratched from the dry salt and sand&nbsp;and have to be replaced, sometimes twice per season<\/li><li>They fill up with water each time you fall or get hit by a wave<\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most lenses will eventually fog or get droplets all over them &#8211; you have to keep the lenses spotless to avoid this<\/span><\/li><li>Low-quality film coating.&nbsp; Salt spots end up hindering your vision<\/li><li>The frame quickly busts or rusts at the pins<\/li><li>The straps aren&#8217;t strong enough to keep the glasses on you during a crash<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrapping_up\"><\/span>Wrapping up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, I&#8217;ve tried to recap the main features to look for kiteboarding sunglasses and share the results from my own research for getting a new pair &#8211; after trying a bunch of different products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as I&#8217;m concerned, the medal goes to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridingboards.com\/recommends\/lip-typhoon-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Lip Typhoon<\/a>, a pricey but high-performance kiteboarding sunglass that gives me the eye protection and comfort, impact protection, broad and clear vision, and secure attachment I look for when riding in waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For riders not willing to fork out that kind of money, though, the SeaSpecs are an inexpensive and well-tested alternative that can effectively protect your eyes (albeit with lower lens quality) and last for a while or be replaced cost-effectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a kiteboarder, if you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;re constantly torn between the anxiety of your eyes getting damaged from exposure to the sun and the convenience and freedom of riding without wearing sunglasses. Don&#8217;t you just hate it when your kiteboarding goggles start to fog up or get water-splashed, leaving you partly blind? Or&nbsp;when they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1683"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3124,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683\/revisions\/3124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}