Mirror Finish

                       By Michael Argyelan   

Many of us boaters spend almost silly amounts of dollars on sunglasses. Why? Because we want our eyes to function properly both on the water and when we get older and the UV protection found in high quality lenses offers the protection we need. That and some of us are ‘shades junkies’ who can’t satisfy our eyewear egos with just one pair.

Before I started boating professionally I spent as little money as possible on sunglasses because I thought I’d eventually lose them and it wasn’t worth it. Then I went to get an updated prescription for my contacts. The optometrist delivered a sobering message, “Stop being so cheap on shades. You’re going to pay for it eventually.” I paid heed to her message and bought my first ‘nice’ pair of sunglasses with UV protection lenses.

The brand of choice for me and for many sailors as well as general outdoor enthusiasts is Kaenon. Kaenon is a brand committed to the outdoors and superior products. They sponsor athletes in a wide range of sports including sailing. Our own Andrew Spaulding has a personal story with Kaenon. Kaenon worked with his brother’s Olympic campaign to ensure they had the correct sunglasses for all the regatta conditions faced in different places around the world.

Kaenon uses SR-91 Polarized lenses that are the “only lens material that offers 100% broad spectrum UV protection and combine the superior optical quality of the finest glass and the lightweight, strength and impact resistance of polycarbonate.” They’ve taken these fine materials and offered what many have been waiting for, a mirror finished lens now found in the Black Label line by Kaenon.

The already clear and UV superior G12 lens “gets an amazing added layer of performance thanks to a black mirror finish.” The new Black Label Line comes in 5 styles; Trade, Ozlo, Pintail, Burnet, and Jetty. I’ve owned 3 of these styles and wore the Trades in to work today. Now I’ll have to get a pair of the Black Labels!

The details in both Kaenon’s lenses and frames have driven a serious following and loyalty to the brand. With lenses in multiple color varieties, gender focused and unisex frame options, and details such as hypoallergenic nose pads, Kaenon produces a superior product. The warranty on the lenses isn’t too shabby either.

At Crowley’s we keep around 60 pairs of lenses in stock. If we don’t have what you want, we can order them. You can even get your Kaenon lenses in prescription from a Kaenon approved optometrist.

You can check out more on their sailing community relationship here 

For more info on lens options click here   

For more info on warranty click here 

For the full line of frame options, visit the main page here