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Ray Ban Aviator 3025 Blue Gradient (62mm)
Having never owned a pair of sunglasses before, along with the fear of giving off that so called "douchey" look, I was pretty hesitant in purchasing this pair of Ray Ban Aviators. After not being able to find a decent review, or a review at all for that matter, I felt I would just make one myself so others could decide for themselves if these are right for them. First thing to note, I bought these online (Ebay) without ever trying on this style before, so I definitely took a risk. If you have not seen the CBS news report yet, then you should really watch it and you would be surprised to find out that the prices of sunglasses is heavily inflated. Before you even decide to buy online, I highly recommend you first go to the mall and just try on a bunch of sunglasses that you like and copy down the model, lens, and size. Then go home and order it online.
I went with the Aviators simply because they are pretty cool and they were the only style that looked decent on me. Another thing is you don't have to limit yourself to Ray Ban (or Wayfarers...) Other brands that make a similar style of Aviators are: Maui Jim ($$$/Best Lens), Randolph Engineering ($$/Military), and American Optical ($/Decent Quality).
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| Packaging Box |
The pair I ordered was: Ray Ban Aviator 3025 - Silver Frame w/ Blue Gradient 0003/3f (62mm).
Aviators manufactured by Ray Ban come in three sizes 55mm, 58mm, and 62mm. Although a few mm doesn't seem like a lot, it makes a huge difference on how the lens appear on your face which is why I highly recommend you try them on at the store. Another thing to note is that the Aviator comes in numerous lens and frame combinations as well. If your a guy or don't like drawing too much attention to yourself, I would go with the silver or black frames and the standard lens colors (Blue/Grey/Green) in a gradient/polarized tint. The flash/mirror lens are... well very "flashy". They do look cool if you can pull it off. The normal retail price for a pair of Aviators is $150 - $200. I ordered mine off Ebay from MySpecs for around $80. If you do buy from Ebay, make sure you check out the seller ratings. If you order from Amazon, make sure order directly from Amazon or you might end up with some fake Ray Bans.
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| Black Case (Comes in Brown also) |
The sunglasses come with a carrying case that is made of decent materials and holds up pretty well. Depending on where you order online, you may or not be able to choose the case color. I would recommend brown just because it goes better with the whole aviation theme. One qualm I have is that the case doesn't really fit well in a pocket and if you throw it in your backpack, you might end up breaking the glasses. If this is a major inconvenience for you, then look at some folding sunglasses.
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| Cleaning Cloth |
Standard Cleaning Cloth that works well and should be left in your case because the top of the lens tends smudge way more than I expected.
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| The Blue Tint |
As for the glasses themselves, these came with a blue gradient tint. Which is different from the technology used in polarized lens. The blue tint is bold and dark at the top and subtly transitions to white/clear at the bottom of the lens. The gradient design was originally designed for the intent of pilot use to reduce glare from the sun and see their instrument panel at the same time. Obviously most of you don't fly planes on a daily basis but, I find they work very well when driving. The blue tint works exceptionally well in the rain and improves clarity while driving.
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| The Good and Bad |
The frame is very lightweight and the nose pads contour your nose nicely. However, the frame design is situated in a way that makes it slant downwards and towards your face from the brow line. While situated on your nose, the top of the lens in constantly touching your eyebrows and gets smudged every time you wear them. If you like "people watching" then you will hate these. In the light and in most angles, others can see your eyes. If your hesitant about the price tag, even with the online discount, don't be. These are built to last for years to come and pay themselves off.
Given their history and appearances in movies, they definitely give off that cool factor with the trade off of being hard to pull off. At the end of the day, just go with what is sized proportionately to your face and what you like and feel good in. Who doesn't want to look bad ass like the guys from Top Gun?
