We all know that getting out onto the water with our favorite fishing gear is one of the great things about this time of year. That includes a great pair of polarized sunglasses. The most useful kinds help shield our eyes from the sun's glare, whether in the boat or shore, and the best enhance the experience with sight fishing improvements. The Shore X LL Polar Floating Glasses from Dragon do just that.
Dragon Alliance makes apparel, snow goggles, eyeglasses, and sunglasses, so you can see they have some field expertise right off. We were offered a closer look at the Shore X LL Polar floating sunglasses to see if their vaunted Lumalens technology was everything they said.
Dragon has found a way to give the angler a more dialed-in line of sight by narrowing down the specific lens tints to match every angler's needs, depending on location and conditions. As we all know, any good fishing trip should start with a pair of polarized sunglasses, where the Shore X LL Polars come in.
As with many of us in the fishing community, we have more than one pair of fishing specs and will buy more in the future. That's if manufacturers can help us with incredible styles, performance, and reasonably priced fishing glasses that won't empty our wallets.
Initial Thoughts
One thing I tend to think right away is that floating sunglasses sound great, but do they stack up against pricier brands that offer shades to every part of the water-loving crowd? For the outdoors person who loves to fish or get out on the boat for the weekend, the last thing we want is to watch a pair of expensive sunglasses fall in the water and disappear for good.
With that in mind, a pair of injection molded glasses using low-density thermoplastic might sound great. Still, it just doesn't seem like they would be much more than an item made from plastic. Sure, they're strong, comfortable, and work great, but what about standing up to our fishing exploits?
One of the first things I do with floating sunglasses is tie them onto my heavy-action muskie rod and chuck them into the water a few times. Luckily, the X LL Polars stood up to a beating fine (and indeed float).
To look at the package they arrived in, I was expecting to see something pop out of the box and scream expensive. But the glasses look great and have solid functionality.
Critical Use
As I had hoped, the Shore X LL Polar sunglasses came with an included lanyard. Still, they didn't impress me much. Dragon Alliance makes them from rubberized plastic with a twisted memory. They built these glasses to float, but neoprene floats, too. That material might have been a better substitute.
They are as comfortable as any pair I've worn and fit my face quite well. This made them great to wear for a full day of fishing, both on the boat and while wading in the nearby trout stream. They shed the water well and held up in bright sunshine.
As it is, the Shore X LL Polar version "creates a detailed landscape bringing the colors to life, reduces glare, protects the eyes, and provides a new level of depth perception." They do that quite well. I fish along a part of a reservoir with an excellent trout population, making a good pair of polarized sunglasses an imperative. These did the job well.
Reliability
The best part of these glasses is their combo of looks and functionality, as they have a face-hugging ability that works excellently and float in case they're ever dropped. They have a tough exterior that can take the abuse based on the couple of times I dropped them on the rocks while fumbling with some gear on the shore.
These sunglasses need a better lanyard to keep them at the ready while fishing. I could see clearly into the water with them, which is a prerequisite for any polarized sunglasses, so that alone doesn't make these stand out any more than any other.
The price point (north of $200) seems a little high for sunglasses that do not have actual glass lenses. Still, the glare control and Lumalens color optimization will give you a vibrant field of vision in any light with these shades.
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