“All Sports, All Polarized“ …We see just how well the Native Hardtop Sunglasses
suit Anglers (continued)
In
terms of the actual lenses themselves I found the polarization to be good, but
clarity to be merely decent. When compared to Action Optics glass lenses there
was quite a noticeable difference in clarity over the glass and polycarbonate.
This is to be expected, but the difference was such that it was hard to ignore
the disparity. The Hardtop lenses feature a “vertical” polarized filter which
absorbs horizontal light and eliminates glare. I did feel like the Hardtop
afforded me more depth and contrast perception, helping identify structure, and
even fish in very clear water.
The lenses pop out when pulled
away from the frame
As mentioned earlier the
Hardtop does fell very light which helps give it bonus points in terms of
ergonomics. For even more comfort the temples and nose pads feature Cushinol™
which is similar to Septon. This material self adjusts to the contours of the
surface and feels soft and not slick, even when wet.
A close look at the polarized lens
Another nice feature is the
venting system which is integrated into the top of the Hardtop. The exhaust
vents on the top of the frames allow air to escape which helps reduce fogging or
condensation. The venting is small enough that the frames still do a decent job
blocking light from entering through the top of the sunglass frame.
The Native Hardtop....naked
Durability: In terms
of lens durability the Hardtop’s polycarbonate lenses are excellent. They do not
scratch easily, and deal with the elements extremely well. One of the areas that
I predicted would be a problem were the small protruding gator lock temple nubs.
Fishing for Tuna with the
Hardtop...boy these shades have seen a lot of fishing
I was sure that they would
break either while switching temples, or snap one day if pressure was just put
on them from a weird angle. I am happy to say that my concerns over these nubs
were totally unwarranted and after more than two seasons of use the Hardtop
continues to hold the temples.
