So how is the Oakley polarized a-Wire any different?: Most polarized lenses incorporate polarized films into lenses either through lamination or sandwiching. This usually entails adhesive, which Oakley claims can cause distortion and haziness.

Oakley uses an injection molding process to infuse "Plutonite" material around the filter. Oakley states "This liquid fusion creates bonding at the molecular level, allowing the filter to achieve the highest possible level of performance."
 

The Real World Test: I have used the polarized a-wire for 2 months now on numerous fishing trips both inshore and offshore. The polarized a-wire does indeed reduce glare on lakes as well as on the ocean. While it will not help you see much deeper into the water and spot fish like we all dream, it does help you make out large structure and does reduce stress on your eyes. The other major benefit to anglers who own boats is that the a-wire does an excellent job of tightly holding to your face so almost no wind can dry out your eyes, even when flooring your boat.

Oakley warns on the bag that the polarized a-wire comes with that "Plutonite lenses should only be cleaned with the provided sunglass bag." Well guess what, that advice is more of a statement. On one rockfish trip out to Davenport I was splashed with a good amount of spray and I proceed to wipe the a-wires dry on my cotton t-shirt. By the end of the day I began to notice the lenses seemed blurry. When I got home I realized that I had put micro scratches across the entire surface of the right lens. Since that day the polarized glasses have become even more worn, to the point the right lens has a very visible hole in the coating.

The a-wire is designed to hold firmly to your face, and while this security and stability is good there also is a downside. The glasses do put a lot of pressure on your head as it squeezes you to hold firmly in place. While this is comfortable to most people, the rubber pads can rotate to the edged angle and that is usually when you really begin to notice the pressure.

Compared to a standard a-wire the polarized a-wire has a sleeker profile but has a deeper frame to hold the larger polarized lenses. The standard lenses are definitely more durable, while the frame strengths are comparable. To preserve the lenses from deteriorating any further I purchased Oakley's hard case for 25 dollars which did a much better job of protecting the Polarized lenses. Putting the polarized a-wire in the soft bag then into the case is even better. Since then I have noticed no more material rubbing off the lenses.