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Whether you’re on a combat mission or a mission to mow your lawn, you have to protect one of your most valuable assets: your eyes. It’s time to ditch the sunglasses you bought on your last road trip and invest in eyewear that matches your lifestyle: go ballistic.
Oakley® has been manufacturing ballistic eyewear for 25 years. Their products are tested against the rigorous standards of the U.S. Military and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), but beyond that, they have a set of proprietary standards they use to test their products for optimal performance.
For the U.S. Military, ballistic eyewear worn for duty must meet the MIL-PRF-32432 Military Combat Eye Protection Standard (MCEPS). Tests involve subjecting eyewear to small metal balls traveling at 700-725 fps (glasses) and 580-590 fps (goggles) — more than four times the speed of ANSI Z87.1 testing.
Getting the ballistics designation isn’t easy. But Oakley® doesn’t do easy. They do what’s best for the warfighter.
1. Protection
We know you spent some time hitting the tanning beds in your earlier years, Jersey shore. We’re not judging. But even those cats handed out eye protection because they know the permanent damage UV rays can have on your eyes. All Oakley® lenses block 100% of UVA, UVB & UVC rays and harmful blue light up to 400 nm.
UV rays aren’t the only risk to your sweet little corneas. Pebbles, branches or any debris can also be bad news for your eyes. We have a hard enough time with the puffer at the optometrist. Forget about actual damage. Tactical glasses are particularly important if you’re shooting or being shot at.
2. Refraction
Oakley® lenses have proprietary High Definition Optics® built in. With regular lenses, objects aren’t really where you see them. HDO® offers a truer visual image so your brain won’t have to work overtime.
This gives you more time to think about things like innovative ways to doctor your chicken chunk MRE to make it more palatable. Or, how you used to go tanning. Better yet, with clearer vision, you can focus on the mission at hand.
3. Clarity
Ballistic M Frame® Alpha Operator Kit
The clarity of these lenses is no joke. Those gas station sunglasses (and most conventional lenses) tend to magnify images. HDO® precision gives less distorted vision across the entire field of view.
This clarity allows you to be confident in your AOR. You’ll never have to second guess what you’re seeing again. The Prizm™ lens technology enhances browns and greens, it also minimizes other colors. This tech enables better contrast between objects and better dynamic, visual acuity. This isn’t just an advantage for your eyes, it’s an advantage against the enemy in the field.
There’s also Prizm™ lenses for snow. Alright, don’t get all salty, sailor, we know your world isn’t so much brown and green or white as it is blue and blue. Oakley® also has a special Prizm™ Maritime lens just for you.
Utilizing formulated dye compounding technologies, the lens technology emphasizes colors most sensitive to the eyes across varying light conditions. These lenses are engineered to reduce glare and separate colors to give you better visibility on the ocean horizon. They enhance greens and reds and filter out the shades of blue that overwhelm your vision on open water, and increase contrast to help you identify targets on the water.
4. You’re worth it
You wear a seat belt to protect yourself when you’re driving. You wear a helmet on a motorcycle or a bike. Why wouldn’t you do everything you can to protect your eyes?
We can give you 1000 reasons why it’s time for you to invest in Oakley® ballistic wear. And if you don’t believe us, then trust the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier’s recommendations for Military Combat Eye Protection (MCEP):
“MCEP helps ensure soldiers are visually able to carry out their mission. Eye hazards exist in a variety of forms in both combat and training environments. They range from fragmenting munitions and other airborne debris, to invisible hazards such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation. If unprotected, soldiers are susceptible to short- or long-term effects on their vision, which in turn can compromise current and future mission effectiveness.”
“MCEP helps preserve performance in both combat and training by reducing the risks associated with exposure to such hazards. MCEP offers eye protection to Soldiers in a variety of sizes and styles. This gives soldiers a choice in eye protection that best suits their needs.”
“Prior to being placed on the Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL), MCEP eyewear first qualifies through rigorous testing. Ballistic fragmentation, optical quality, operational testing and certification to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices are among the tests they undergo. Minimizes eye injuries to the soldier during training and deployment. Provides protection from fragmentation, ultraviolet light, laser threats/ hazards, wind, sand and other potential eye hazards.”
The Oakley® SI Ballistic M Frame 2.0 is on the list of approved spectacles for combat and training.
Ballistic eyewear is a small investment to make on something priceless: your sight. Now, you can do it even more affordable with the incredible lenses made by Oakley®. Try those on for size – we promise you’ll love them.
This post sponsored by Oakley®.