Gear Review: Wiley X Sunglasses - WX founder, WX SIERRA, & WX PEAK
In today’s post we are talking sunglasses. I spent the last couple of weeks shopping around for a new pair of shades that I could wear to the lake, to work, or just a night out on the town. Long story short I ended up with three different pairs of Wiley X sunglasses. In this post I'm going to review the WX Founder, WX Peak, and WX Sierra sunglasses that I've been testing out for about the last month. I’m going to do my best to point out the pros and cons and rank the three in a few different categories like fit, comfort, weight, price and overall performance.
Truth be told, I was on the hunt for a solid pair of glasses to tournament fish in that were like my old Costa 580g’s that I wore until the frames cracked from years of sweat and abuse. I was happy with those glasses and the longevity they provided. The design of those shades also had wide temple arms that did an awesome job of blocking out light from trying to enter in from the sides. With those features in mind, I returned to Costa’s website to see what they had available. I was quickly disappointed to find out that Costa’s prices had significantly increased to $280-$300 (I paid around $130 on Ebay for my first pair several years ago) and so I began to search elsewhere.
The older I get the more I tend to pay attention to what companies I’m spending my hard-earned dollar with. My new search was focused on finding an affordable pair of glasses with those previously mentioned features that are made by a company that still has pride in America to put it bluntly. After a few “pro-America sunglasses company” google searches, my social media was targeted with ads from numerous companies that aligned with what I was looking for. That’s when I ended up on Wiley X’s website and found out they were a veteran owned company that supports military, police, and first responders.
I was impressed with the wide selection of glasses and found multiple pairs that piqued my interest but was ultimately torn between two different options. The WX Founder (which didn’t really fit what I was looking for to fish in, but the price and attractive appearance had me second guessing) & the other pair was the WX Peak.
Side note on why I have 3 pairs of Wiley X Sunglasses
As a company that focuses about half of its time on product reviews, we often get opportunities to sample products from our affiliate partners. After purchasing the WX peak glasses I searched our affiliate program database and discovered that Wiley X was a company available to apply for. After our application was accepted, we were able to directly contact the company and they sent us product samples on the newly released Founder and Sierra sunglasses. What an awesome opportunity and great way to market your company!
WX Peak | Captivate Polarized Blue Mirror
I pulled the trigger and purchased the WX Peak sunglasses with matte black frames and captivate polarized blue mirror lenses. Right now there are two color combo options available. These glasses have a classic looking frame that feature wide but tapering temple arms that do a great job of blocking out any peripheral light. The light transmission with these polarized blue mirror polycarbonate lenses is 11% according to Wiley X, this is the lowest level of light transmission in the captivate series. In simple terms, these glasses are made for the brightest of days which is perfect for fishing in my opinion. These sunglasses also meet ANSI Z87.1 safety standards which means they were designed with measures such as impact resistance, optical clarity, UV protection, and coverage against liquid splashes etc. These glasses are also prescription ready. We will get to my opinions on the sunglasses after introducing the WX Founder and WX Sierra models.
WX Founder | Captivate Tungsten Mirror (Non-Polarized)
These sunglasses feature a two-tone matte black and tan frame with the captivate tungsten mirror lenses. The lenses are made of polycarbonate material. Right now, there are five different color combinations available with three of them being polarized options. The frames are more square than the WX peak and more slender through the temple arms. Up around the nose they include dual-injected rubber temples. These sunglasses also meet the ANSI Z87.1 safety standards and come with permanent/removable side shields that protect your eyes from an object coming from your peripheral vison. They are also prescription ready as well.
WX Sierra | Captivate Polarized Blue Mirror
These sunglasses feature a matte black frame with the captivate polarized blue mirror lenses. The lenses are made of polycarbonate material. Right now, there are five different color combinations available with three of them being polarized options. The frames are more sleek with a smaller footprint than the WX peak and even the WX founders. The frames also have a bit more flare in the design around the eyes. Up around the nose they have rubber molded pads and they include dual-injected rubber temples. The sunglasses also feature a vent in the upper corner of the lens that allow for better airflow to prevent fogging. These sunglasses meet the ANSI Z87.1+ safety standards and come with permanent/removable side shields that protect your eyes from an object coming from your peripheral vision. They are also prescription ready as well.
Review
Weight
Let's start out ranking the weights of these sunglasses. With each set of lenses being polycarbonate they are significantly lighter than pairs with glass lenses. None of these sunglasses feel heavy on the face at all. I weighed all three pairs on a low accuracy postal scale and here are the results.
Founder and Sierra – 0.9 ounces
Peak – 1.0 ounce.
Comfort & Fit
I want to start out by saying that this category is almost impossible to rank because all three pairs are comfortable and fit me well. My main concern with this category prior to testing these sunglasses is whether they would slide off my face or hat when turning my head or picking up something. I want to be able to keep them resting on my hat without fear of sliding off into the lake and losing them forever. Knock on wood, all three of these pairs do a good job of staying put when doing the above mentioned things.
Sierra
Peak
Founder
I think the Sierra’s small footprint won this category for me. This model is just seated better on my head than the other two pairs. Obviously these will fit differently person to person and for this reason, I would recommend trying these models on to see which ones you want. Wiley X has a return policy within 60 days if you are looking to select between multiple pairs.
Price
I’ll start out by saying you are going to be paying more for the polarized versions of these glasses. It should also be noted that Wiley X offers free shipping and a 30% discount for military/first responders when purchasing through ID.me.
Peak $185 (Polarized)
Founder and Sierra $206 (Polarized) and $140-$150 (Non-Polarized)
Check out our affiliate links below to purchase these sunglasses and help us earn a small commission.
Wiley X Sierra: https://alnk.to/610bfa4
Wiley X Founder: https://alnk.to/3ybzvL9
Wiley X Peak: https://alnk.to/44VQsdD
Performance
The winner of this category is again the WX Sierra. The vents provided in the lenses are the best design that I've come across. These vents don’t totally eliminate the lenses from fogging up, but they do mitigate the fogging very quickly and allow the sunglasses to stay functional. I tested this out while cutting a control joint in a freshly poured concrete slab. I wore a buff over my nose to help keep out the silica dust and with a normal pair of sunglasses in the Midwest humidity they would be so fogged up you’d have to take them off to make the cut. With these glasses though I was able to continue cutting without stopping the blade. This impressed me enough to rank them #1.
WX Sierra
WX Peak
WX Founder
All three pairs of glasses are great but the top two for me are my favorites because of the polarized lenses and frame styles. The founders for me are a pair of glasses that I’ll wear to barbeques or out on the town with my wife. At the end of the day though the sunglasses that I like the most won’t necessarily be the one’s that you like the most. It all comes down to personal preference and what suits you the best for the occasion.