Panoptx Sirocco CV Shades

Apparel Review

Protect Your Eyes from the Sun AND Wind with Panoptx's Sirocco CV Shades (continued)

An added benefit of the Air Dam technology, for fisherman in particular, is the blocking of peripheral light further enhancing your ability to see into the water with the polarized lenses. This is akin to looking into a house through the windows during daylight: stand right outside a window on the sunny side of the house and you can sort of see inside; press up against the window, and cup your hands around your eyes, and you can see much more clearly. The Air Dam insert on our Sirocco CV shades provide the same effect as cupping your hands around your eyes, they block all peripheral light and glare enabling you to see more clearly into the water.

The traditional styling of our Panoptx Sirocco CV frame

The Panoptx Sirocco CV frames feature an integrated nose piece

Wind Protection: The SR100 Air Dam inserts of our Sirocco CV shades really did their job under high speed conditions. In runs from spot to spot at speeds in excess of 50 mph, we felt no wind infiltration at any point around the snug fitting frame. To guard against fogging, our lenses are coated with an Anti-fog layer but also, the Air Dam itself provides ports for ventilation. It is a very well thought out solution to a common issue inherent with shades.

A quick twist of the insert and...

... they pop right out so you can wear your Panoptx shades on the town or in situations where you do not need the protective Air Dam

Comfort: If there is one downside to the SR100 Air Dam featured in our Sirocco CV shades it's comfort. Because the protection is so absolute and the fit so snug, it almost feels as if you're wearing a pair of swim goggles. Though not to a degree that would pose any danger, with the thick full frame effect of the shades with the Air Dam in place, peripheral vision is also limited and takes some adjustment time with which to grow accustomed. Fortunately, in the case of our Sirocco CV's, the Air Dam is removable, so we had the tendency to remove this feature once we at a point to stop and fish. With the inserts removed, the Sirocco CV's feel like any other full framed pair of sunglasses.

The frame of our Panoptx Sirroco is of a very durable plastic

The hinges on the frame of our Panoptx shades appear very durable

Durability: The frames of our Panoptx Sirocco CV shades is very sound and feels quite durable. The hinges are fairly rugged and we see no problems down the line with their design. One thing to keep in mind with the Panoptx product is to order a frameset in the correct width to suit your size. They offer sizes from small to extra large. I bring this up because the frames can have the tendency to stretch a bit, making it tricky to get the inserts back into the frame after several uses. This can be expected of any pair of sunglasses and normally would not be something that is of concern except for, in this case, where the shades are actually a multi-piece affair.

The notch you see here, adjacent to the frame's hinge, is the attachment point for the Air Dam insert.

To prolong the life of your Panoptx lenses, or that of any of your sunglasses, always use the cleaning cloth included with the product

Availability: You can order a pair of Panoptx shades to suit your needs direct from their website. They offer an interactive ordering interface that allows you to pick and choose from a wide breath of features. Once you have your product configured, add it to your shopping cart and order away. It's that easy. If you wear prescription lenses, Panoptx has a full featured lab and can build your shades with prescription lenses - including bifocal lenses!

Ratings:

Panotpx Sirocco CV Sunglass Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	A very well made pair of shades	9
Performance	Aside from being a little too dark under some conditions, performance matches well with what we expect from a pair of shades	8.0
Price	A little pricey overall, but considering the innovative design, certainly not outlandish	7.5
Features	Chock full of just about everything you could want in a pair of sunglasses including the option of prescription bi-focal lenses!	10
Design (Ergonomics)	Can't have "100%" wind protection without a snug fit, but the snug fit is a bit uncomfortable for full time wear. Fortunately, our frames featured a removable insert	8.0
Application	These shades are suitable for just about any outdoor activity imaginable and with the removable Air Dam insert, are very very versatile	9
Total Score		8.58

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus Minus
J Excellent wind protection in a small, lightweight package	L A bit too snug at times
J A feature laden line of sunglasses	L The lenses we tested were just a tiny bit dark
J The option of integrated prescription lenses direct from the manufacturer	L While the removable insert is trick, it can be bothersome to take in and out and find a place to store without losing it in the interim
J Heavy duty carrying case and lense cloth	L Difficult to assess proper frame size and degree of lense shading without handling product first hand
J Air Dam technology blocks not only wind, but peripheral glare enabling you to see further into the water

Sunglasses are a very important part of my day in the outdoors

Conclusion: As you may have noticed from the majority of photographs of me in our articles, I always have a pair of sunglasses. Whether they are over my eyes or on top of my head, I take my shades very seriously because without them, I invariably get a headache. As such, I'm very selective over what I will wear. The frames must sit comfortably on my face, the lenses need to be distortion free, and the level of shading must work well in a variety of lighting conditions from bright sun to even foggy/overcast conditions. The Panoptx shades tested here fit well, had very clear optics, but were a bit too dark for my taste. The latter aspect can be easily addressed by choosing a different set of lenses. The real difference here is the degree of wind and dust protection this product offers and all in an item you can carry with you easily and use throughout the day - not just when you're running the lake. If you're not up for the full-on protection of a face mask, or the head compressing fit of specialty goggles, but in need of something extra to protect your eyes throughout your entire day in the outdoors, you'd do well to check out these new shades offered by Panoptx.