Despite BBs comments my personal EXPERIENCE as an RC pilot and an offshore fisherman is that nothing cuts the glare on a bright day like polarized lenses. White clouds in southest Texas when facing East and the sun in the west will produce a blinding glare. Even on semi sunny days. I cant speak for where you are. I have owrn raybans, zurichs all the cool looking oakleys. They all work pretty good but polarized lenses reduce the strain on my eyes a lot more.

I wear contact lenses but the only time I can wear them when flying is when I have polarized sunglasses on. If I wear my oakleys, I have even tried Zurichs the eyestrain will cause my contact lenses to literally pop out. I can wear my contacts while fishing and not have ANY problems even on sunny days. But with the glare in combination with my eyes working OT to see the plane the only thing that will relieve my eyes in polarized lenses. You can talk about what should be all day, but for me that is how it works. That is an honest fact.

Polarized I can wear my contacts, Zurichs, my contacts end up on my nose,,, WHILE I AM FLYING.[8D]

I have a set of prescription safety glasses with sideshields, that my employer requires and provides free. Since my prescription hasn't changed this year, I had the lenses tinted gray, and mirror coated blue. I then used Testors transparent blue paint to tint the sideshields. Works great.

Guten tag

I don´t have all those problems over here as the sun don´t shine that much.

My advice to those with problems is to put those planes up where the sun don´t shine !!!!!!

I have used the polarized lenses in grey color for all my flying. Here we get lots of hazy days, mainly from moisture in the air. And yes moisture in the air will refract light, giving the appearance of glare. one only has to look up on a hazy day with and without polarizing lenses and you will see a vast difference. Wear what you will, mine will always be grey color and polarized.

I have worn Gargoyles for years and they are the best in my opinion you can have them for $40 polarized for around $100 but they are safety glasses on top of being prescription quality lens. They can take a rock in the lens at 55 mph personal experience here. I will not ware anything else.
mike

Ditto Big Ned.

I use two distinctly different types of sunglasses/glasses.

RayBan sunglasses with G-15 neutral gray tint. Designed for military flyers a loooonnnnggg time ago. Doesn't change the color of things you see. White is white. Blue is blue. Yellow is yellow. You won't find a better, sharper or more true lense. It's tempered glass and totally distortion free. Best acuity I have ever found. They first used green but it affects color perception. RayBan still makes green but it isn't anywhere near as good as G-15. Used to make a g-31 which wasn't as dark (number indicates percentage of light transmissin I believe), but I don't know if they still make it. I have tried everything but above the clouds at altitudes like 15-20,000 ft. or higher nothing works better that I have found. It's real bright up there and you need the best you can get. They filter out virtually all UV but I don't think they are polarized. Big Ned-you ever gotten in the cockpit of something like a King Air and installed a pair of polarized sunglasses on your head? The windshield instantly turns into a brown-striped opaque window you can't see out of. The windshields (and side windows) of a lot of larger aircraft are polarized and putting the polarized glasses on shuts out the light. I vote twice for RayBan G-15 sunglasses.

Randolph Rangers for hunting and shooting. If you want to make certain colors "pop" or mute certain background colors you can play with these and the interchangeable lenses. I don't think you will find any one "best" lenses color for every condition while flying however; I go back to the RayBans for that. Randolph's website has a lot of info about which colors do what under which conditions. I use brown, purple or yellow lenses depending on the sky and/or background, but all are designed to make orange targets stand out-and boy do they! The purple makes that orange targeet glow like neon! These might be great if your airplane is "target orange". Website has lots of good information.

Website:
http://randolphusa.com/

I've used Serengeti Drivers for years. The cost is a bit more, but the quality is unsurpassed in my mind (eye?). Also, these are not coated lenses and can be had in prescription.

Well worth a free try at any good eyeglass store.

http://www.sunglassesgiant.com/serdrivgrad.html

I agree with katophan, as a full scale pilot I wear Serengetis. The optics are second to none and the driving lenses block blue light which in turn enhances all other light, once you try a pair you will never wear anything else. Just go into your local glasses store and try on a pair look through them then over them a couple of times, the result is quite amazing. Plus they now have more frame styles than just the aviators.
Only setback is they are true glass, when you drop them onto the ramp from the steps of a BE1900 they tent to crack. (totally my fault not the glasses)!!
JMO Mung.

Well, I received my Zurich's just before leaving for my Thanksgiving vacation in Chicago. So..I didn't have any time to get out to the field to try them out. However, I did take them with me for driving to see what they were like. Didn't get much sun either until we were on our way back last Saturday. From about Springfield Mo. to Tulsa, I was looking directly into the sun and tried using the Zurich's. All I can say is I can't wait to try them while flying. My eyes felt comfortable, no squinting, and it was great when the road changed direction a little and the sun was from the side. With the closed in sides, no sideways glare caused me problems. I will admit that as far as a fashion statement, they are a bit like skiing goggles, but who cares, I don't dress up to fly RC anyway. So far, I am impressed with these glasses. (BTW: Got the solid gray color top to bottom.)

BTW: Probably should have mentioned that I wear prescription glasses, so I chose the zurich's so they would fit over them.

Im giving a vote for Bolle.
A sandstone (yellow ish orange ish) non polarised lens.
Unfortunately the model I wear has been discontinued. So has the lens type, I guess they werent that popular. I LOVE EM. Im on my second pair of the snake eyes style now, but had three pairs in a now discontinued aviator style frame with the same sandstone lens. I was in a sunnglasses shop recently and asked about the cost now, of the same glasses, she told me it was discontinued. By luck another shop in the same mall had one pair, exactly the same, I snapped em up to store away. I usually get 2-3 yrs plus from my sunnies, but here in sunny northern NSW, Australia, I wear them just about every day of the year.

Polarized plastic bolle. The best. lightweight, comfortable. Here in sunny miami we are sunglasses "connoisseurs" I had regular sunglasses before and there is a noticeable difference. Also your eyes dont get as tired.

peace