Oakley Jawbreaker Prescription Black Iridium : Review

Monday 18th September 2023.
After 1500 miles and 100 hours of riding time I'm posting a review, or at least a collection of thoughts and observations concerning the prescription Jawbreaker cycling glasses.
My lenses have Black Iridium and polarising coatings.
Oakley's own 'inset' technology is used to produce thin, single-layer, curving prescription glasses
An unsponsored, unsubsidised video - the lenses were bought with my own pocket money from www.extreme-eyewear.co.uk/
I'll post an end-of-year update video when they've had to cope with the delights of autumn and winter weather in the Pennines.
See you in three months, if not before.
Shot and edited in 4k
Uploaded in 1080p

[@_kixr_7035]

Just got mine 4 days ago! I’m in love with them

[@clippingin1593]

Superb! They're a great investment. For the last 10 months I've been switching between black iridium & clear lenses, and they've yet to disappoint. Happy cycling.

[@toddfield4744]

Sold Gordon, great product review. Sadly, I am prescription lens only in a straight frame

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks Todd. I remember our discussing Wayfarers and I think they make really good cycling specs - I prefer them to aviators in terms of coverage and protection. Great value for money too. I almost stuck with mine but used a July birthday as an excuse for buying these. I forgot to mention the lens correction limits of Oakley's insets - I think it's around +/- 4.0 for both cyl and sph.

[@glenmasullo840]

Great review, lots of detail! I was thinking of purchasing one, and your review pushed me closer. I ride with a bike club and have always used my iPhone with an external battery as my bike computer. I use R-WithGPS and the Cyclemeter apps. As you stated, polarized lenses do not work well with them, even though you have a much bigger screen on an iPhone vs. a Garmin or Wahoo.

[@clippingin1593]

I'm glad you found it interesting, Glen. I've had the clear prescription lens for the past 7 months and the overall system has performed very well in all kinds of weather. The polarizing lens is fine with the correct screen orientation - in the case of my phone that's 'portrait' - but rotate the screen through 90 deg to 'landscape' and it blacks out. It's one of the reasons why pilots are advised against using polarizing lenses. At least Oakley offer a range of prescription inserts so there are other sun-lens options. Good luck with it.

[@Xhadp]

Great review and lines up with my experiences with a prescription Bolle Lightshifter. Got those ones because they were the best full shield ones with built-in prescriptions that worked with mine. Transition as well, no polarized which matches my regular glasses. The sharpness thing really threw me off as well. I have a stronger prescription of +4.5 cylinder (which is outside of the range for the jawbreakers) so I think they had to adjust it slightly to fit into the frame which I assume is where the imperfectness comes in. So riding and for general stuff it is fine where I see everything sharply but extended daily use of it up close and it will start to strain the eye a little because it isn't an exact match.

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks for watching the video and leaving such a detailed comment. The Lightshifters look like great all-round sporting eyewear. I've had a few recent winter rides where I would've appreciated the versatility of photochromics. I've had some interesting eyewear discussions as a result of this post and an earlier, pre-purchase video. I used a Bolle Edge II insert system for a long time, came close to buying prescription M-Frames in the early 2000s, tried contact lenses for 18 months but encountered all kinds of problems with abrasion and infection. Since this video was posted I've fitted the Jawbreakers with Oakley clear anti-reflective lenses- prob. 2000 km on the clock - and they're proving to be great all-weather riding specs. Interestingly they don't feel as 'tightly focused' or intense as the Black Iridium set. They're not soft focus, just closer to my high street specs, so perhaps the difference is due to lens-making tolerance or an effect associated with the mirroring & polarising. The anti-fog and rain dispersal properties continue to impress and despite some filthy autumn days I've yet to feel 'vision impaired'.... which is such a morale booster! All the best - G.

[@CaptBongo]

Thank you for the review. I'm glad that I have no need for prescription glasses. I wear dark safety glasses to ride in. As for Oakley, great glasses but to much money.

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks for sitting through it - definitely more of a niche video than the usual fare. When I was able to wear contact lenses in the mid-00s I was fine in £10-15 no-name cycling glasses and there's no way I'd have paid 'Oakley money' for sunglasses, but a series of eye infections forced a change of approach. Now I can see in HD, and I'm almost descending like I did 20 years ago, so they're worth it, but for the majority of people it'll look like a huge outlay for very little.

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

I’m long sighted so don’t need glasses for cycling. My problem is reading my computer it’s a right pain I think I need a bigger computer 🤣🤣🤣🤣 great non biased review. I think I’ll invest in a pair of the normal jawbreakers about £160 from wiggle 👍

[@clippingin1593]

We don't always realise how important good cycling vision is - I remember in the 90s how Alex Zulle used to suffer on mountain descents when the weather turned nasty. I'm at the stage now where I can't read small print if I'm wearing my distance glasses - that's why I kept taking them on and off for this video. I'm very impressed by the Jawbreaker design - be aware of the slight blind spot I mentioned - and I think if you shop around you'll find a few promotions. At times I've seen them for £130-ish with two Prizm lenses for bright & low-light conditions. The optical quality and contrast enhancement of the Prizm low light lens is superb, even I can see a little better without a prescription. Cheers :)

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

@@clippingin1593 I’ll take a look thanks very much

[@onemorecyclist]

Good comprehensive review. I think when I'm feeling a bit more flush I might be tempted. Perhaps a silly question but when you're out with them do you also carry your 'regular glasses' too?

[@clippingin1593]

It's 'big money' and it's difficult to gauge price/performance, but at speed I can see the road or trail much earlier and I feel more confident as a result. I'm only day-riding so I don't take spares - thankfully I don't need readers - but for one of your multi-dayers I would take a standard pair of man-in-the-street glasses. Stop Press : I now have the clear AR lenses for the coming perma-gloom

[@onemorecyclist]

@@clippingin1593 set for year round conditions now, great stuff! Yes, I can imagine crystal clear sight of the road ahead at speed boosting the confidence and I think with the UK road conditions especially that's needed. Does feel like perma-gloom season is upon us now, doesn't it? 🙂