Outdoorspeople who need corrective lenses are familiar with a set of problems completely unknown to most people. For example: do I wear contacts outside, or glasses? Should I leave contacts in overnight, or shove them like blocks of ice into my puffy eyes at 2am for an alpine start? There are many dilemmas to ponder. When companies like Spy Optics step up to the plate with active frames like their Justice Rx glasses, it makes our lives just a bit easier.
Spy Optics Justice Rx Features:
- Fashioned from handmade acetate and virtually indestructible Grilamid®
- High-quality spring hinges create a secure, comfortable fit
- Frames measure a tried and true 59-12-140
- Available in Matte Black, Navy Tort and Camo Tort
- MSRP: $210 (frames), ~$350 with single-vision lenses
Let your vision keep up with your life
I’m the type of person who enjoys a wide variety of activity. I like cycling, soccer, hiking, walks in the park, climbing, everything in between. I’m particularly known for sitting in a particular local coffee shop for three hours at a time while a book absorbs my interest. I needed a pair of glasses that could keep pace with my changing activities, and it wasn’t really until I found the Spy Optics Justice that I found a worthy partner.
The Justice frame is a balance between a stylish everyday frame and some performance-minded additions. With something like this, I hope for a sturdy, lightweight frame that stays on your face and looks as good as possible. And, of course, it’s handy when Spy also has its own in-house Rx department.
On these criteria, the Justice fares well. The construction is a lightweight Grilamid polymer. Grilamid is a type of plastic that doesn’t respond to temperature changes significantly, is lightweight, and can bend without breaking. These qualities make it an exceptionally good frame for adventures. The Justices are lightweight and strong, and they’re built with high-quality hinges. I can bend the temples and they spring back gently without any hints of stress, and I’ve had the glasses ripped off my face once or twice doing construction tasks or playing with kids. No harm done to them yet!
A key feature with the Justice frames are the hydrophilic, grippy temple tips. These rubbery accents actually grip your skin a bit better when slightly damp with sweat, helping the frames to stay on well during use. In practice, I found that the 59mm frame was slightly too wide for my face and so at times the frames didn’t stay on as well as I’d like, but if I was doing something really active I’d simply add a pair of Croakies to keep the glasses in place. Your mileage with vary.
The other big thing to consider with prescription glasses is the optical quality of the prescription lens itself. I have a challenging prescription: -4.25 in one eye, -3.75 in the other. I’m very short sighted and the severity of my prescription has led to significant edge distortion on other lenses in the past. I was concerned with this coming from Spy Optics, since previously I knew nothing about the quality of their Rx lenses.
I needn’t have worried – the optical quality of the lenses in my Justice frames is really excellent. My vision is crisp and clear, and the lenses are very easy to clean effectively. There is a touch of distortion near the far sides of the lenses, but it’s within an acceptable amount for someone with a prescription like mine. I’m wearing the standard non-tinted lens, but there are a variety of other options, including various polarizations and transitions lenses, available for purchase. Their Happy lens is supposedly backed up with some neat mood-enhancing science. The polarization selectively filters blue wavelengths and lets through a mixture of wavelengths that are conducive to a better mood. All-in-all, I was happy with the polarization and it didn’t affect screens or any electronics strangely.
The Good
- Excellent optical quality for tough prescriptions
- Truly resilient frame material for long life
- Megol accents at the ears keep the glasses on your face
- Square 59mm frame fits a lot of faces
The Bad
- Megol accents on the nose could be good
The Bottom Line: Spy Justice Rx
If you’re looking for a pair of prescription glasses that can stick with you through thick and thin, the Justice are a hard frame to beat. They’re super durable and lightweight, yet they don’t skimp on style. I’ve been pleased with mine from everything from mountain biking to sitting in the office staring at my screen. I love them best when they’re on adventures, though, and Spy’s excellent optical department has kept me in crystal-clear vision.
Buy now: Available from Spy
