One thing that is almost a sure bet we all own, but do not always put a tremendous amount of thought in are our shooting glasses or eyewear. When it comes to shooting, hunting, boating, and generally being an active outdoors person we all probably own a slew of glasses (where did I put them again?), but who honestly meticulously weighs their options before those fateful repeated purchases. I know we are all guilty of this (myself included), but the difference between the el’ cheapos and mucho primos can be pretty significant and simultaneously difficult to see on the surface. In this TFB Review, we take a look at 4 different sets of eyewear from the Oakley Standard Issue series and the lines of Ballistic, Thin Blue Line, and Speed Jacket.

The only pair of eyewear specifically rated and engineered for shooting are the Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm set that we will discuss last. The other three boast great features that would be perfect for other applications we likely all enjoy like being on the water fishing, extended time driving and road-tripping, and/or being in the outdoors hiking or hunting.

I did wear all of these individually on multiple trips to the gun range, but also in varying environments in which they were more suited. Oakley makes a terrific product, but the question we may want to all try to answer is there a “sweet spot” of features, quality, and price-point you are happy with. Quality often comes with a price, but is it within your budget and what you are hunting for in eyewear?… I will share my experiences from over the course of the last 3 months and you can see if a new pair of Oakleys are in your future!

Oakley Standard Issue Gascan Thin Blue Line Collection

The first pair of glasses we will take a look at are the “GasCan” from the Thin Blue Line Collection in the Oakley Standard Issue. As alluded to in the collection name, the GasCan is a set of eyewear that pays tribute to all of our men and women in Blue. Oakley has this statement to share on the entire Thin Blue Line Collection from their website:

The men and women of Law Enforcement are the Thin Blue Line that stands between the public and victimization by criminals. Rendered with icon accents that carry the symbolism of that line, these Blue Black frames honor those who protect and serve. Oakley’s partnership with Law Enforcement began decades ago, and it has been a driving force in the technologies of safety, comfort and performance shared by all.

These glasses hailing from the Thin Blue Line Collection offer up attributes essential for the all day grind that law enforcement endure. Everything from a lightweight frame if worn all day, 100% UV (ultra-violet) protection, and other characteristics specific to Oakley’s mark of quality. The full feature listing can be read below as presented by Oakley:

• Plutonite® Lenses offer top UV Protection filtering 100% of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm
• Three-Point Fit holds lenses in precise optical alignment while eliminating pressure points common with frames that hook the ears
• O-Matter™ stress-resistant frame material is both lightweight and durable for all-day comfort and protection
• Oakley® Twin Toric lens technology with HDO®

As far as my thoughts on the GasCan, I believed it could have used a little more coverage around the bottom edge of the lens for your eye. This is a small observation and critique because the light is not radiating upward at one’s face, but it lacks a bit of coverage near the bottom. The plastic bridge where the eyewear would rest on your nose is a little discomfortable when worn all day. A rubber insert would be a nice addition by Oakley.

When wearing a ballcap, as well as electronic ear protection, these were very slim and thin to your head. My electronic ear protection did not feel like it was crushing the glasses into the side of my head which is typically my chief complaint while shooting with glasses. The GasCan is generally stylish, comfortable, and provided great protection against the sun from the gun range to my vehicle and most every place in between.

The Oakley Standard Issue GasCan Thin Blue Line Collection eyewear I tested can be found on the internet in the realm of $103 – $106 pretty easily which places these in affordable territory for the elements they offer. Between the complete protection you get from UV rays, the comfortable fit I had while shooting, and the support of law enforcement I believe these glasses are worth their asking price.

Oakley Standard Issue Double Edge Thin Blue Line Collection

The 2nd pair of glasses I pulled out for testing were the Oakley Standard Issue Double Edge Thin Blue Line Collection. This pair, similar to the last, is in support of law enforcement and has enhanced features for what that line of work demands. The most notable difference is how crisp and vibrant colors were while looking through them. This could be attributed to the Prizm™ Lenses:

Prizm™ is a revolution in lens optics built on decades of color science research. Prizm™ lenses provide unprecedented control of light transmission resulting in colors precisely tuned to maximize contrast and enhance visibility.

These glasses give a very complete coverage of your eyes with their larger lenses, and as mentioned earlier they truly drew out the colors of your surroundings. The Double Edge also is improved by having a small rubber insert where they contact the bridge of your nose for more comfort. All small changes, but they really start to add up. The rest of the specifications for the Oakley Standard Issue Double Edge Thin Blue Line Collection can be read below:

• High wrap rectangular lens shape with optimized peripheral vision and side protection suitable for medium to large faces
• Unobtainium® nosepads increase grip with perspiration for a no slip grip
• Three-Point Fit holds lenses in precise optical alignment while eliminating pressure points
• Available with Oakley Prizm™ Sport & Oakley Authentic Prescription Lenses
• Plutonite® Lenses offer top UV Protection filtering 100% of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm
• O Matter™ stress-resistant frame material is both lightweight and durable for all-day comfort and protection

With the Double Edge, I wore it in three particular environments that I thought would be varying enough to give my vision through them a challenge. The first was out catfishing on a river. There is a river a mere stone’s throw away from my work so it is pretty easy to bring a fishing rod with and see if I cannot hook into a muddy cat once in a while. With the glare of the water, the sun reflecting off of it, and the water constantly rushing and being murky I normally am straining to see much of anything on those waters. The better coverage of the Double Edge kept out light from the sun above, the light glaring off the water from below, and helped me gaze better into the river for fish passing by.

The next environment was my commute from fishing after work to the gun range. With the late “6 o’clock rush hour,” that late drive home, in full effect and the sun dropping down I got all kinds of sunlight and glint off of moving cars. By this time I had been wearing the glasses for a couple hours and they were still very comfortable. I would attribute that to the Unobtainium® nose pads on the Double Edge. They are pretty small when you take the time to stare at them, but it makes all the difference.

Finally, it was time for a therapeutic range session. While keeping the Double Edge eyewear on, I threw on my ear pro and did some drills with my home defense Glock 17. Rudimentary things like mag changes, transitioning to different targets, and quick yet short movements with my feet. I was not doing any parkour on the range, but throughout all of the active, subtle movements the Double Edge stayed in place well and maintained good coverage of my eyes at all times.

All in all these glasses performed well for the various environments they were placed in and the tasks I required them to tag along for. With the improvements of the more complete coverage of your eyes and face as well as the Unobtainium® nose pads, I believe the street price of $136 – $146 is very fair, but is close to the threshold of where I might be opening my wallet. Honestly no complaints of the Oakley Standard Issue Double Edge Thin Blue Line Collection, but like I stated at the beginning, it is always a delicate dance of quality and price-point.

Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array

With the Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array you are looking through a piece of eyewear with a lot more attention to aesthetics, comfort, and extra accessories to customize those facets of the glasses. For someone who is using eyewear as an everyday essential tool for their occupation where comfort and functionality are of paramount importance, the Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array would be well suited for that. These are all of the pieces that they come with:

• 2 Sets of Unobtanium Nosepieces
• 2 Sets of Lenses with Prizm™ Lens Technology – Pink and Clear
• Microbag – Camo
• Hard, Zippered Case that is Form-Fitted with Foam to all of the Components

The technologies implemented in the Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array are similar to those previously discussed in the glasses from the Thin Blue Line Collection, but there are several upgrades people may appreciate even more. The ability to switch out lenses and nose pads is a big one as well as more storage options of a micro bag or a form-fitted Speed Jacket case. All of the specifications for the Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array can be read below as presented by Oakley:

• Switchlock Quick Lens Exchange allows for a lenses to be switched out easily for rapid lens exchange
• Meets ANSI Z87.1 2015 Optical Standards for Clarity
• Patented High Definition Optics® (HDO®) provides superior optical clarity and razor-sharp vision at every angle
• O-Matter™ stress-resistant frame material is both lightweight and durable for all-day comfort and protection
• Thin Stem technology enables compatibility with over-ear hearing protection and comms
• Unobtanium® nosepad provides a no slip grib even under wet conditions
• Speed Jacket case included

As far as some of my thoughts on the Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array, there is a lot of upside to these if you are willing to pay a bit more for them. The replaceable lenses is one thing I love! A lot of times when I go to the gun range it can be frighteningly bright out so the pink lenses can “calm down” all that bright light and add more contrast to everything I am seeing and attempting to shoot. There is also an easy button to release the current lens and swap them out; no magic or engineering-trickery needed. The replaceable nose pads is also a nice addition if one set gets worn out from extensive use or if you prefer one over the other. These nose pads were also the most comfortable ones I tested between all 4 pairs of glasses.

A couple things I disliked about them are the Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array were not contoured as well to my head as the Thin Blue Line Collection. Maybe I have a goofy shaped melon, but it is just an impression I had. They were not uncomfortable by any means, but the Thin Blue Line Collection fit my head better. This is a sample size of one so take it as a grain of salt. Another thing I noticed is, once again for me, the arms of the glasses extend past the back of your head (mine at least; roughly 1″). This could alter your level of comfort depending on the ear pro you use while shooting. If you do not use these shooting then it may be a non-issue.

The relative pricing starts around $180 online for the Oakley Standard Issue Speed Jacket Array and sky is the limit for what people can ask in a free market. With the price of these glasses approaching that pivotal $200 mark, these glasses are beginning to fall into a category of intensive duty or work use over general leisure. With improved ergonomics, comfort, multiple lenses, and Oakley Prizm™ Lens Technology I believe once again this eyewear is worth that asking price, but to get your full value from your investment you will likely want to be using these everyday.

Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm Shooting Specific

Just like there are weapons systems that are a complete package and are modifiable to your needs for any mission or task, the Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm (Shooting Specific) is what I would call a shooting eyewear system. Oakley goes on to elaborate as to why these are a great option for shooters like us:

The Oakley SI Ballistic M Frame 3.0 surpasses ANSI Z87.1 Industrial Standards for high-mass and high-velocity impact protection. The M Frame 2.0 additionally meets MIL SPEC MIL-PRF 31013. All lenses are made of pure Plutonite®, a proprietary material that offers the highest level of optical clarity available in eyewear. It also features a clip that holds the lens and frame together providing more secure support.

The Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm (Shooting Specific) has a near endless list of rolling specifications like a Star Wars intro. This is a testament to the bold statement that I threw out of the Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm (Shooting Specific) being a complete eyewear system. All of the specs can be read below as presented by Oakley:

• Lenses feature Oakley’s HDO Optics with Polaric Ellipsoid Technology
• Lenses feature a permanent anti-fog coating on the back surface
• UV protection of Plutonite® lens material that filters out all of UVA / UVB & harmful blue light up to 400 nm wavelength
• Meets or exceeds high mass and high velocity impact requirements per ANSI Z87.1-2003/2010
• Meets or exceeds ballistic fragmentation impact standards per MIL PRF-31013, Clause 3.5.1.1.
• Secure fit even under wet conditions via Hydrophilic Unobtainium® nose pad
• Clear lens features 89% visible light transmittance, suitable for use in low light to no light conditions
• Persimmon lens features 69% visible light transmittance, suitable for use in low light to no light conditions
• Grey lens features 15% visible light transmittance suitable for bright light, meets MCEPS neutrality and chromaticity requirement
• Thin stem technology enable compatibility with over-ear hearing protection and communication systems
• System features quick, tool-free lens change
• Ultra lightweight design (1.05-ounce total weight)
• Full compatibility with helmet-mounted night vision devices
• Full compatibility with MICH, ACH, CVD, PASGT, and Crye™ Helmets
• Impact and chemical resistant O-Matter® frame

Between all 4 sets of eyewear tested from Oakley, the Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm (Shooting Specific) were by far your best value. They provided me the most complete coverage of my eyes which was completely encompassing and protecting my vision. These being “shooting specific” I spent nearly all of my time testing them at the gun range. There was a minuscule amount of time spent driving, but the bulk of it was taking in the view of red dots and iron sights on pistols and rifles.

The multiple lenses with their own independent, flexible rubber nose pads were nice for varying lighting conditions. The additional lens cloth built into a string baggy for the also included lens cleaning solution was pretty clever. You also receive a shooting glasses microbag, nylon padded case, and shooting glass harness.

The Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm (Shooting Specific) held a thin and tight contour to my head. This paired well with wearing ear pro as well as a ballcap which is pretty typical of my range attire. With the Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame 3.0 Prizm (Shooting Specific) being in the $130 and up price range at retail they are one of the most affordable sets of eyewear tested and hands-down the most complete set for everything you get. If there is a winner to be declared between all four pairs, this is absolutely it.

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In closing, I want to say THANK YOU to Oakley for allowing TFB and myself the opportunity to try out not just one, but four of their sets of eyewear from the Thin Blue Line Collection, Ballistic, and Speed Jacket line-ups! That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that any of these Oakleys tested are something durable, comfortable, and protecting enough to add to your collection of eyewear? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

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