There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.

What We Tried:

Scheyden sunglasses. Scheyden is a precision eyewear company that focuses on golf, aviation and more. I was lucky enough to try two models, the CIA Grabber and the Looper.

Who Tried It:

Connor. Director of Content and resident sneakerhead. I’ve never been a big sunglasses guy but I’ve recently started to enjoy not having my eyes stabbed by the harmful rays of the sun. My Scheyden shades got to me at the perfect time, seeing as it’s 95 and sunny in my part of Virginia.

Tech Story

The real story behind Scheyden eyewear is their lens technology. This is what sets them apart from the competition and ultimately what made them great on the golf course.

Sure, they look good (I’m a big fan of the Looper design) but without a good lens, they’re rendered basically useless on the golf course. Here’s what I mean.

Wearing sunglasses to golf can be tricky. If it’s really sunny, you probably want a lens that allows for less VLT (visible light transmission). If it’s overcast or darker outside, you’ll want something that allows for more light transmission.

The key is finding the right balance so you can see everything around you without distortion. Too little light and everything will seem dark. Too much and everything will look overblown.

But light transmission isn’t the only thing that matters to a good golf sunglasses. Just as important is the actual tint (or color) of the lens. Typically, bronzes, browns and reds are great for golf because they highlight green colors. It’s all primary color science. If you look at a color wheel, the opposite of green is red so colors in that family (or close to it) provide the greatest contrast.

Scheyden relies on two different bronze lenses to provide great contrast on the golf course. And when I say that they’re good, I mean it. From the minute you put on Scheyden sunglasses, the green hues of the golf course really come to life.

It’s something that has to be seen to be experienced, though I’ll try to describe it the best I can.

LT16 vs LT33

Let’s talk about Scheyden’s lens. Whichever frame you pick, you’ll be met with two lens options: LT16 Bronze or LT33 Light Bronze. The names are fairly self-explanatory. The LT16 Bronze lens allows for 16 percent light transmission, better for really sunny days. The LT33 Light Bronze lens allows for 33 percent light transmission, ideal for low light conditions.

It’s really a matter of the conditions you play in. For my purposes, I played in both to get a feel for the difference in light transmission.

My experience was really good. I preferred the LT33 lens even in very sunny conditions. I felt like the lighter shade made it easier to read the greens. That said, if you choose the LT33 option, you will definitely notice that more light is able to pass through the lens.

In either case, the bronze tint of the lens made it very easy to see the slopes of the fairways and greens. That, above all, is what you want in a good pair of golf sunglasses.

If there is a higher-contrast golf lens out there, I don’t think I’ve seen it yet.

More Testing Notes

Outside of the really good lenses, the Scheyden sunglasses are admittedly fairly basic. Decent, durable frames that provide a pretty good fit. I have a hard time swallowing the price tag for a composite frame with resin lenses. That said, they get the job done and feel more premium than other composite sunglasses I’ve tried.

For those seeking a more casual fit, the Looper is great. The CIA Grabber has more of the sporty look and fit that lends itself well to the torque produced in the golf swing.

I would have liked more rubber going down the side of the sunglasses (I got pretty sweaty) but that’s not a problem if you don’t play in blasted hot weather. Despite having less grip than I would have liked, neither pair felt unstable.

In any case, if you want a pair of sunglasses built specifically for golf, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one with better lens technology than Scheyden.

This article was written in partnership with Scheyden.

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