We’ve been pretty big fans of Otis Eyewear since we first got introduced to the brand, and this year with the addition of Harley Clifford as one of their ambassadors and their major push into the US, we’ve seen nothing but rad things come from the Australian-based company.
They sent us a couple pairs of shades to test out and here was our knee-jerk reaction to how they felt:
The lenses.
We’ve put on some nice lenses before, but it’s tough to compare anything to these since they use mineral glass in them. Otis Eyewear uses this particular glass in all of their frames, and it makes a huge difference. Glass is the best in terms of not distorting, and mineral glass has a crazy ability not to scratch. These lenses are made of good stuff too. We’re talking about the “recyclable, naturally occurring, harmless to animals” kind of good so you can wear them and feel highly of yourself.
More information: Otis Eyewear
Polarised, Polarized, Polar-eyes’d?
Yeah, they spell it differently down in Australia, but it still means the same thing. Honestly, if you’re in and around the water it’s the only way to go, and Otis does it right. The polarization on the Nowhere to Run frames we’ve been running is insanely good. Good polarization keeps the glare down so your eyes don’t have to work as hard, and in turn, you don’t get as tired after being on the water for a full day. I know that sounds crazy but it’s true. You’ll deal with a few spotted windshields and your phone looking like it’s turning off when you tilt your head, but it’s worth it.
More information: Otis Eyewear
They’re insanely well made.
Just hold a pair of Otis glasses and you’ll quickly realize that these are really high-quality frames. Sure, they cost a little more than your average pair of shades, but it’s pretty evident where that’s going when you throw these on. Are you bad at sunglasses? As in, do you lose them and scratch them and break them? I know this sounds crazy, but it took me getting one really good pair of glasses and then I quickly became a responsible sunglass owner. Maybe these are that really good pair that makes you turn that corner in your life.
More information: Otis Eyewear
The Weight
So the Otis glasses we tried out were a bit on the heavy side, which doesn’t always sit well with some people but we actually like that. They feel solid, high quality and don’t feel like they’re going to fly off your face in the boat. Some are heavier than others of course, and the After Dark models were the lighter of the pair we tested. Our Publisher, Ben Greenwood, has been wearing those and said something to the effect of, “These babies are rad.”
The Aesthetics
While the pairs we got were completely different, there seems to be something for everyone when you peruse the Otis Eyewear site. A lot of sunglass makers stick to a certain look and feel so you know it’s their brand, but we found that Otis has a really wide variety in terms of the style of frames they make. Let’s be real, all the technical mumbo jumbo and high-quality talk doesn’t really mean anything if you don’t like the way a pair of sunglasses looks on you. If that wasn’t the case, we’d all be wearing those weird bicycle sunglasses or goggles or something.
Nowhere to Run:
The After Dark:
