Wiley X Guard Advanced Eyewear

The various shooting disciplines require different types of eye protection and if you shoot more than one then it can be hard to find something that covers all the bases. Indoors it is more about physical protection, outdoors you have both brightness and glare to deal with in addition to the everpresent need to keep unwanted intrusions out of your eyes. So what you need is a pair of glasses that will work in all possible circumstances.

Swapsies

Eyewear with interchangeable lenses is definitely the way to go if you shoot in different environments and Wiley X produces a wide range of glasses with this feature. The Guard Advanced model on test comes with three sets of lenses; clear, smoke grey and rust, all made of shatterproof polycarbonate with a scratch-resistant coating. The specs are put through the most stringent ballistic tests and the results give Wiley X the confidence to describe their lenses and frames as ‘practically indestructible’, an impressive statement!

The glasses are a frameless bottom lens design, with the lenses clipping in from below where they are held securely. The wide nose bridge is well shaped and comfortable and it does not interfere with the field of vision at all. The temples are pretty much straight making the glasses comfy to wear and easy to put on and take off without having to remove your ear defenders.

All of the lenses provide 100% protection from harmful UVA and are designed to optimise image and colour perception. In the case of the grey lens, this equates to very clear and well-defined vision in the brightest of conditions and you can almost forget you are wearing them. The light rust lenses enhance contrast significantly and really help with picking out targets from the background.

Frames

The frames and lenses are very durable and stand up to knocks and bumps very well. When they were attached to the outside of a heavy backpack, and it accidentally fell over on top of them, it was surprising to see that they had not been squashed or the frame distorted in any way. The fit is extremely comfortable and they are so light you can easily forget that you have them on.

The glasses are supplied in a top-quality case, with separate compartments for each set of lenses, a cleaning cloth and an elastic strap. The level of protection they provide is exceptional and bearing in mind how important your eyesight is, they are really good value for money.