Oakley Jawbones One Year Review

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear: One Year And Counting....

The Oakley Jawbones eyewear has been in the house and on my face for a whole year now. I have been wearing a couple of other models from another company's line of late, for testing purposes, and I wanted to draw some comparisons to the Jawbones both positive and negative.

First off, the Jawbones have been trouble free all year. I have religiously kept them in their soft bag when not wearing them, and I have always stowed the lenses not in use in the hard case that was provided with the Jawbones. I have zero scratches and no degradation of the frame's structure over the year of use has been noticed. I have swapped out the lenses a fair amount, and the system works flawlessly to this day. So for the structure and day to day wear issues, the Jawbones score a perfect 100%.

Now for the comparo. The other brand's glasses have no surrounding frame. I happen to appreciate this over the Jawbones, which obviously do not have that feature. However; for a full framed sun protection device, the Jawbones do not seem to "get in the way". I only was a bit annoyed after having not worn the Jawbones for a bit and then swapping over to them again from the frameless design. I lost that sensation after wearing the Jawbones again after an hour or so, and honestly, I do not even notice the frames in my periphery vision anymore unless I think about looking for that, which unless I am doing a review, I wouldn't ordinarily do! I  just note this, and please keep in mind, I have a large noggin, so smaller faced folks may not even notice the frame's edges when wearing these.

Air Flow: The other glasses I have recently tried have quite the wrap around effect, and due to this, the airflow around the eye is restricted. I thought this might actually be a plus in their favor, but with the hot, stifling summer we''ve had, I found the eyewear to be too hot at times. Going back to the Jawbones revealed that the airflow is there while wearing them, but it isn't annoying, or even that noticeable unless you have had glasses on that restict airflow, like I had been wearing. I liked the effect for hot weather, and obviously, this helps keep things from fogging up as well.

Optics: Obviously Oakley's claim to fame is their precision optics and coatings. Although the other eyewear is decent in this regard that I have been trying, you just can't approach the quality of vision you get with Oakley. There were times where while wearing the other brand's glasses, I was wondering why things looked grainy, fuzzy, or just not as sharply in focus. I found out why when I slapped the Oakleys on my head again. There just isn't anything that compares, and that's that.

Conclusions: The Oakley Jawbones passed the one year mark with little to no evidence that they had been used a bunch in everything from rain, mud, dust, and dirt. No scratches, and everything works as it should after a full year. The quality of sight you get with these is unsurpassed, and the comfort of the Jawbones is tops as well. What's not to like? Well, when they are not in use, it is a bit of a negative when compared to the others eyewear! Jawbones: Good stuff and I would call them "Best In Class" with no reservations.

Note: These Jawbones were provided to me at no charge for review. I have not been paid, nor bribed for this review, and in fact, until this appeared here, Oakley and their agents had no idea I was writing this up. This is my honest take on this product.

Oakley Jawbones One Year Review

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear: One Year And Counting....

The Oakley Jawbones eyewear has been in the house and on my face for a whole year now. I have been wearing a couple of other models from another company's line of late, for testing purposes, and I wanted to draw some comparisons to the Jawbones both positive and negative.

First off, the Jawbones have been trouble free all year. I have religiously kept them in their soft bag when not wearing them, and I have always stowed the lenses not in use in the hard case that was provided with the Jawbones. I have zero scratches and no degradation of the frame's structure over the year of use has been noticed. I have swapped out the lenses a fair amount, and the system works flawlessly to this day. So for the structure and day to day wear issues, the Jawbones score a perfect 100%.

Now for the comparo. The other brand's glasses have no surrounding frame. I happen to appreciate this over the Jawbones, which obviously do not have that feature. However; for a full framed sun protection device, the Jawbones do not seem to "get in the way". I only was a bit annoyed after having not worn the Jawbones for a bit and then swapping over to them again from the frameless design. I lost that sensation after wearing the Jawbones again after an hour or so, and honestly, I do not even notice the frames in my periphery vision anymore unless I think about looking for that, which unless I am doing a review, I wouldn't ordinarily do! I  just note this, and please keep in mind, I have a large noggin, so smaller faced folks may not even notice the frame's edges when wearing these.

Air Flow: The other glasses I have recently tried have quite the wrap around effect, and due to this, the airflow around the eye is restricted. I thought this might actually be a plus in their favor, but with the hot, stifling summer we''ve had, I found the eyewear to be too hot at times. Going back to the Jawbones revealed that the airflow is there while wearing them, but it isn't annoying, or even that noticeable unless you have had glasses on that restict airflow, like I had been wearing. I liked the effect for hot weather, and obviously, this helps keep things from fogging up as well.

Optics: Obviously Oakley's claim to fame is their precision optics and coatings. Although the other eyewear is decent in this regard that I have been trying, you just can't approach the quality of vision you get with Oakley. There were times where while wearing the other brand's glasses, I was wondering why things looked grainy, fuzzy, or just not as sharply in focus. I found out why when I slapped the Oakleys on my head again. There just isn't anything that compares, and that's that.

Conclusions: The Oakley Jawbones passed the one year mark with little to no evidence that they had been used a bunch in everything from rain, mud, dust, and dirt. No scratches, and everything works as it should after a full year. The quality of sight you get with these is unsurpassed, and the comfort of the Jawbones is tops as well. What's not to like? Well, when they are not in use, it is a bit of a negative when compared to the others eyewear! Jawbones: Good stuff and I would call them "Best In Class" with no reservations.

Note: These Jawbones were provided to me at no charge for review. I have not been paid, nor bribed for this review, and in fact, until this appeared here, Oakley and their agents had no idea I was writing this up. This is my honest take on this product.

Six Things I Can't Do Without

Tubeless Tires (Especially Bontrager's TLR System) For Mountain Biking: There was a time when I was highly skeptical of the whole tubeless tire technology thing. The system that changed my mind, and that I think is still the best, is Bontrager's "TLR" system for 29"ers. It is bombproof in my experience. I did have a couple of hiccups with it at first, but ever since the first go round, I have been totally impressed with this tubeless system. I like others as well, but Bonty's is still the best.

E

Ergon Grips: (Especially the GP-1's) I have been riding with Ergon grips since 2005 and I wouldn't ever go back to traditional round grips. I have tried almost all of Ergon's grip styles, and I like all of them, but the first is still the best. The GP-1's I first started using in 2005 are still going strong in 2010 on one of my favorite bikes. Pain free hands are awesome to have on mtb rides. I thought it would never happen, but thanks to Ergon, it did for me.

O

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear : I have been wearing these for a year now and since the time I got them, I wore nothing else until a recent review assignment that I had to do on another brand. I'll tell you what, nobody nails optics like Oakley does. Nobody. Plus, add in the lens features that repel sweat and moisture, the anti-scratch feature, and the nose and ear materials that Oakley uses, and it is a no-brainer. Expensive? Brutally so. Worth it? Absolutely. They are my eyes for crying out loud. It isn't like I can get more eyes if I don't take care of them.

Ragley Carnegie's Bar: You know, when I get back to riding one of the two rigs I have set up with the Carnegie's Bars on them, I realize all over again how much I like these. The sweep is right in the sweet spot, and my control over the bike in corners just feels right with the Carnegie's.

Don't get me wrong, I still love drop bars, but if I have to ride a non-drop bar bike, these are my favorite bars yet. Now in carbon, which have a nice amount of give too. Sweet!

OS Bikes Blackbuck: If I had only one single speed, this would be it. The OS Bikes Blackbuck isn't a "high end" rig, it isn't made of the latest "unobtanium" frame material, and it isn't some high cache' custom frame builder's rig. It is a frame with some style and functionality to boot.

Not only that, but it is super versatile and can be set up with all sorts of forks and handle bar set ups. (Just ask me!) Good news: OS Bikes should soon have the "Gen II" frames in stock in three different sizes!

Salsa Cycles Fargo: And if I had to whittle it down to only one bike? This would be the winner. The Fargo can do it all, and do most of it as well as any bike can. I can single track it, I can gravel grind it, I can road ride it, and I can commute it. Hey, it's even pretty dang good at all of that as well! Maybe it can't do the "big" stuff off road, and maybe it's overbuilt to road ride, but between those margins, it has you well covered. Bonus: This bike, for whatever reasons, hits me as the most comfortable, best fitting bike I have. So much so that I am afraid to change anything on it! (But I still do, occasionally.)

And there you have it. Six things I can think of straight away if you ask me what are my favorite bicycles/bicycle related products. There are more things that could be added to this list, but not many that I think are almost perfect and would be very hard to improve upon.

Have a great weekend! Ride yer bikes. Have fun!

Six Things I Can't Do Without

Tubeless Tires (Especially Bontrager's TLR System) For Mountain Biking: There was a time when I was highly skeptical of the whole tubeless tire technology thing. The system that changed my mind, and that I think is still the best, is Bontrager's "TLR" system for 29"ers. It is bombproof in my experience. I did have a couple of hiccups with it at first, but ever since the first go round, I have been totally impressed with this tubeless system. I like others as well, but Bonty's is still the best.

E

Ergon Grips: (Especially the GP-1's) I have been riding with Ergon grips since 2005 and I wouldn't ever go back to traditional round grips. I have tried almost all of Ergon's grip styles, and I like all of them, but the first is still the best. The GP-1's I first started using in 2005 are still going strong in 2010 on one of my favorite bikes. Pain free hands are awesome to have on mtb rides. I thought it would never happen, but thanks to Ergon, it did for me.

O

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear : I have been wearing these for a year now and since the time I got them, I wore nothing else until a recent review assignment that I had to do on another brand. I'll tell you what, nobody nails optics like Oakley does. Nobody. Plus, add in the lens features that repel sweat and moisture, the anti-scratch feature, and the nose and ear materials that Oakley uses, and it is a no-brainer. Expensive? Brutally so. Worth it? Absolutely. They are my eyes for crying out loud. It isn't like I can get more eyes if I don't take care of them.

Ragley Carnegie's Bar: You know, when I get back to riding one of the two rigs I have set up with the Carnegie's Bars on them, I realize all over again how much I like these. The sweep is right in the sweet spot, and my control over the bike in corners just feels right with the Carnegie's.

Don't get me wrong, I still love drop bars, but if I have to ride a non-drop bar bike, these are my favorite bars yet. Now in carbon, which have a nice amount of give too. Sweet!

OS Bikes Blackbuck: If I had only one single speed, this would be it. The OS Bikes Blackbuck isn't a "high end" rig, it isn't made of the latest "unobtanium" frame material, and it isn't some high cache' custom frame builder's rig. It is a frame with some style and functionality to boot.

Not only that, but it is super versatile and can be set up with all sorts of forks and handle bar set ups. (Just ask me!) Good news: OS Bikes should soon have the "Gen II" frames in stock in three different sizes!

Salsa Cycles Fargo: And if I had to whittle it down to only one bike? This would be the winner. The Fargo can do it all, and do most of it as well as any bike can. I can single track it, I can gravel grind it, I can road ride it, and I can commute it. Hey, it's even pretty dang good at all of that as well! Maybe it can't do the "big" stuff off road, and maybe it's overbuilt to road ride, but between those margins, it has you well covered. Bonus: This bike, for whatever reasons, hits me as the most comfortable, best fitting bike I have. So much so that I am afraid to change anything on it! (But I still do, occasionally.)

And there you have it. Six things I can think of straight away if you ask me what are my favorite bicycles/bicycle related products. There are more things that could be added to this list, but not many that I think are almost perfect and would be very hard to improve upon.

Have a great weekend! Ride yer bikes. Have fun!

Oakley Jawbone Eyewear Update

I've been sportin' the Oakley Jawbone eyewear for a few months now and I wanted to get back to my thoughts on this piece of cycling gear that I use on an almost daily basis now. You can check out my initial thoughts on these here.

So, as with anything expensive with a ton of marketing behind it, one might be somewhat skeptical of the product in question. No doubt about that. Especially in these economically troubled days where folks are going to be watching every penny. Doubly so when you obviously don't need to spend this much dough on eyewear. That begs the question up front: So- are these things worth it?

My answer would be, "Yes".

Now, here's why...........

I was spending probably on average of $80.00 to $100.00 a year on a brand of eyewear that is carried at the shop I work at. I was okay with the performance and fit. There were issues with some models in terms of fit, function (changing lenses), and with lens durability, (scratched easily, lost clarity over time). So I figured it was "okay" since these were inexpensive and I was getting my employee discount on them, which made them even more attractive. I was settling for some sub-par performance and issues for the trade off of cheaper eyewear. Or was I?

Now- I will say that I got these Jawbone glasses to try at no charge. I will admit that up front. You might think that would make me say great, glorious things about them. Well- you'd be wrong. (But that's another story for another time) Suffice it to say that I don't feel obligated to say anything at all about these glasses, but I am because they are good. They do what they claim, and yes.........I think they are worth the money.

I am actually considering buying another pair, and certainly I will be getting some more lenses to exchange with the ones I have. Here is my reasoning: I was spending $80.00 - $100.00 a year with a shop discount on eyewear over a period of four years. (Do the math) This would easily pay for Jawbone eyewear that I don't see how I would have to replace in the next four years. They have been easy to use and the performance is as good as the day I first used them, even after daily usage that would have caused me problems with my former brand choice in eyewear. The lenses are easily changed, easily kept clean, stay clear, and the frames are super comfortable for use that spans into hours on my head. Again, my old choice in eyewear didn't hold up to this standard. To wit: I broke or damaged lenses in three pair of my former choice in eyewear earlier this year alone!

My conclusion is this: I can go on "nickle and diming" myself with sub-par eyewear, or I can step up to something better. Sure, the initial outlay of cash hurts a bit, but I would actually spend more the other way I was going, I just wouldn't notice it. I know which way I am going. You can choose your way.

So, you can review the performance traits here, but what I am saying in this post is that Jawbone eyewear is totally worth the price. Your mileage may vary.

Note: In accordance with new FCC rules on blogging and "commercial speech", (whatever!), I must say that I received the Jawbone eyewear at no charge. I was not expected to give a review by Oakley, and I am not being paid or coerced to do so. This is my honest opinion on this subject.

Oakley Jawbone Eyewear Update

I've been sportin' the Oakley Jawbone eyewear for a few months now and I wanted to get back to my thoughts on this piece of cycling gear that I use on an almost daily basis now. You can check out my initial thoughts on these here.

So, as with anything expensive with a ton of marketing behind it, one might be somewhat skeptical of the product in question. No doubt about that. Especially in these economically troubled days where folks are going to be watching every penny. Doubly so when you obviously don't need to spend this much dough on eyewear. That begs the question up front: So- are these things worth it?

My answer would be, "Yes".

Now, here's why...........

I was spending probably on average of $80.00 to $100.00 a year on a brand of eyewear that is carried at the shop I work at. I was okay with the performance and fit. There were issues with some models in terms of fit, function (changing lenses), and with lens durability, (scratched easily, lost clarity over time). So I figured it was "okay" since these were inexpensive and I was getting my employee discount on them, which made them even more attractive. I was settling for some sub-par performance and issues for the trade off of cheaper eyewear. Or was I?

Now- I will say that I got these Jawbone glasses to try at no charge. I will admit that up front. You might think that would make me say great, glorious things about them. Well- you'd be wrong. (But that's another story for another time) Suffice it to say that I don't feel obligated to say anything at all about these glasses, but I am because they are good. They do what they claim, and yes.........I think they are worth the money.

I am actually considering buying another pair, and certainly I will be getting some more lenses to exchange with the ones I have. Here is my reasoning: I was spending $80.00 - $100.00 a year with a shop discount on eyewear over a period of four years. (Do the math) This would easily pay for Jawbone eyewear that I don't see how I would have to replace in the next four years. They have been easy to use and the performance is as good as the day I first used them, even after daily usage that would have caused me problems with my former brand choice in eyewear. The lenses are easily changed, easily kept clean, stay clear, and the frames are super comfortable for use that spans into hours on my head. Again, my old choice in eyewear didn't hold up to this standard. To wit: I broke or damaged lenses in three pair of my former choice in eyewear earlier this year alone!

My conclusion is this: I can go on "nickle and diming" myself with sub-par eyewear, or I can step up to something better. Sure, the initial outlay of cash hurts a bit, but I would actually spend more the other way I was going, I just wouldn't notice it. I know which way I am going. You can choose your way.

So, you can review the performance traits here, but what I am saying in this post is that Jawbone eyewear is totally worth the price. Your mileage may vary.

Note: In accordance with new FCC rules on blogging and "commercial speech", (whatever!), I must say that I received the Jawbone eyewear at no charge. I was not expected to give a review by Oakley, and I am not being paid or coerced to do so. This is my honest opinion on this subject.