November 26th, 2022
6minute read
Do you know what the most underrated piece ofEDC gearis?
A sweet pair of shades.
I jest, but a good pair of shades are worth their weight in gold.
Protecting your eyesight doesn’t have to be purely utilitarian. Gatorz eye pro combines stylish design with impact resistance.
Eye protection is an often overlooked but utterly important consideration.
But its not that easy, you might say.
That would be true if we werent talking about Gatorz.
The Gatorz frames and lenses tested by the author offer a low-profile style suitable for EDC.
The idea was that mission-driven people could rely on these sunglasses for both clarity and protection.
For years I have seen these shades used by folks like Jack Carr, Travis Kennedy and Clint Emmerson.
But until recently, I never really looked into the company beyond cursory glances here and there.
The Specter frames wrap the eye pro close to the face to help prevent a spent case or other debris from damaging your eyes.
Turns out, Gatorz are hand crafted here in my home state of Arizona.
They also offer a wide array of ballistic and polarized options.
I decided to grab a pair for the range, and a pair to wear every day.
Z87+ is an impact rating that tells you the frame and lenses have been tested in lab conditions to meet a specific set of impact-resistance criteria.
Why choose two different pair?
I am glad you asked.
But on the range, that style doesnt offer as much protection as a wraparound design.
The author tested the Gatorz eye pro on the range while shooting the Springfield Prodigy 9mm pistol.
This is where the Gatorz Specter frames come in.
The Specter is one of Gatorz wrap-style frames.
For my EDC shades, I chose the Delta frames with Tan Cerakote and polarized lenses.
Although the Gatorz frames are made of aluminum, they are not heavy. In fact, the author found them to be very lightweight.
The Delta frames are a larger square style, which I appreciate.
The temples are a bit shorter in height and the frames have good airflow on the top and bottom.
The Delta frames are super comfortable and offer a lot of protection against the harsh Phoenix rays.
The lenses offered excellent visibility throughout the testing. The author found the lenses provided excellent sharpness and vibrancy.
If you know me well, you know I am quite fond of anything FDE/Tan.
So, finding some shades that were Cerakoted Tan was a match made in heaven.
Yea, thats rad.
They wont warp over time, become brittle, or deform in extreme temperatures either.
The lenses have a scratch-resistant coating ensuring they are as rugged as their users.
Additionally, the lenses are high contrast and have an anti-fog coating for use in all environments.
Lets dive into that self-fitting feature.
To loosen or tighten the fit, you’re free to carefully bend the frames inwards or outwards.
The Specters are comfortable on my face, and they provide a lot of protection on the range.
When you hear the term billet aluminum, you might think metal shades?
But these are some of the lightest-feeling sunglasses I have owned.
From a road trip to a range session, you begin to forget you are wearing eye protection.
Gatorz nailed it on the comfort level without sacrificing the rugged design.
The Gatorz deliver on that optical promise providing a super sharp, vibrant, contrasty picture.
Walking outside and sliding the Gatorz on feels like what water is to a parched throat.
Do yourself a favor and check out the Gatorz website.
I think their most unique feature is the self-fitting aspect of the frames.
Go to forum thread
GatorzSpecter
GatorzDelta
