Native Eyewear Hardtop XP Interchangeable Sunglasses - Polarized Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't think you could purchase sunglasses over the Internet, as there is no way to tell how they fit and match the shape of your face. Visit a mall kiosk or REI, try on all the Oakley's and Smith's and Native's and see what is comfortable and looks good actually on your face. Take a friend who isn't afraid to tell you how silly you look in Blue lenses or whatever. I took my wife :-)

I can't recommend Polarized lenses enough. They make a huge difference and you can see things you otherwise wouldn't, like through the windshield of oncoming cars that without the lenses just look like reflected sky. But other than the extra spying on passers-by, it is all about minimizing the reflected glare that hits your eyes. My wife chose a pair of Oakley's because they were the most comfortable and she liked how they looked. Let me admit that when I put hers on, and compare the lenses to mine, that the Oakley polarized lenses are a little better quality. You'd never know without comparing side by side or if your eyesight isn't perfect (mine is 20/15). Also, cheap polarized lenses can actually show a horizontal-blind effect, so I'd stay away from cheapies unless you are always breaking or losing your sunglasses.

That said, I've had Native Hardtop XP in Gunmetal with Polarized Silver Reflex lenses for over 2 years. If you need the taller lenses for your face, consider the XP. As far as I know, that's the only difference between the Hardtop and Hardtop XP. I had to spend some time bending the ear-ends of the sides outwards to make them not pinch my head so bad in that spot, but I have a larger head (X-Large motorcycle helmet size).

Perhaps a year ago, the left ear-cushion started to loosen, and within a few months would actually stay on my ear when removing the sunglasses. I opted to fix it with a dab of Gorilla SuperGlue (the only brand of superglue I've ever found that doesn't dry up into a worthless tube of solid remains after a while - highly recommended FYI) rather than spend $30 for a warranty service for them. This week, something must have gotten set on top of them in the car because the hinge end of the same left side broke where the hinge-hole is, so now I have to do something. Again, rather than spend $30 on a warranty service I see that I can order a whole PAIR of replacement side pieces (including new ear-cushion things) for $25 plus $1.95 shipping, so in a few days I'll be back in business.

I'm pretty careful with my sunglasses. I've owned about 5 pairs of Oakleys over the last 20 years, and I just didn't want to spend quite that much for Polarized lenses this time around. I expect these to last me another 3 or 4 years. If you want something that won't scratch you'll have to look for sunglasses without coatings on them, the Iridium and Reflex coatings that Oakley and Native use will scratch if you drop them or get hit with a sandy volleyball spinning just right. With these Native you also get 3 other sets of lenses, so you could switch to the non-coated when you know you're going into a rough and potentially scratchy environment, or use the Yellow "shooters" lenses, or the Clear lenses which are just for UV blocking and eye protection. In all these are a good value. You can find worse, you can find better, and you can always find someone who wonders why you spent more than $10 on a pair of sunglasses. That's fine, I don't see what anyone sees in a $300 pair of designer-brand ugly things either. To each their own, and again that's why you need to do a bit of foot work or borrow a friend's pair or something in order to narrow down your choices before buying online.

Hope this helps someone!

Update: July 2010
After nearly 4 years, I finally rubbed my lenses after they got splashed, rubbing them what I thought was carefully on my shirt (maybe the shirt was sandy or dusty?), and the Reflex coating rubbed off pretty badly in the center of both lenses. After washing them and polishing them thoroughly with a soft cloth, they don't really effect my vision (I assume I "smoothed out" the edges of the missing spots by polishing them) but anyone looking at them can easily notice the center shiny parts all rubbed away, so these are now "junk" lenses I'd put in the frames before I went somewhere I expect to get them abused. I'll experiment with rubbing the rest of the coating off without scratching the actual lenses so I still have a polarized lens set that doesn't look bad.

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Product Description:
Perfect for outdoors enthusiasts of all stripes, Native's Hardtop XP sunglasses offer a unique interchangeable lens system that lets you switch lenses without having to put your fingers all over the lens. These P.C.C. (Polarized Crystal Carbonate) optical-quality, impact-resistant lenses block 100 percent of harmful UV light and eliminate glare for sharp, clear vision with increased contrast and depth perception. The Hardtop XP comes with three sets of lenses, and it offers an optimal fit for large profiles. It also comes with interchangeable Gator-lok temples, which allow you to quickly change to a sport band for a more secure fit in extreme conditions.
The self-adjusting Cushinol nosepads and ear stems create a non-slip grip that keeps sunglasses in place, and the cam-action spring hinges allow the temples to quickly lock into position. Other features include:

Specifications:

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