How to Select and Size Fit Over Polarized Sunglasses

Most anglers can simply head to the store, buy a pair of polarized sunglasses, and call it a day. But for anglers who wear prescription eyeglasses, it’s not so straightforward you either spend tons of money on prescription polarized sunglasses or wear a regular pair and fish with poor vision. Not ideal.

Fortunately, there’s a better option: fit over polarized sunglasses. And in this article, we show you how to select and size fit over sunglasses as well as why you should consider a pair in the first place. I live by my Recommendation for the LensCovers Sunglasses Wear Over Prescription Glasses (Amazon Link to check how affordable) I own these fit-over sunglasses and have really enjoyed saving major money versus getting prescription sunglasses.

If You Wear Prescription Eyeglasses, Fit Over Sunglasses are a Game Changer

Polarized sunglasses are a huge asset when fly fishing. They cut glare to help you read the water, spot fish, and avoid wading obstacles.

Fit over sunglasses are polarized sunglasses that do exactly what their name implies they fit over your prescription eyeglasses. They offer tremendous eye protection from the front, tops, and sides, and give glasses-wearing anglers the polarized advantage.

Perhaps the most appealing benefit of fit over sunglasses is their relatively low price. A nice pair of Costas with prescription lenses can easily cost over $400, while a pair of Lenscovers will be less than $20.

How to Select the Best Fit Over Sunglasses for Fly Fishing

Aside from size and fit, which we’ll cover in a moment, there are three important factors to consider when selecting a pair of fit over sunglasses:

• Most fit over sunglasses on the market are more fashion-oriented and many aren’t polarized. However, there are two brands John Paul Fit-overs and LensCovers Sunglasses that offer several sport-oriented polarized models that work well for fly fishing.
• Since you’ll likely need to wear sunglasses all day on the water, it’s important that they are lightweight and comfortable to wear. If they are too heavy, they’ll slide down your nose whenever you look down to land a fish or tie on a new fly.
• Lens color. Amber or copper lenses are the most popular among anglers for a wide variety of light conditions they block sun rays without darkening your vision and offer great contrast enhancement to help you spot fish. Yellow lenses are ideal for overcast days when the light is low or when fishing at dusk and dawn. Gray lenses are good for driving and all-around use but offer no particular benefits to anglers.

Guide Tip: I’ve lost a half dozen pairs of sunglasses over the years. Get some retainer straps, I don’t care what brand. Make sure they’re comfortable. I’ve even drilled holes in the arms and used old fly line.

How to Size a Pair of Fit Over Sunglasses

Most fit over sunglasses models come in several sizes. So before you buy, you need to make sure to select the right size not too big, not too small… just right.

Luckily, this process is very simple and requires only two measurements: the width and height of your prescription eyeglasses in millimeters.

Every pair of fit overs will specify the maximum size of prescription eyeglasses they are designed to accommodate. So all you have to do is measure the height and width of your eyeglasses then compare them to the numbers listed on the fit overs you want to purchase.

To make this process even easier, LensCovers Sunglasses Wear Over Prescription Glasses offers a size-finder tool on Amazon. A snap shot is below for reference.

Guide Tip: I personally like a light amber or yellow lens color. Having a light tint with the polarization allows me to use them in lower light situations.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a pair of fit overs to wear while fly fishing, we recommend the LensCovers Sunglasses Wear Over Prescription Glasses (Link to Amazon) with smoke lenses. Use the sizing instructions above to make sure they’ll fit and you’ll be a few steps closer to better fish-finding vision!