First Impressions - Flying Fisherman Pago Polarized Sunglasses

I got some goodies in the mail last night.  Thanks to the OBN & Flying Fisherman, I was lucky enough to be selected as a tester for their Pago Polarized Sunglasses.  Free stuff is always good.

Now before I get into what they sent me and my initial thoughts, I should probably put out some sort of disclaimer.  Hobie Polarized Sunglasses is a quasi-sponsor of this website.  The offered up free product (much like Flying Fisherman is doing with OBN) for me to review and giveaway to a reader last Spring.  I really like my Hobies and would recommend them to anyone.  That said, I will not allow that relationship influence this review, only serve as a point of context.

That bit of business out of the way, when I tore open the box, I was kinda surprised with all the goodies on the inside.  Not only did they send a pair of Pago polarized sunglasses (in tobacco w/ amber lenses), but there was also one of those neoprene sunglass keepers "aka Eyeglass Retainer" as well as a bunch of marketing materials - catalogs, price lists, etc...  That's where I found out these guys are based out of Islamorada, FL, one of my favorite places on Earth.  Score one for Flying Fisherman, and the game hasn't even started yet.

The haul

So feeling all happy about what was in the box, I tossed the Pagos on and my wife immediately gives me one of those faces and comments, "oh, those are feminine."  Great.  I don't mention this as a slight on the glasses, only for the comedic effect.  I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if the product performs on the water. I'm pretty sure the trout will not be quite as judgmental as K.C.

Feminine?  In the industry, that's what we call Unisex.

The sunglasses themselves...they appear to be pretty solidly constructed.  Other than a silver logo on each temple, there's not a lot fancy about the frames, they subscribe to the K.I.S.S. mantra.  They've got molded nose pads and large solidly built hinges.

Keep It Simple, Stupid

The arms (is that what you call them?) are nice and tall, which I assume will help put the brakes on peripheral light sneaking in.  That said, they're still fairly light on my face.  The lenses are made of what they call "Rhino Lens Polarized Polycarbonate," which means they're supposed to be pretty bad ass tough.  But probably not as tough as Chuck Norris, because when Chuck Norris stares into the sun, the sun closes its eyes.

You'd lose a staring contest with Chuck too.
See, you blinked already!

Anyway, the aforementioned marketing materials say these shades go for $59.95 at retail, and for that price they certainly won't disappoint from a construction standpoint.  But that's just cosmetics...and that's where this initial impressions overview ends. We'll see how they perform the next time I get out on the water.  I think we all know that's the most important thing in the end.