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Bolle Sunglasses: Ransom, 6th Sense, & King - REVIEW


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Bolle Sunglasses – REVIEW

An Official MyGolfSpy.com Review

 

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For Some, It's Shoes. For Me, It's Sunglasses

Choices. We all have certain things where having choices is paramount to our peace of mind. There are just certain situations where you need to have the right variation of your thing to achieve comfort and success.

 

For some people, this is represented in their shoes. People will stock their closets with multiple pairs of shoes, knowing full well that a given pair matches a given outfit or social situation. It's not just women with the shoe-thing either, reign in that sexism. My college roommate had every color of Adidas sneaker, just to be sure he could roll out appropriately to class or wherever. Correct kicks were key.

 

For me, it's sunglasses. I tend to sequester (i.e. hoard) sunglasses, knowing that certain pairs fit certain situations. I have social sunglasses, cycling/exercise sunglasses, and, naturally, golf sunglasses. Within those categories, I have subcategories. You can't expect to play golf in the morning wearing the same sunglasses that you wear at high noon. That'd be madness!

 

I am not sure when this started for me, but I think it was high school years lifeguarding. I learned rapidly that some sunglasses were fine for social outings, but sitting by the pool required something else. The right tool for the job, or something like that. You just need to have choices when it comes to sunglasses.

 

Bolle Understands Our Complex Needs

Although we are here on mygolfspy for golf, we also do spend part of our days doing non-golf things. We drive around on errands, go to the lake, mow the lawn, ride bikes, and so on.

 

Knowing this, I have a couple of different Bolle styles to share with you today. We will start with golf, and then explore some of the other aspects of your life and Bolle.

 

GOLF: Ransom with Photo V3 Golf lens

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"The Ransom is definitely in demand, delivering crystal clear vision with durable, lightweight frames. bClear lenses optimizes your vision repelling dirt, smudges, debris, moisture so you can clearly see what's ahead. Thermogrip nose pads and temple tips keep frames snug and in-place. Premium nylon frames ensure your sunglasses will outlast every adventure."

 

Playing golf in sunglasses is fairly mandatory here in NorCal in the summer. It's just too bright not to wear them. I have a couple of pairs of workhorse sunglasses from Oakley and Maui Jim that I rotate through depending upon time of tee time and current outfit (gotta be honest).

 

Outside of my need to color coordinate, I look for two main things in golf sunglasses:

 

Effective Light Filtering

There are a bunch of lenses out there that are great for casual wear, but not so great for golf. For the most part, they are too dark, or too light. Basically, we lose some of the visual connection to the course we are playing.

 

I find this to be especially true on the greens. Certain lenses just seem to mask important green features, such as break, ultimately making me take them off before putting. That's annoying. Why wear sunglasses if you take them off to see better?

 

Bolle's Photo V3 golf lens is a good one for the course. I did not ever feel like I needed to take them off to see well. They stayed on from the first tee to the eighteenth green. They even stayed on while putting. Maybe the secret is in the brown lens, or maybe it's the photosensitive tinting as the light changes. I don't make these things. I just wear them.

 

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Whatever the science behind the Photo V3 Golf lens, it is very golf functional. Here is a LINK to more information about the lens and a cool lens simulator on the Bolle site.

 

Coverage and Comfort

If I am going to play golf in sunglasses, I want to forget that I am wearing them. I don't want to feel their weight on my face or ears. I definitely don't want to be constantly peering around a lens whose coverage is sub-average. I want them to be on my face, but seem like they are not.

 

I already mentioned that I didn't take them off. That tells you something. The comfort is excellent. No rubbing. No slipping during the swing thanks to a great nosepiece. They go on and vanish from my mind.

 

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Coverage is excellent as well. I don't have any memory of looking around the lenses. I think that the frameless bottom edge really helps with this. Yes, that's a feature shared by other golf sunglasses from other manufacturers. I'm just saying that it is an important feature.

 

Overall, I am confident recommending these for the course. They are a pretty good bargain at $139.99 as well. Not cheap, but definitely competitive with other good quality golf shades.

 

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EXERCISE: 6th Sense with Black TNS Lens

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"At racing speeds, visual clarity and a stable fit are critical. Those two factors provided the key performance objectives for the all-new Bollé 6TH SENSE. B-Max technology combines with ergonomically-shaped components for frames that adjust perfectly to the racing position by extending field of vision and protection towards the top of the face, resulting in a real competitive advantage."

 

As some of you know from my fitness thread (yes I am still on program), I have been spending a great deal of time walking/running. Every day, at various times, I head out for about an hour of roadwork. I think that it is during this exercise, even more than playing golf, where the wrong sunglasses become a true irritant.

 

I need lightweight sunglasses that really cover my field of view. At the same time, I want ventilation. There is nothing more annoying than a fog up, except maybe the glasses falling off. So I need a snug, yet comfortable fit too. I'm kind of picky, huh?

 

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The Bolle 6th Sense sunglasses are solid in their coverage, fit, ventilation, and light filtering. The lens is face-wrappingly large, sitting snug enough to prevent light entry from the top. The lenses also have enough width and curve so the light entry from the bottom and sides is minimal. If you need more blockage from the sides, there are little plastic wings that snap on and block out even more light.

 

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The rubber nosepiece and ear sleeves stay in place, even with sweating and lumbering simulations of running. They are true business-time sunglasses. That's really my only problem with them.

 

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The black on black scheme of this pair of 6th Sense sunglasses is a bit boring. Yes, I'm bright and colorful sunglasses guy. My other running sunglasses are grey and orange with rainbow-hued orange lenses. For whatever reason, I love the color. These are just a bit drab. Rest assured my color-loving brethren, brighter options are just a CLICK away. I can't express the level of my love for the Shiny white and lime green version of these. Bingo!

 

STYLE: TP9 LE King with Polarized TNS Gun lens

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While I just got done complaining about the boring black on black color of the 6th Sense, the matte black on black scheme for the Bolle King sunglasses is straight badass. There is something about the shape and finish of these that just oozes style and prowess.

 

Think Arnold in the first Terminator movie. Yes he put on the Gargoyles to cover his damaged eye (spoiler?), but in doing so, he then looked even more nasty. Yes, I am saying that a flesh-coated, time-traveling cyborg looked tougher by wearing sunglasses. Go look at the old Terminator movie poster. There is a reason he is wearing the sunglasses.

 

I think that these Bolle Kings have the same influence on perception. Yes, you will become a little tougher (looking) by putting them on.

 

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Maybe the association with Arnold made those Gargoyles a little more intimidating. I can grant that argument. However, that holds true for these as well. You see, the TP stands for Tony Parker, and his fist full of NBA championship rings would like to have a word with you about toughness.

 

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I am not a Spurs fan, at all. However, Tony Parker is a stud. He is so quick, and plays with a level of quietness that almost makes you miss just how good he really is. Some of the guys in the NBA are happy to tell you how good they are, Tony Parker just shows you, usually as he blows past you...

 

"What can we say about the King glasses and their association with the Tony Parker name? They go together like basket and ball. Take a tip from TP and enjoy flawless protection coupled with perfect precision. This level of sophistication is clearly extraordinary, which is why Tony Parker is presenting this design as a limited edition."

 

Anyway, these have become my daily-driver sunglasses. They are light. The fit is snug, and the expanded frame size makes for excellent side coverage. The polarized lenses are as clear and crisp as any other brand I have recently worn. At a price of $109.99, these are an amazing value. I have paid twice that for other brand's polarized offerings.

 

I already mentioned that I really like the matte black frame, but the inside of the frame is also very cool looking. They have made the interior surface look like planks on a basketball court. It's not something I have seen done before, and it definitely works stylistically with the rest of the visual package.

 

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Check out Bolle

You may not be all that familiar with the Bolle brand. They have only been in business for about 100 years. Maybe, like me, you knew of the Bolle brand, and then they drifted from your consciousness a bit. No shame there, but it would be worth your time checking the Bolle offerings out again. They are making sunglasses that likely suit one, or more, aspects of your life.

 

See what Bolle is up to on Twitter HERE

Check out the Bolle USA site HERE

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Awesome Review Dave. I also like Bolle sunglasses. I had several Pairs that I wore when I raced bicycles....(24 yrs ago). I still have a couple pair that I wear at the Beach. I had RX inserts as well.

 

For the new ones, I like the LE Kings

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

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I've used Bolle sunglasses for my cycling off and on for almost 20 years, unfortunately as my vision got worse, I went back to traditional glasses for about 10 years.  Only in the last 3 have I found contacts that I can wear daily which allowed me to return to good sunglasses, and guess what?  After trying out some of the pretenders (Tifosi, Optic Nerve, Oakley) I am back to Bolle's.  

 

Just a great product.  Great review Dave.

Dru - Owner, President & Janitor, Druware Software Designs

RH 13.1 Handicap in soggy Georgia 

WITB
* 1W 10.5* @ PXG 0211 ( HZRDUS Smoke Black X-Stiff )
* 3W PXG 0211 ( HZRDUS Smoke Black X-Stiff ) 
* 5W 18* Tailor-made AeroBurner ( Stock Stiff )
* 7W  Sub70 949x ( HZRDUS Smoke Black X-Stiff )
* 5i-PW @ PXG 0211 ( Gen 1 )
* 52 @ Hogan Equalizer
* 56 @ Sub70 
* 60 @ Hogan Equalizer
* Carbon Ringo 1/4
* Vice Pro Plus

 

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How much of a price increase is there when you get prescription lenses with them?

Driver: Titleist 907 D2 7.5* Aldila VS Proto Shaft 65 X

 

Fairway Woods: Titleist 980F 19* Pro Trajectory stock Titleist 4375 R shaft (desperately need to replace)

 

Irons: Taylormade LT2's 3-PW S300 dynamic golds

 

Sand Wedge: Vokey 56* 256 10 Oil can 8620 finish True temper shaft

 

Lob Wedge: Shark 64* wedge True temper shaft

 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 blade, 303 GSS Insert, 35'' 330g 4*L 71*L

 

Ball: Pro VI

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  • 6 months later...

Great review.  I have the chase's myself.  Just remember if you're using them for golf make sure to get the v3 golf lenses with them.  I have the v3 for golf, and the polarized ones for fishing (polarized lenses are horrible for golf).

:callaway-small: Paradym 9 degree Driver

:wilson-small: DYNAPWR 3 wood

:callaway-small: Apex 21  PW-4 Iron

:cleveland: CBX 50 degree

:cleveland: CBX 54 degree

:cleveland: CBX2 58 degree

:vokey-small: SM6 62 Degree   

:EVNROLL: ER2 Putter

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Thanks for bumping the thread.

I still use  these all the time. The V3 is one of the best golf lenses for sure.

to be honest, since i got them, I can read the greens better than all my friends.  They don't believe my read sometimes, and are amazed after.

The lenses really are amazing, and over my 75 rounds last year, must've saved me countless strokes. 

I lost a pair early in the year, and ordered a new pair the next day as I knew my other ones weren't going to be found.

I've also found that at or near dusk, the shades come off, but not with the Bolle's I wear mine until its almost too dark to golf, and they still work as long as their is light.

Worth every penny.

I'm taking the aimpoint express putting system in the spring, and I'm not sure how much it depends on your eyes, but they will help find the zero line at least.

:callaway-small: Paradym 9 degree Driver

:wilson-small: DYNAPWR 3 wood

:callaway-small: Apex 21  PW-4 Iron

:cleveland: CBX 50 degree

:cleveland: CBX 54 degree

:cleveland: CBX2 58 degree

:vokey-small: SM6 62 Degree   

:EVNROLL: ER2 Putter

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How much of a price increase is there when you get prescription lenses with them?

http://www.sporteyes.com/bolle-bounty.html

looks like a $400 upgrade for prescription v3's from this company.  Not sure what prescription sunglasses are worth normally, but if you're interested they are worth it.

:callaway-small: Paradym 9 degree Driver

:wilson-small: DYNAPWR 3 wood

:callaway-small: Apex 21  PW-4 Iron

:cleveland: CBX 50 degree

:cleveland: CBX 54 degree

:cleveland: CBX2 58 degree

:vokey-small: SM6 62 Degree   

:EVNROLL: ER2 Putter

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Currently I'm wearing a pair of RayBan of some flavor with RX bifocal Polaroid lenses. They're ok and I've gotten used to them. I kind of cheap'd out when I bought them a few years ago and didn't go no-line. Therefore they sat on my desk for almost 2 years. I also used a pair of Fit-Overs for a year but they looked shitty. Kind of like wearing corrector shoes. Now you may laugh but; I have also worn a pair of HD Vision over my regular glasses and loved them. They fit great and you'd have never known I had glasses on underneath them. In fact I still have a spare pair I might pull out again. They worked and only cost $9.95. I'd love to have a really nice pair of "cool" RX golf sunglasses but damn they want an arm and a leg for them. Therefore I have found a simple work around. I experiment around from time to time trying various sunglasses that will fit comfortably over my regular glasses. Some work and some don't. If you find one that fits good you're in.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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