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newsGlasses with wind protection
Wasn't sure which category of my blog to post this; these glasses
will be used on my trike, so posting in the "light" (traveling
light) category.
March 2025, had an operation; a growth was removed from the right lower-eyelid and a graft taken from inside of the left arm. Posted about it:
"Surgery on eyelid"
https://bkhome.org/news/202503/surgery-on-eyelid.html
The end result is ok. The lower eyelid now sits lower-down, so the eye is wider than the other one. Also, only a few eyelashes left. A side-effect is that the eye sometimes weeps; in particular if there is a breeze, more particularly, a cool breeze.
So, wondered about glasses that offer wind protection. That is, more so than normal wrap-around glasses. I do have motorcycle goggles, bought from Kmart awhile ago (and I notice they are no longer sold by Kmart). But, want glasses for just walking around, going on the train, etc. Want them to look like normal wrap-around glasses, not like goggles.
A search online, discovered that there are many types made for cyclists and motorcyclists, with builtin extra wind protection, from breezes coming in around the sides of the glasses. Yeah, plenty of goggles, but also some fairly normal-looking glasses.
Made a choice, bought these:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006502708373.html
...got the grey lenses. Total price including postage and GST was AU$7.07
So, need to give a mini-review. What do I think of them?
First of all, they are a fairly tight fit either side of the head. This is on purpose, as they are for cyclists and motorcyclists, so must be affixed firmly and not prone to falling off. But, perhaps someone with a wide head might find them too tight.
The other thing, that I specifically want, is the wind protection. In the above photo, the foam can be seen on the inside. It has gaps, as some ventilation is required. In my case, the foam does seal around the eyes quite well; but again, it is going to depend on the shape of your head.
End result, I'm wearing them every day; for walks, trips into the city on the train, walk to the local shopping centre. There have been some windy days, and I have found the protection adequate.
The lenses are cheap plastic, but do have a UV coating, so good for here as it is summer. Yeah, like them, have got into the habit of picking them up every time I go out the front door.
Some information that might interest you, if you do not live in Australia, or perhaps don't venture outside an inner-suburban Australian city. We have a native bird, the magpie, and during nesting season they will guard their nests and may become quite aggressive. They will sweep down when someone walks underneath their tree. But worse, they may go for the eyes. It was in our local news recently, a girl was hospitalized.
Several years ago, I had a close call. Was standing at a bus stop. Noticed an interesting flower on the ground, and tilted my head down. Just at the exact moment that a magpie swept down from a tree on the other side of the road, aiming for my eye. Instead, the point of its beak went into the side of my head, just behind the eye. It would have been a severe jolt for the magpie, but it flew off.
What is particularly interesting, is that magpies are selective who they attack. Last year, there is a road where I ride my ebike, and a magpie swooped down when I passed. I mentioned it to a guy in a local shop, and he said that he rides his bike along that same path every day and the magpie never attacks.
That is very interesting; apparently they learn what is not a threat. Google AI says this:
Yes, magpies can learn and remember individual human faces, and they can hold these memories for years. They use this ability to assess threats and will often target people they perceive as a risk to their nest, especially those who have previously swooped them. Magpies are more likely to attack unfamiliar people or those with covered faces, as they cannot recognize them.
This is a nice read:
Anyway, magpies during nesting season are another reason to wear
wrap-around glasses.
Tags: light