Admittedly, it’s been over a year since we’ve last reviewed any piece of dedicated riding gear, and all for good reason: there’s very little “new” under the sun. We’ve reviewed dozens upon dozens of riding gloves, boots, vests and what we consider the most divisive: sunglasses.
Selecting the right eyewear for riding personal watercraft is one of the most difficult as so many factors must be considered: do they provide sufficient eye protection from UV glare, wind, water and impact (bugs, etc.); do they fit comfortably and react appropriately to wind speeds; and do they look good?
Obviously, the last category is the most subjective and is open to personal preference but the earlier two must be strongly considered and evaluated. We’ve found many manufacturers trying to distract customers with a parade of bells and whistles to hide that the glasses themselves fail to pass these two basic criteria. We’re not so easily distracted.
Unfortunately, after months of reviewing Jet Tech’s Hybrid Sunglasses & Goggles, they fail to pass – but not for a lack of effort. The two-in-one sunglasses offer a whirlwind of clever features and an innovative (yet somewhat clunky) snap-together modular construction that allows them to be outfitted as sunnies (Australian for “sunglasses”) or goggles.
The Jet Tech Hybrids come with a choice of two kinds of lanyards: a traditional pull-string lanyard and a clip-in goggle strap. We tried several times to press in the snap-tab on the sunglasses’ arms to swap out to the goggle strap, but couldn’t do so without using our car keys to release them (and even then, we had to press hard enough to scratch the plastic).
The two optional lenses offer a wide field of vision (no blind spots), are scratch resistant and provide solid UV protection. In our testing, we found the polarized black lens to be the preferred of the two. Reading the water was easier than the colored “low light” lenses, which tainted our vision so much that it was hard to register discolorations in the water (marking shallow spots and/or obstacles).
Swapping between the two lenses can be cantankerous and at times feels like you’re going to break something. The lenses smudge horribly (you’ll see our fingerprints in these pictures). When outfitted for use as sunglasses, the nose perch sets the glasses far enough out to keep them from fogging, but so far out that the wind will catch them with the slightest head movement.
Look in any direction but straightforward and these will painfully whip off of your face without notice. The throwback design fails in the looks department and acts as more of an airfoil. The wind turbulence these create will also direct debris almost directly into your eyes at above 40mph. And since these all-black sunglasses do not float, you’ll want to keep that lanyard cinched really tight.
Thankfully, when equipped as goggles – meaning the arms have been forcibly removed and fitted with the snap-in strap and foam bezel – the Hybrids do float above the surface, which was a welcomed relief. The foam used is the very light, spongy variant that soaks up and holds moisture. So if they fall in the water or you’re particularly sweaty, the saturated foam padding will perpetually dribble into your eyes throughout the day.
Giving credit where credit is due, the Jet Tech Hybrid’s modular frame is smartly flexible and incorporates magnetic receivers to catch and hold the two foam padding options. The nose guard snaps smartly in place and the hinges for the arms are durable and well constructed. Equally, Jet Tech dolls out both a pull-tie soft case and a very nice zip-up hard case with each pair of Hybrids.
Again, the smattering of accessories and add-ons is generous and clever, but the glasses fail at all three of our basic criteria: eye protection from wind, water and debris; ease-of-use/functionality; and overall aesthetics. Modifying your Hybrids while out on the water is neigh impossible; and toting all of the bits and pieces feel like bringing a Lego set out on the water.
Priced at $109 USD, the Jet Tech Hybrid Sunglasses & Goggles are surprisingly well-priced for how much you’re getting; but when compared to other far, far more simple floating sunglasses that passed our heavy scrutiny with flying colors, maybe the lesson to be learned here is “less is more.”
