Belay Glasses

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 FreshSlate 10 Mar 2014

Who has belay glasses and which do you think are the best? What have you used and what do you like/dislike about them? I have not owned a pair or tried any on before, looking at buying some.

As a side note, apparently people buy a pair of prism glasses that people use for reading and turn them upside down (cost: 8$). We're definitely paying a premium for being climbers, but don't we always?
Post edited at 15:02
 Choss 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

Im still not convinced they are not a joke!
 crayefish 10 Mar 2014
In reply to Choss:

> Im still not convinced they are not a joke!

Likewise! I chuckle every time I see someone wearing them.
 GridNorth 10 Mar 2014
In reply to Choss:

First time I saw them was a long line of German belayers all staring, unblinkingly, straight ahead in Kalymnos. I wondered what the devil they were all looking at. My son bought me some CU ones as a birthrday present last October when we were out there. I wasn't convinced until I had worn them a few times. They take a bit of getting used to but my neck and shoulders definitely feel the benefit now especially indoors.
OP FreshSlate 10 Mar 2014
In reply to Choss:

I thought the same but see more and more with them on, especially at overhanging walls.
 craig1983 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

Met a guy in Kalymnos that had a home made pair. Only difference between those and the official ones was stylish looks and coloured frames! I think you'd have to be nuts to buy a pair at nearly £100 when you can easily make your own for a fraction of the price!

Must admit having tried them, they do help with not getting a sore neck!!

Will be making a home made pair for my next sport trip for sure.

OP FreshSlate 10 Mar 2014
In reply to craig1983:

Have a look at this:

http://www.terrycaliendo.com/secret-way-to-get-the-least-expensive-cheapest...

Possibly cheaper than making your own if I'm honest. Don't know if that particular pair is available in the U.K though. Probably going to buy one of the cheaper climber's models but interesting none the less.
 gd303uk 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:
There are a few cheap prism glasses about that I am sure you could modify easily enough, and there are some glasses sold that can be reversed.
For less than a £10 these could be worth a punt.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/niceEshop-Horizontal-Glasses-Refraction-Spectacles/...
Post edited at 15:19
OP FreshSlate 10 Mar 2014
In reply to gd303uk:

Oh snap! Cheapest I've seen yet. Fair play.
 craig1983 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

yeah thats what I meant by making my own... you can get ones that are less sunglass like...so you can unscrew the earpiece section and turn them round...then all you have to do is file a little nose dent in the centre section and you have belay glasses.

Plenty of 'Reading Glasses' on ebay for under £10 to have a play with as an experiment
 thedatastream 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

> Have a look at this:


I did this too unscrewing the arms and swapping them over and made a new nose piece with Sugru http://sugru.com/ Work like a charm and cheap!
 lithos 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

I have the expensive ones CU, think they are great and apart from easing sore neck,
also encourages you to concentrate on your climber as thats practically all you can see.

No experience with cheap versions, presume they will work fine, I'd imagine from the
adverts just not as comfy, light, optically bright etc. Bit like most things really.

Worth 90 quid -depends on you.
Removed User 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

I tried a pair last year in Chorro, they belonged to a German guy, he let me have a go, I was certainly impressed with them. The pair he had had a slight magnifying effect. So as the climber set off you didn't really use them, then when the climber was up a few meters you switched to looking through them and everything looked a bit closer. I'd buy a pair if I could afford them
 john morrissey 10 Mar 2014
In reply to crayefish:

I have a neck injury and they mean that I can belay all day on really steep rock. They are brilliant. The "CU at the Wall" ones are brilliant.
 crayefish 10 Mar 2014
In reply to john morrissey:

Not doubting their effectiveness, just the comedy value. Similar to if a new type of survival suit for high altitude ended up looking like a clown suit
 climbingpixie 10 Mar 2014
In reply to crayefish:

I put off getting them for ages because they make you look like a total gimp but a fortnight belaying my partner on long steep pitches in the Gorges du Tarn changed my mind. I decided I'd rather look like a gimp and not have neck pain affecting how much I was enjoying my climbing holiday!
 ColdWill 10 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:
Best bit of climbing kit I ever bought, couldn't do more than couple of days at the crag till I got theses. Had no idea about the cheeper versions for reading, but they look even more gimpish. also they appear to cut out all your peripheral vision, still £4.95, worth a punt.
 Pete O'Donovan 11 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

In another recent discussion on UKC about belay glasses, I drew attention to this alternative:

http://www.columnvert.com/index_eng.html

I suffer from a bad neck myself, but I've never got on well with the glasses — the lack of peripheral vision being a major factor.

The Columnvert neck support is a far simpler and more natural feeling solution to 'belayer's neck' (and also way cheaper than the commercially available glasses).

Pete.
 radson 11 Mar 2014
In reply to lithos:

I very much agree. The lack of peripereral vision means focus is completely on the climber. We have the belaggles? and I think they are awesome
 Billhook 13 Mar 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:
I thought these were a joke.
They would be good for going to the loo. save u looking down!
Post edited at 07:46
 lithos 28 Mar 2014
I bought some 5 quid to compare to my 90 quid CU glasses, .... I turned the arms upside down as the lenses are moulded and not easy to flip.

righto - i tried them and they work but they work like 5 quid glasses. Issues are

1) very heavy compared to CU
2) slip off a bit due to no nose slot (it's upside down) - could use a cord to restrain (this is more prominnet when climber is low down- at start)
3) they don't 'fuse' the image very well (probably as they are upside down!) so not as easy to adapt to
4) large and chunky to carry about

all in all they work and are silly cheap but not that great. I think if you'd bought a pair, you'd use them for a while then give up as you havent invested in them and they are not seamless to use.

cheers

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