Belay Glasses for Rock Climbing

Product Information

The case is a basic zippered unit, with an attachment clip like the one on the case for the Plasfun First. This one didn’t break, but it was still a pain to take on and off a harness. On such an expensive pair of belay glasses, we would appreciate a better solution. Also included are a keeper cord and a microfiber cloth. Unlike the First, the Plasfun Evo comes in a few different colors, and we enjoyed our snazzy light-blue version. How easy is it to take the belay glasses along? How easy is it to get them out and put them away? Do I have everything I need and want along with the glasses? At the end of all our testing, we scored the glasses on three categories: functionality, comfort, and features/portability. Functionality How pleasant are the glasses to wear? How much do I notice them on my face? How comfortable am I during long belays?

The adjustment makes a particular difference if your climber is on vertical to steep overhang. Even while using traditional belay glasses, the belayer would need to tilt their head to follow a climber who is on a steep overhang.Even so, the field of vision isn’t too narrow. The Classics offer a good balance between the two fields of view — the one upward through the prisms, and the one in front of you. It’s important to be able to see both, and these glasses make it easy. While wearing belay glasses ones visual and spatial awareness of the immediate surroundings is severely diminished. Although it is possible to somewhat see around the edges of the specs, it can be hazardous in certain positions and terrain. This is significant when belaying as body position is of paramount importance to both the climber and the belay partner. One must be able to move around freely to first keep the climber in view but also to avoid falling debris (and climbers) as well as maintaining solid footing to catch the climber effectively in case of a fall.

No aches and pains mean no reason to look down or be distracted from your job of keeping the climber safe. Your full attention to belaying also helps improve the climber’s odds of sending the route, as they do not have to face an additional crux of being short-roped or feel nervous about their safety if they fall while making a committing move. Field of View: Y&Y Classics are fixed-prism glasses therefore have a standard 60° field of view. Peripheral vision is excellent because of the thin metal frame. These glasses while made of plastic weigh the same as the classics and fit most head sizes and shapes. They are sized to accommodate glasses and sunglasses.

The Sendy Climber

As an accessory, belay glasses can often feel hard to justify the cost if you’re not already feeling the pain. In this case, we think belay glasses are an ideal Birthday or Holiday gift. The simple yet modern design of the metal frame can be adjusted like conventional glasses to fit most faces. Their wide design allows them to be worn with most prescription glasses and sunglasses. While these are by no means the cheapest models on the market, their minimalist design and premium metal construction are worth the cost for those who don’t mind spending money on quality. Although they are more expensive than Belay Specs, they are cheaper than Belaggles or the original CU Belay Glasses.

Although the prisms are clear, they still narrow your field of vision dramatically. The attention needed to maintain binocular clarity while peering at the refracted images produces strain on the eyes while also focusing attention on one specific area. In some situations, such as when standing in a physically precarious location, a narrowed focus could lead to one to be oblivious to environmental dangers that could put your climber, and you, at risk. PitchSix donates 1% of our annual revenue to the grassroots environmental nonprofits as verified by 1% For The Planet. They’ve also partnered with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every pair of belay glasses sold. Case Their single-piece stainless steel construction gives durability alongside a lightweight adjustable construction. How robust are the glasses? Will they bend or snap over time? We grade the sturdiness of all pairs.Technical: Belaggles weigh 88 grams—the heaviest pair we tested. After wearing them for a while they become uncomfortable on the nose due to the weight. The one benefit of that weight is a really solid frame—seemingly unbreakable. The prisms measure 40x18mm, giving a really large view area, but also adding a lot of weight. The prisms have rounded corners to reduce chipping risk, but aren’t protected by the frame at all. For some people the best belay glasses might be the cheapest ones, whereas for somebody else the best ones would be the most durable and for a third person they’d be the lightest. It’s an eternal debate among climbers: When it comes to comfort versus practicality, are belay glasses worth it? My negatives with the case are a bit of a reach. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of the case, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the glasses, and the glasses are the thing that matters. This is the official PitchSix case photo – we felt they hit all the angles perfectly so we didn’t need to create our own. Price