Arnette's Swingers Still Going Strong

VITALS Arnette Swinger Sunglasses Price: $70 Phone: 800-422-2020 Web site: www.arnette.com

The Arnette Swingers are so swinging, they include a warning: "This product is not suitable for direct viewing of the sun and for exposure to UV radiation produced by artificial sources."

Seems fair -- no one should expect to stare straight into the sun wearing anything less than a welding visor, and Arnette is very clear about what these glasses can be used for. The "Yellow Red Multilayer" Swingers (tested) are rated 2F right on the barcode, which means medium brightness, normal filter. Perfect for the type of lighting one might find while playing billiards in a seedy bar, but not so great for riding on a bright, sunny day on trails with no tree cover.

The Yellow Red Multilayer-model Swingers reflect yellow and red, so it's difficult to see through the lens from the outside. While these shades are great for concealing the flinch that flickers in your opponent's eyeballs during a tense game of pool," they should not be considered as an unbreakable shield during impacts" if things get ugly and cues start flying.

One notable feature of the Swingers is that they sport a "Grimlaid frame," which sounds pretty tough in an evil and twisted sort of way. I couldn't test the evilness of the Swingers, but they can be twisted and bent in all sorts of ways and they still keep their form like an unbreakable comb. The downside to the Grimlaid frame is that it relies on friction to keep it on your head, which doesn't work too well when sweat makes things slippery and the trail gets bumpy. A few rubber pads in strategic spots would make them mo' betta' for riding.

The Swingers don't fog up as badly as other glasses because the frame construction keeps them away from your face, but any moisture on the front of the lenses makes them a smeary, blurry mess. I can't say anything positive about the Yellow Red Multilayer Swinger's cool factor, because they reflect yellow and red in a neon-bright, '80s sort of way. When I see them I am reminded of everything that is lame about a stoplight, but that's just my perception; besides, there are 22 styles of Swingers with various combinations of lens and frame colors to choose from. For $70, you can own a pair of glasses that won't break if you sit on them and can handle abuse in your backpack on a long ride. Just don't expect them to save you if you take a pool stick to the face after the greasy haired guy with tough-guy tattoos figures out you just hustled him on the tables.