Breaking the Stigma: Breakline Sunglasses

This "for anglers, by anglers" company is making waves with their cutting edge Zeiss lenses. Read on to learn why Breakline may be the lens for you.

Breakline Polarized Sunglasses Review

While I catch redfish in super clear water, more than a few of my sight fishing trips encounter dirtier, stained water and require the use of good polarized lenses to see my quarry.

I have worn Berkley, Salt Life and Costa over the years and have an idea as to what makes for a winning pair of sunglasses. I can tell you that in the realm of polycarbonate lenses, Breakline Sunglasses is winning.

Let me tell you why:

Polarized Lens Construction

The heart of any pair of sunglasses is the lens and its construction. What separates Breakline from the rest of the pack is their cutting edge lens construction found in their Zeiss Z-920 lenses.

This lens is exclusive to Breakline and they chose this lens because of its construction using Tri-Pel, Ri-Pel and anti-reflective layers. These high-tech lenses have an advantage over conventional lenses.

Let me elaborate.

Tri-Pel Coating Technology

Tri-Pel is a transparent coating technology used by Zeiss for their Z-920 lens.

Tri-pel is a permanent repellant seal that enables the lens to stay clean in nearly all conditions. When the lens becomes dirtied by mud, dirt or salt it is easily cleaned off.

I have fished in the rain while wearing Breakline. Whenever we got on plane, the raindrops would literally fly off the lens like they do on a windshield with Rain-X.

They really do wipe off easily.

This video is good demo. The best part is when they put fish guts on the lens!

Polycarbonate, not Glass

This material is less dense than glass, making Breakline sunglasses lighter. Some claim this makes them comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Zeiss claims Tri-Pel is an anti-scratch coating, making these lenses durable and last longer than one fishing season.

However, my experience with polycarbonate lenses has been different. They always scratch and the Breaklines I tested were no exception.

Anti-Reflective Five Layer Coating (AR5)

Years ago, Zeiss invented anti-reflective coatings that it still uses in their polycarbonate lenses today. Conventional lenses lack this high-tech coating, reflecting an internal image.

Often referred to as "ghost images", these are reflections from light entering the side of the lens your eye sits on. I hate ghost images. They keep me from seeing the tell-tale signs of a redfish swimming in front of the boat, especially if the water is dirty.

The Breaklines I tested delivered on this promise.

Tough Frames

Breakline builds their line of sunglasses with MaxVelocity high-impact frames, which are made from a special polymer called Grilamid TR-90.

This material is known for keeping its structural integrity and resisting high temperatures, meaning you can get away with accidentally sitting on your Breakline polarized sunglasses or leaving them in the summer heat of your truck's dashboard.

I didn't have any problems with the frames being flimsy or breaking.

Having Quality Polarized Lenses is Key to Success

Polarized lenses help us see underwater so we can detect our target fish. Without polarized lenses I would not be able to see half of the fish I catch.

Polarized vs Non-Polarized

Note: This photo was taken using a polarized lens attached to the end of the camera's lens. The polarized lenses used in Breakline sunglasses are much more powerful.

These are pictures I took of a bass "locked" onto a bed. During the spring time bass start spawning and they will "lock" onto a bed they created to lay their eggs.

This means they won't run away when you position your boat to cast at them. You can see them plain as day, but only if you are wearing a good pair of polarized lenses. Then you can cast a lure at their bed, twitch it to make them strike and reel the lunker in.

People of Breakline Sunglasses are Just Like Us

The coolest thing about Breakline is that they are "for anglers, by anglers."

This means they are comprised of people who actually fish and understand what anglers do on the water. They wear their own product and stand by it, so its easy to believe in Breakline as a company and wear their product on the water.

In fact, one of their pro-staffers is none other than Alex Smith, the angler who caught a top Mississippi speckled trout. He probably knows a thing or two about fishing and it's safe to say that if Breakline sunglasses are good enough for him then they are good enough for you.

Everybody at Breakline is an angler and they are "in touch" with what makes a good pair of polarized lenses.

Breakline Won't Break the Bank

Breakline's tech offers a lot of advantages I already covered, but one aspect of this tech is that it is easy to manufacture, thus lowering costs.

These high-tech lenses are more affordable than traditional glass lenses.

I suggest you try the Mariner frames in a Green Mirror Lens. The wide side frames block light entering from the side, giving you better vision and clarity.

Green mirror lenses are great for inshore fishing because they let in more light, even on overcast days. In fact, the redfish you see below was caught using Breakline sunglasses with a green mirror finish. I was able to see him despite overcast weather and light rain.

Conclusion

The Mariner frame and Zeiss lenses I tested made a pretty good combo. They're great sunglasses and I think anyone would like them.

I did not notice a difference in comfort between glass or Breakline's polycarbonate lens. I think what really makes a pair of sunglasses comfortable is how the frame fits the user's head.

I also recommend taking excellent care of Breakline sunglasses. The Zeiss lenses do have an "anti-scratch coating" but mine still scratched anyways. They scratched if I looked at them wrong.

I'll be honest: I prefer glass lenses because they don't scratch easily. It's just personal preference.

With that said, after sporting Breakline sunglasses I can tell you they are my favorite pair of polycarbonate lenses I have ever worn. They are clear, lightweight and I have caught fish using them!