Technology

What goes into an Ocean frame, lens, goggle and helmet, and why it's there.

Floating frames

Most of our watersport sunglasses float. Many frames are made from recycled HDPE, a plastic that is lighter than water. Bermuda, Venezia, Cyprus and Biarritz Kids carry floaters inside the arms, and most floating models ship with an extra floater for the strap. Read Why Ocean sunglasses float.

Frame materials

  • Recycled HDPE. Light, tough and lighter than water. Used across our floating range, from Tierra de Fuego to Race.
  • Biobase. An organic-based frame material used on Jeri, Essaouira, Boracay, Leucate, Paros, Maui, Le Morne and Rodas.
  • Polycarbonate. Light and impact-resistant, on our half-frame cycling models and the Summit and Ridge shields.
  • TR-90. A flexible, lightweight thermoplastic that bends instead of snapping. Used on Killy and our sport frames.
  • Acetate and recycled acetate. For our fashion frames. The color runs through the material instead of sitting on the surface.
  • Metal. Lightweight metal for round frames like Tokyo.

Lenses

  • Polarized. Every watersport, cycling and mountain sunglass lens, and most fashion lenses, are polarized to cut reflected glare. How polarization works.
  • Hydrophobic coating. Water beads and runs off instead of drying into spots. On every watersport sunglass lens and on our half-frame cycling and shield models.
  • Category 3. The standard darkness for bright sun, water and beach. What the categories mean.
  • Photochromic. Darkens in sun and clears in low light. On Jeri, Essaouira, Boracay and Leucate it moves between category 1 and 3. Also available on Race, Chameleon, La Ventana, Summit and Ridge, and on most of our ski goggles. How photochromic lenses work.
  • ZEISS lens option. A ZEISS smoke lens is available on Tierra de Fuego, Lake Garda, Australia and Cumbuco.
  • Revo mirror. An outer mirror coating that reflects part of the light away before it reaches the lens. For the brightest days.
  • 100% UV. Every Ocean lens blocks 100% of UV.

Retention and coverage

Adjustable straps, EVA foam behind the frame and, on several models, removable arms and straps keep eyewear in place through spray and falls. Some models add adjustable nose pads or non-slip arm tips. Our shield models add a removable brow guard and side panels for glare off snow.

Goggles

Our ski, snowboard and watersport goggles use a dual lens: a polycarbonate outer lens with a scratch-resistant hard coat and an inner lens with a permanent anti-fog treatment, and they block 100% of UV. Most use a spherical lens that curves in both directions for a wider field of view with less distortion; Everest, Kilimanjaro and Fitzroy use a cylindrical lens. Ski goggles use a helmet-compatible TPU frame; watersport goggles use a floating recycled HDPE frame. All seal with three-layer foam. How to choose ski goggles.

Helmets

Bull, Dolphin and Rhino use impact-resistant ABS shells, with channels and holes that drain water quickly and hard ear shells or removable ear guards depending on the model. Faster, for wingfoil and kitesurf, is certified to CE EN 1385. Our helmet guide.

Standards

Our sunglasses are marked for protection according to CE EN 1836 and USA ANSI Z80.3.