The new Dragon Alliance fishing sunglasses flawlessly compete with other top fishing brands in the mid-price range. The bonus to these shades? They float.
The day went from blaring sun, to spitting rain, to the milky white sense of being in a cloud that only happens at sea. Looking out over the slight black and white chop, I caught dozens of spinning sharks jumping in the distance.
Hundreds of dolphins hunted around us in bubble nets of their own making. And occasionally, a flock of birds would take shape over a busy patch of sea. And below them, those splashes acted out the telltale sign of false albacore chasing bait on the surface.
Wearing polarized glasses allows shapes like these to come much more easily to the human eye. And for the day, on the water outside of Morehead City, N.C., I wore Dragon Alliance’s new H2O Floatable line of sunglasses.
In short: Dragon Alliance’s jump to watersports was a smart move. Injection molding makes these shades lightweight and floatable. High-quality nylon lenses allow for easy reading of the water. And they’re comfortable. Like really comfortable.
The bottom line is: these shades perform.
Dragon Alliance H2O Floatable Fishing Sunglasses Review
Looking at Dragon’s website, it’s not necessarily clear that these shades are meant for anglers. And I get it: no one wants to put Baby in the corner when she can do so much more than dance.
But, it’s also likely many anglers haven’t heard of Dragon Alliance. I’m a longtime snowboarder, so for me, the brand always fit nicely into the snowsports box. I’ve rocked its goggles, and that was that. Snow brand.
Now, the brand is doubling down. And this line looks to make a splash in the water world. As an angler, I think it has a shot at catching quite a few of us with this new line.
Dragon Alliance H2O Floatable Fishing Sunglasses: Technology
Injection molding isn’t anything new. We’ve seen it in everything from coolers to knives and everywhere in between. Here, we see it being used in Dragon’s H2O Floatable line, as it facilitates a super-lightweight and durable frame that actively floats.
And yeah, floating sunglasses aren’t necessarily new, either. But I’ve yet to see floating sunglasses in this class of quality for anglers.
So let’s get down to it. The collection isn’t small. There are 14 styles within the line. And within that, there’s a frame for every face, from a more casual style like the Opus or the Burgee, to the hardcore fishing styles like the Vantage or the Flare.
Most of these frames clock in at $209, with the premium sportfishing pairs being the Tidal X LL, Shore X LL, and the Reel X LL at $245. Each premium pair offers four lens colors to choose from.
And the lenses are worth talking about. Though they aren’t glass like some brands in the price range, the nylon Lumalens is exceptionally clear and dialed for outdoor sports. A few options offer an ion mirror coating, and color ranges from bronze to grey to green are malleable to different conditions on the water.
Another thing that stands out is the attachable leash that comes with a number of frames. This built-in option allows the angler to simply pop in the leash to the ends of the frames, eliminating the bulk and annoyance that can cause frustration for anyone actively trying to hold onto their sunglasses.
The H2O Floatable Frames in Action
I wore multiple pairs of Dragon’s water-specific line while on the water, switching shades out as the light opened up and changed throughout the day.
Honestly, they were great. And to me, the best mark for a pair of shades is that I completely forget that I’m wearing them. Here, that was the case. And at the end of the day, I didn’t have that dreaded feeling of being poked behind the ears all day long.
I’ve worn expensive brands of sunglasses that couldn’t pull this off. I’ve also worn non-polarized crap sunglasses because they were more comfortable than the expensive ones.
To top it off, the clarity of action on the water was, frankly, stunning. It’s hard not to get excited about fish fighting for bait on the topwater, but we really had to look to find them. With the Dragons, it was easy.
The shades repel both water and oil, and after wiping them down with nothing more than a T-shirt, they were unscratched and ready to keep rocking.
Beyond fishing, I’ve been wearing the more casual styles for daily chores, from riding horses to running errands. And I find myself reaching for them because of the comfort factor first. I really like the built-in leash, as it doesn’t interfere with the fit of the glasses at any point. Slick move, Dragon.
Where They Might Leave You Wanting
It’s hard to have negative words about these shades. It’s worth mentioning that I’ve yet to truly test the durability; I’ve only had the glasses in hand for a few weeks. But so far, so good.
Saltwater anglers might beg for a few more color options in some of the models, and if you’re a glass lens fanatic, these might not be for you.
And really, I’m not even upset about the price point. It rests on the lower end of midlevel fishing sunglasses. And I’m certain you’re getting what you pay for here.
Should something drastically change, I’ll update the review. But at this point, there’s not much to be said about the cons of this product.
Conclusion
All in all, the Dragon Alliance H2O Floatable is a great buy.
The biggest issue I see Dragon being up against is the fierce brand loyalty of many in the fishing sphere. However, even shades I’ve loved have left me with sore ears or less-than-impressed once durability comes into play.
The H2O Floatable line deserves a fair shake from the angling community. This is a quality line with a lot of nice perks at a solid price point. And I’m excited to have a few of these in my fishing arsenal for the long haul.
Check H2O Floatable Line at Dragon Alliance
