The Fantasias are extremely lightweight because of their flexible titanium frame. They greatly resemble Belay Specs, except for their hinges and more comfortable-looking silicon nose bed. Belay specs, belay glasses, belay goggles, these funky looking spectacles have a lot of different names but what exactly are belay glasses? The real downside to the Firsts is the case. The zipper works well enough, but the clip attachment broke after about five minutes. This probably isn’t a dealbreaker — the case still functions, and it’s easy enough to replace if necessary. It’s just not as nice as the other Y&Y offering.

Rodden, most commonly found climbing Yosemite’s difficult multipitches, believes the adjustable prism is a game-changer, especially for overhanging and steep pitches. How robust are the glasses? Will they bend or snap over time? We grade the sturdiness of all pairs. The principle behind the eyewear is as simple as it is efficient: While the belayer gazes straight ahead in a comfortable position, he is actually seeing what's happening above him. This is achieved by the prismatic shape of the eyewear that creates a reflection of what is going on above the belayer. This allows the belayer to support his climbing partner by securing him as needed, even though he is, in fact, looking in another direction entirely. The eyewear is attached to your head with a strap so it doesn't slip off when you're in a hurry. Worth it if you climb frequently This means that while belaying you’ll be able to see your climber clearly through the prism but you’ll also have a good view of your surroundings. 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

The Practical Climber

Because all products performed fairly well, comfort became a very important category. Like most questions of fit, comfort is subjective and may depend on head size and shape. The Belay Specs look futuristic, but they were hit-or-miss for comfort. Portability & Features The Belaggles weren’t a top performer and were generally disliked: at the price, they’re awful value. We recommend looking elsewhere. How to Choose the Best Belay Glasses for Your Needs Overall: Y&Y Classics (the metal framed ones) are good glasses. They are thin, light and offer excellent peripheral vision around the glasses. They are fixed-prisms glasses and, as a result, have a limited field of view. The case is a good design, but the attachment is flimsy. The glasses are sold by Y&Y out of France, but they are made in China.

Who would want cheap-o belay glasses? Why, pro skier Ryan Faye, of course! Faye falls into the category of economic climber — one who doesn’t necessarily have the budget to splurge on a pair of high-quality belay glasses. The PitchSix belay glasses strikes a nice balance between having a large field of view and also allowing you to be able to look over or under the prisms (depending where you have them on your nose). The PitchSix prisms themselves are a very similar size to the Metolius Upshot prisms. PitchSix left (bigger prisms), Cypher right (smaller prisms) Fit with other GlassesUnlike the First, the Plasfun Evo comes in a few different colors, and we enjoyed our snazzy light-blue version. Y&Y Classic Belay Glasses: The similarities in design between the Y&Y and Tembo are quite obvious, scroll down and compare this photo with the Tembo photo.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, Y&Y also sells Clip Up Belay Glasses which are designed to clip onto most eyeglasses and sunglasses. Price Belay glasses are supposed to make belaying easier and more comfortable. These factors are what make them worth buying and using.

Unless you need the adjustability of the metal frames, these will function just as well as the Classics for less money. They feel and look a little less premium, but they do their job well. Belay Specs While these glasses are significantly more expensive than some of their peers, they do come with a plastic zippered case with attachment clip, microfibre cloth, and lanyard.