Description
Max out your athletic eyewear options.
The Smith Parallel Max shares the lightness of their Vxe and Pivlock 90 series sunglasses; they're so unobtrusive you'll likely forget you're wearing them. The key difference is a matter of style. The Parallel Max has separate lenses where the aforementioned models use one full coverage eyeshield. This is also where the Max differs from the standard Parallel sunglasses. The lenses are just slightly taller and wider to offer a bit more coverage.
We'd call the Parallel Max a close-fitting design. After all, the base curve of 9 ensures that the lenses sweep all the way around your eyes for optimum protection from unwanted light and glare as well as physical objects. The frame is made from Grilamid TR90, a tough plastic that is at once flexible, yet tough as nails. This lightweight frame supports individual lenses that pop out easily, like Smith's sliders of old. The lenses use Smith's Tapered Lens Technology (TLT) to give you a distortionless view. As you might've already experienced, visual distortion occurs when light waves hit an aggressively curved lens causing them to refract. This refraction causes a prismatic effect, or distortion. TLT corrects the distortion by progressively tapering the lens thickness from the optical center toward the peripheral edges. With TLT, light waves travel directly to your eye to generate precise vision and reduce potential eye fatigue. Objects are clearly defined and seen in their exact position.
Seeing clearly adds safety, but so does Smith's Carbonic lens material -- the most impact resistant lens material money can buy. Smith treats them with an anti-scratch coating to keep them as new as possible, as long as possible. They're light, they exceed ANSI Z80.3 specifications, and they protect your eyes from 100% of the UVA, UVB, and UVC rays out there.
The Grilamid TR90 frame provides you with maximum comfort, maximum flexibility, maximum toughness, and maximum resistance to sweat and sunscreen. And the hydrophilic Megol nose and temple pads keep them locked in place on your face. They won't slip. They won't slide. They won't fall off.
The Smith Parallel Max offers a close fit to your face and large coverage. It's available in Black w/polar grey and Brown w/polar brown. With either color option, you'll get two extra sets of lenses. The Ignitor lenses are great for overcast days as they increase definition and depth perception in low light. The Clear Mirror lenses are the best for very low light conditions. Switching between lenses is a total breeze and can be done in a matter of moments without tools.
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Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
Smith Parallel Max Polarized Sunglasses
? Share a...
Great sunnies
Brad Fowler
Member since
Good coverage without being huge. Easy to change lenses. Great active glasses for cycling, running, cross country skiing etc.
I especially like the ignitor lens (amber). It's dark enough to deal with in super sunny conditions, and really good in cloudy weather. I don't end up changing it out much.
Quality and Versatility
runningisfree
Member since
From morning long runs to sunny four hour road rides, these sunglasses provide the right lenses no matter what the conditions you may face. I also like them because the frames are light weight and lenses not too large. I have done everything from trail runs to triathlons with them and they haven't fallen off my face because of too much sweat or movement. I am happy with my purchase!
Great Kayak Fishing
jleephoto
Member since
Great fishing glasses. Super light, excellent polarization. I forget I have them on. Only negatives I can think of (and I'm digging deep) is they sometimes briefly fog on muggy summer mornings. Since these are plastic lenses, they do scratch relatively easily compared to glass, but replacement lenses are readily available if you look for the sales and you can easily interchange the D-Max and the Max versions.
Kayak Fishing Shades
jleephoto
Member since
These are the Smith D-Max lenses for additional coverage. Good polarization ideal for kayak fishing smallmouth.
sweet
Will Guru
Member since
As usual from smith, great optics. Im not a huge fan of the frames but they really aren't bad. I wouldn't recommend these for running, but they work well for biking and skiing.
Why is the price here $30 more than the...
tim3996099
Member since
Why is the price here $30 more than the MSRP on Smith's website? Most expensive place on the web for these glasses...
Solid
pat
Member since
I have to agree with the other reviewer, you cant really go wrong with these glasses. I got the aqua blue ones, off bonktown. I was scared they would be too blue, but I am happy with the color. The lenses are top quality, and the interchange is smooth and firm... no lens rattle. The nose and temple pads are of note, they almost seem to get more sticky with sweat. They stay put.
Great Sunglasses
jes3596722
Member since
I just bought these sunglasses for snowboarding in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. My initial reaction was they fit great, I have a med/small head, so if you have a large head these may be tight on you. The lens go in and out easily and I got clear, amber and dark depending on the activity. All in all I'd recommend these sunglasses to any of my friends.
sweet shades
Mt. Baker Shredda
Member since
SmithOptics.com for extra lenses.... Great shades, super light weight, can't wait to take these road biking!
Can't go wrong with these
Razeem
Member since
Really does not get much better than these. Very comfortable and would not move regardless of ride surface. No pressure or discomfort on any point- nose or temple etc and peripheral vision is exceptional. At this price...a no-brainer!
can i buy replacement lenses and where?
Robin Cornwell
Member since
can i buy replacement lenses and where?
andrew
Member since
Yes you can get them directly through Smith at www.smithoptics.com
Great glasses
mark
Member since
These glasses are cheaper on the Smith website.
Andrew Brandt
Member since
I was going to ding this as not really being a great review but I have to say I'll confirm mark the website has the SRP as $129.00. I love backcountry.com and I'm sure they have a reason for their current price, but it'd also be cool if they adjusted the price to Smith's suggested retail price. Perhaps they're a rarity right now?
Will Guru
Member since
actually backcountry has em for 5 cents cheaper.......
Sweet
labgoes2
Member since
I'd give them a 4.5 if that was a rating option and that's just because I'm stingy. They are a sweet set of shades whther ripping waves, snow or pimping. I never have gotten into the aviator piece preferring functionality over chic. Smith rocks as a company and their products exhibit that rockedness. I have had a pair of smiths on my noggin for over a decade. Sad to say but every pair I have owned so far have had burials at sea (river, lakes, etc). So run up the flag!
Has anyone purchased the Oakley Mag Four...
Mark G.
Member since
Has anyone purchased the Oakley Mag Four Sunglasses with the magnesium frames that can shed some light on them?
Bobby Smith
Member since
Yes Mark, Actually I am very meticulous. I wanted the Mag Four in carbon black with orange fire lenses. Oakley never made them available. A couple years ago I bought a pair of the plasma frames with the fire lense. About a year later someone on ebay placed a pair of black Mag Four lenses up for bid. I won the bid and took a special screwdriver (with a star shape) I had purchased years earlier and placed the lenses I wanted into the frames I wanted. Now I have a very personalized one of a kind pair. They are extremely awsome, lightweight and just damn great. I've sent Oakley so many ideas over the years about off the wall combinations, designs etc....as I'm a pretty creative guy for a scientist. I even told Oakley they should hire me as a creative R&D and design specialist but of course they continue to ignore me. It is their loss. I wish you luck if you want to find these. I wouldn't sell mine for less than $1000 bucks since I put so damn much energy into putting them together. Total cost to me was about $300 bucks.
Bobby
Bobby Smith
Member since
sorry Mark ...it was black frames that I purchased a year later, not the lenses.

Will Guru
Member since