ESS is a leading producer of a variety of eyewear options. The company claims to be the largest supplier of eyewear to the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as militaries, police, and fire personnel from over 100 countries. ESS has a well established line of “ballistic†sunglasses and goggles that offer both superior eye protection in a compact, and appealing appearance. This year the company announced the addition of two new sunglasses to their ballistic line of sunglasses – the Rollbar and Credence.
The Rollbar
The ESS Rollbar glasses come in a medium-large black frame, and are designed to be low profile for use with comms gear. The lenses are completely encased in the frame, and have a small whole at the end of the arms for the elastic retention strap.
The Rollbar glasses are designed with the Rollbar Lens Gate to allow rapid lens changes. The gate is a snap open section at the front of the frame on the outward side of the lenses. Opening the gate allows the lens to swing outward for easy replacement. The gate then snaps back into place to secure the lenses in place.
Resistant to impact and shatter, the Rollbar glasses are designed to be used by those who enter harm’s way each day.
Rollback Features:
- Frame – Rollbar Medium-Large size, thin fit, folding arms
- Frame Color – Black with optional silver or subdued ESS logo
- Profile – Low for use with comms gear
- Lenses – 2.2mm high-impact Polycarbonate, 100% UVA/UVB protection, Polarized lenses are an option
- Lens Colors – Choice of (5): Clear, Smoke Gray, Mirrored Gray, Mirrored Copper, Hi-Def Yellow
- Protection Rating – ANSI Z87.1-2010, MIL-PRF-31013 (clause 3.5.1.1), CE EN 166
- ESS ToughZone anit-scratch lens coating
- Distortion-free ESSOPTICS
- Standard Kit includes – Rollbar frame, Clear & Smoke Gray lenses, Elastic retention strap, Microfiber cleaning pouch, and zippered hard case.
- Tactical Kit includes – Rollbar frame with subdued ESS logo, (3) lenses: Clear, Smoke Gray, and Mirrored Copper.
- MSRP – $115.00
The Credence
The ESS Credence glasses are similar to the Rollbar glasses but with a more tapered and smooth appearance than the boxier Rollback. Unlike the Rollbar, however, the Credence glasses have fixed lenses. Lens color options are the same, minus the Hi-Def Yellow, but the Credence also has the anti-scratch coating, and distortion-free image. The Credence glasses can also be ordered with Credence Rx prescription lenses, however this option negates the MIL-PRF-324
The frame is slightly smaller around the lenses, but larger on the sides. There is a open slot at the end of the arms for styling. The Credence glasses are also folding frames, and have the option of black or gray frames.
Credence Features:
- Frame – Credence Medium-Large size, thin fit, folding arms
- Frame Color – Black or Gray (ESS logo is white on each option)
- Profile – Low for comfortable wear with over-the-ear ear protection
- Lenses – 2.2mm high-impact Polycarbonate, 100% UVA/UVB protection, ESS ToughZone anti-scratch lens coating, and Distortion-Free ESSOPTICS
- Lens Colors – Clear, Smoke Gray, Mirrored Gray, and Mirrored Copper
- Protection Rating – ANSI Z87.1-2010, MIL-PRF-32432, CE EN 166, U.S. Federal OSHA & CE EN 166
- Prescription Info – Credence Rx Lenses are available
- Standard Kit Includes – Credence sunglasses, Microfiber cleaning pouch, and zippered hard case
- Configurations – Black frame w/ smoke gray lenses, Black frame w/ Mirrored Copper Lenses, Gray Frame w/ Mirrored Copper Lenses
- MSRP – $90.00
ESS Rollbar lenses have varying levels of Visual Light Transmission (VLT) as follows:
- Clear – 89%
- Hi-Def Yellow – 85%
- Mirrored Copper – 23%
- Smoke Gray – 15%
- Mirrored Gray – 12%
The Credence is as follows:
- Mirrored Copper – 32%
- Smoke Gray – 15%
- Polarized Mirrored Gray – 9%
Each pair of ESS eye pro comes with a 30-day return policy and a 5-year warranty. I do not own a pair of ESS glasses but I have had the opportunity to use them in training before and found them to have excellent visual acuity, and a secure fit that was comfortable.
The enclosed lenses do limit some peripheral vision as opposed to open bottom frames from other options. If you prefer frames that are open-bottomed for more vision look into the ESS Cross-Series line.