Belay glasses have become a defining tool of the sport climber’s tool box. From their inception to now, the typical belay glasses have featured rigid prism that allows the climber to see above them, with most re-design and reinvention focusing on better and better frames without too much change to the prism. That is, until now.
It was last April when we met Matt Cupal. After a small discussion, he reluctantly showed me his latest innovation – a set of belay glasses with an adjustable prism. impressed initially with Matt’s ingenuity and dedication to such a complicated problem, I did not realize the revolution that I was quietly witnessing. Matt’s idea of an adjustable prism was a game charger.
Launching on kickstarter two weeks ago, we received a pair of EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses in the mail with only minutes to go before we took off for our winter climbing trip.
First stop was Smith Rock and with its variable terrain, it proved to be the best place to review what is perhaps biggest changes in belay glasses over the past 20 years. We had a chance to review the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses all last week and here is what we thought.
EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses
Prisms
First off, the adjustable prism of the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses is impressive! Contained in a 1/2 inch box below the actual prism of the glasses is a box that holds the mirrors that allow for adjustment while belaying. On the left side of the glasses is a lever that can be easily reached during belaying to adjust the view above, allowing you to belay with your neck in the exact position that you find desirable.
During our field testing, we used the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses while watching a variety of terrains from slab to overhanging climbing and in each instance we were able to keep our neck straight during the entire belay. The level to adjust was easy to use and the mechanism for change was almost flawless. The quality of the prism seemed to be in line with other belay glasses on the market.
When looking at the mechanism that allows for the angle adjustment on these glasses, it doesn’t come without a few costs. We noticed that the viewing dimensions of the prism and mirror were slighting smaller than other glasses on the market (5-7% smaller). We also noticed that the box that allows for the adjustment does somewhat impede the view of your feet when belaying, which can sometimes be challenging on uneven terrain.
Frames
Our initial impression of the frames of the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses was so-so. The plastic of the frames to be somewhat of a different finish that other glasses on the market. That being said, the frames felt light and strong and seemed to have a decent amount of comfort. The frames also have a built in strap and are comforted for the areas that touch your ears. The finish on the frames is a little rough with some of the plastic molding still attached to the glasses but can be solved with just a little sanding on the bridge of the nose.
Accessories
The EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses come with a glasses case, cleaning cloth and a small screwdriver for any needed adjustments to the mirrors of the glasses. The case seemed relatively robust and easily clipped onto your harness. The tie in points of the case had been well thought out and reinforced to reduce breakage.
Overall, our impression of the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses was awesome. After testing them multiple times in the field, I went back to my favourite rigid prism belay glasses (Metolius Upshot Belay Glasses) to give them a spin. After one pitch, it dawned on me how impressive the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses really are in real life application. Simply put, they allow you to keep your neck completely straight during any belay. For those of us who climb on a regular basis, this is an absolute game changer! We would be the first to tell you that this exchange does not come without a cost. The prism is slightly smaller on these glasses, the box of the mirror does impede the view of your feet and the frames of these glasses are decent but not the best on the market. Keep in mind that we reviewed the first version of these glasses which are available in a kickstarter as we speak. With all that being said, the EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses are now my go to belay glasses for daily use because the comfort they give me when keeping my neck straight is worth the pay off! We would highly recommend these to basically everyone who owns a set of belay glasses already.
EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses MSRP: $120.00
Please note: The EyeSend Adjustable-View Belay Glasses are currently available for $79.00 and $99.00. Full disclosure: SCM gets a kick back if you use our link to purchase. This has not influenced our review.
