Peppers Beachcomber Polarized Review

We tested the Beachcombers with a Blue Mirror lens, designed for on- and near-water activities. They're a medium fit and come with a stiff zippered case and a microfiber cleaning cloth. They are not offered with prescription lenses.

Performance Comparison

Lens Quality

With lenses made of triacetate, the Beachcombers just can't quite deliver the same clarity of other manufacturers using glass or polycarbonate. They're not terrible and have no distortions like some others do, but they're unimpressive. We actually found the Blue Mirror lenses to be a distracting amount of color that actually takes a little bit away from the contrast and detail you get.

A mirror coating adds to the polarization of these lenses, doing a great job keeping glare at bay. An anti-scratch layer adds to the protection of these lenses that are not impact resistant. And though they have a hydrophobic coating, they lack the oleophobic layer that makes so many of their competitors' lenses so easy to clean.

Comfort

Weighing just 20 grams, the Peppers are amazingly light, even against some stiff competition in this category. They're very well-balanced and have a good hold on your head with their very-curved bows without feeling too tight. However, the majority of our testers found an oddity with their fit and comfort: upon making any sort of big expression (i.e. smiling or laughing), the Beachcombers lift right off our noses and sort of hang there in the air. For a small group of those that experienced this, stopping their laugh or smile wasn't enough to return the shades to their noses, and a hand was required to assist. This is an odd problem to have and made these glasses “off-putting” and uncomfortable for most of our testers to wear - especially while trying to have fun in the sun!

Frame Quality

Constructed of Grilamid and TPX nylon with a hidden air chamber inside, the Beachcombers actually float in water. This is a great feature, as it no longer means the death of your sunglasses if you knock them off the edge of the boat or drop them from your paddleboard. They feature a spring hinge and a moderate amount of flex. They also have visible seams and lines running around them, giving them a “cheaper” look. They offer a lifetime manufacturer's warranty, though fixing or replacing them after 1 year of ownership costs half as much as just buying a new pair. During our several months of testing, we didn't have any actual issues with the durability of these shades, but we read a ton of other online user complaints about a whole myriad of issues. Again, we experienced none of those personally, but that many problems doesn't give us a ton of confidence in the longevity of these glasses.

Style and Versatility

The mirror coating on these lenses is a bit more rainbow-y than most others. We can see green, blue, and purple in their reflections. That may be a selling point or a turning away point for you, but it is interesting and different from the other pairs we tested. The Beachcombers are voted as “sporty-looking”, which again may appeal or repel you. We don't think they're necessarily the best choice for wearing with a tuxedo, but would look great cruising around the lake on a jet ski.

Coverage

A base curve of 6 makes these specs on par with the happy medium of many other glasses we tested. Overall, mostly flat, though with a slight contour that helps add just a bit of coverage. Just like most the other pairs we tested, they easily let light in the sides, and will let it in the top too, depending on where you like to push your sunnies up to. Really what killed the coverage for most of our testers was that weird phenomenon of riding up (and staying up) during any sort of smile.

Case Quality

The Peppers come with a stiff zippered case and a microfiber cleaning cloth. It's much less rigid than most of the others we tested and can be pretty easily crushed with just your bare hand. It does spring back into shape when you release it though, so it's not totally destroyed. However, it's just not the same level of protection you get from the rigid or semi-rigid cases most other models come with.

Value

The Beachcombers are by far the least expensive pair of sunnies we tested. In terms of quality and style, they just don't live up to the rest of the pack, but they also cost a fraction of what the others cost. That being said, they're more than your standard $20-30 pair you pick up each spring and don't feel bad about losing or destroying throughout the summer, without offering much more in the way of performance. If having a pair of floating specs is worth the extra cash for you, we get it. But truly we think there are many better options out there.

Conclusion

These floating budget glasses from Peppers are an alright, but relatively unimpressive pair of shades. They just can't match the contrast, protection, clarity, or quality of so many others. But they beat them all when it comes to price. We'd recommend trying them on first to see if they stay put when you smile and if you like the color distortion they provide. They could be exactly what you're looking for, but they're not our favorite.