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Your climbing adventures will see you through so many experiences, and even belaying can be an adventure (but the neck pain that can result from it is something we’d all like to avoid). You can improve your safety and protection while belaying with the help of belaying glasses.Â
The best belay glasses are designed to prevent neck strain. The designs of their optics, otherwise known as prisms, provide an ample upward view that allows them to offer a clear line of sight above you without straining your neck. Their clear prism designs also allow for clarity and focused viewing so it makes it easy to stay attentive when belaying.
Listed below are the 10 best belay glasses in 2022. Each pair comes with unique features, build, and functionality. The choice is all up to you.
OUR TOP PICK
Y&Y Vertical Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- The thin frame provides both upward and surrounding vision
- Memory alloy and silicone nose pads provide proper fit
- Fits over most prescription and sunglasses
- Comes with a carabiner fitted case to hang on your harness
Frame material: Metal
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
EDITORS CHOICE
BG Climbing Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- UV resistant color options
- Lightweight build
- Durable plastic frame construction
- 2-year warranty and free return policy
Frame material: Plastic
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
BEST VALUE
NiceClimbs Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Creative design and prism angling prevents neck pain
- Compatible with climbing helmets and glasses
- Neck strap for added security for the glasses
- Housed in a hard case for safekeeping
Frame material: Plastic
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
Epic Peak Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Extremely affordable pricing
- High quality zippered hard case with carabiners
- Secure neck retainer strap
- Lightweight fabrication
Frame material: Plastic
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
Ucraft Climbing Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Slim and stackable design provides better peripheral vision
- Strong ABS plastic for added ruggedness and durability
- Extremely lightweight build
- High transparency prism for clear vision
Frame material: ABS Plastic
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
Y&Y Vertical Plasfun Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Large contact surface nose pads provide stability and comfort
- Proper prism angling provides clear vision
- Flexible arms for added comfort
- The glass fits over most eye and sunglasses
Frame material: Plastic
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
Crush Climbing Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Comes with a hard case, neck strap, and cleaning cloth
- Metal fabrication increases ruggedness
- 100% scratch-free straightforward patent-pending single-hand glass prism enhance clarity
- The lightweight and minimalist design provides a secure hold on your face
Frame material: Plastic
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
Belaggles Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Durable and solid nylon lens protecting frames
- Curved lens design provide chipping protection and safety
- Bowing eyelets offer cord threading for customized eyewear retainers
- Designed for single-hand operation
Frame material: Nylon
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
Belay Optics Belay Glasses
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- Convenient clip-on design
- Adjustable prism design for fine-tuning and improved vision clarity
- Scratch preventing and durable plastic raised edge holder
- Designed to easily focus on the area above you
Frame material: N/A
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
- What Makes These Belay Glasses Stand Out
- 45 degree upward viewing for easy viewing and to prevent neck strain
- Transparent prism for improved clarity
- High-quality crag safe plastic fabrication
- Protective hard case with harness clip
Frame material: N/A
Prism type: BK7
Price rating: $$
How To Choose Belay Glasses – Buying Guide
Field Of Vision
When choosing the best climbing belay glasses, you must consider the field of vision. The field of vision is determined by the size and angle of the prisms, which differ with different glasses. If you purchase glasses with large prisms then your field of vision is wider as well. Yet even though the vision is wide, a narrow field of vision supplied by smaller prisms is ideal. This is because this lets you see through the lens further, thus offering a superior peripheral vision for moving around.Â
Comfort
The best climbing belay glasses must be comfortable when on belay. The number one feature examined when choosing belay glasses is their ability to prevent neck pain and strain. This is achieved through the angling of the prism as well as their clarity. Additionally, glasses fitted with nose pads also offer padding around that area, while adjustable frames provide a better-customized fit and ultimately added comfort.
Frame
The best climbing belay glasses are either built with metal or plastic frames. Metal frames tend to be flexible and adjustable whilst plastic frames are molded into a solid and rigid shape. However, there are also special designs such as the Belay Optics Belay Glasses which feature a built in a clip-on design with no frame but just an edge holder to protect the lenses. It all depends on what is comfortable for you.
Prism
The prisms of your belay glasses denote the lenses. Prisms that position upward allow you to see the path and climber above you. The angles of the prisms vary between 45 to 90 degrees.
Safety
Belay glasses are designed to enhance the safety of your climber. Thus, the best climbing belay glasses must offer ample vision so you can always have a view of the climber above when you’re belaying. Glasses that feature additional designs to promote this factor are typically better. Go for glasses fitted with retainers to ensure they don’t fall off.Â
Durability
The build on your belay glasses should also be durable. You want the glasses to be strong enough that they withstand the rough outdoors.
Fit
Your belay glasses must also be well fitting. Design components like adjustable frames help to provide a more personalized fit. These types of adjustable frames tend to be made out of metal.Â
Optics
The best climbing belay glasses should provide good quality optics to prevent eye strain. Ensure your lenses are transparent enough to offer a clear view. This is crucial as the prolonged distortion of your eyesight may cause motion sickness or eye strain while on the wall, if you aren’t careful.Â
FAQs
Q:Â How Do Belay Glasses Work?
Belay glasses work by reflecting the climber on the mirror in front of your eye. Without having to strain your neck to look up, the belay glasses let you see directly above you. They work by enhancing both vision and safety when belaying.
Q:Â Can I Use Belay Glasses With Prescription Glasses?
The majority of belay glasses work with most prescription glasses as well as sunglasses. They are designed to fit all shapes and sizes of sunglasses and prescription glasses. They are designed to move horizontally, allowing you to fit them in front of your eyeballs.
Q:Â Why Wear Belay Glasses?
Belay glasses are a worthy purchase because they offer protection and enhance safety. They protect your neck from strain, so rather than focusing on your neck pains, you will focus more on the belaying, and stop looking down all the time. They also help to focus your view in the right direction so you can keep track of the climber above you as well as the nearby surroundings.
Globo Surf Overview
These belay glasses reviews outline how useful they are to various climbing expeditions. These glasses effectively contribute to safety, protection, and comfort when climbing – because who wants to keep belaying with a painful neck? Though extremely useful, they are also designed to not interfere with your sunglasses or prescription glasses. The buying guide above also offers a detailed guideline of what to look for when choosing the best belay glasses. The list of the 10 best belay glasses above offers many top-notch choices.