Depending on the application, shooting eyewear can span the entire spectrum between inexpensive pairs that cost less than $5 to glasses with lenses, frames and price tags that can only be described as “sophisticated.” Since the mid to early 1980s, the “goggle profile” (for lack of a better term) has been pervasive in sporting, performance and tactical eyewear. Many brands across different price-points carry such “goggle” style glasses. For shooting applications, the wider shape of this goggle pattern is beneficial for two reasons. First, it offers a larger surface area to shield the wearer’s eyes from harm be it the rays of the sun, hot gasses, jacket fragments or any other debris that can harm the wearer during shooting. Second, the wider coverage offers the shooters a better field of view compared to traditional glasses. And when it comes to shooting, vision remains one of the single most important elements for proficiency.
Gatorz offers two pairs of wide-lens “goggle style” glasses, the Havok and Blastshield. Since July 2024, I’ve worn a pair of Gatorz Blastshields nearly any time I had a loaded rifle, shotgun or pistol in hand.
Gatorz Blastshield Overview
Originally launched in 2023, the Gatorz Blastshield glasses are designed around a lightweight low profile and thin 7075 aluminum frame with equally thin and low-profile temples that do not interfere with headgear or shooting muffs. Function-wise, what the Blastshield brings to the table–and please excuse me for using tired and trendy buzzwords, is a “modular platform” that allows the wearer to take advantage of the different types of lenses that Gatorz makes available for the Blastshield.
The Blastshield’s modularity comes from the centrally located quick-release Gatorz Single Point Floating Lens Attachment System. All Blastshield lenses clamp directly onto this interface while remaining “free floating”. Besides the fast-swapping lens convenience, the Single Point Floating Lens Attachment System also aids in centrally indexing all Blastshield lens over the same point for consistency. This is due to the fact that the Blastshield’s aluminum frames and temples are designed to hold a certain degree of flexibility in order to fit a wide variety of face shapes while remaining snug. The free floating nature of the Gatorz Single Point Attachment System prevents the frame from warping, pushing or pulling the lens in any direction while being worn. The Blasthield also incorporates its nose pads into this clamping mechanism.
Physically swapping Blastshield lenses is straightforward. To unlock the “jaws” that clench the lens in place, one only needs to tug back on either nose pad. Once unlocked, the lenses can be angled in and out of the groove they rest in and re-locking the system is just a matter of pushing the nose pads back.
At The Range And In The Field
My Blastshield glasses featured in this review come with the Gatorz smoke (dark) ballistic rated polarized lenses with a gold mirror finish. I chose these specifically for all-day protection against bright intense sunlight which is common across the region where I tend to shoot the most. I love my purple-tinted Gatorz Specters, but those are only suitable for low-light or overcast lighting conditions. As sun shields, these smoke/gold lenses have performed beautifully and it’s easy to wear the Blastshield over extended periods of time. I’ve worn these glasses at every summer action-pistol shooting match, range outing, training class or other related shooting activity, including dove hunting and trap-shooting in the past six months.
I appreciate both the polarized coating and the ANSI Z87+ ballistic rated lenses for the protection provided, but as a wearer, my favorite thing about Gatorz Blastshields is the “widescreen” perspective. The ability to see clearly while shooting is crucial and the widescreen aspect is quite helpful. It was especially notable during wing-shooting with shotguns where I’d argue that unrestricted vision is the most important in any shooting application. After months of regular use, the hinges between the temples and the frames still feel solid. Likewise, the Single Point Floating Lens Attachment System hasn’t budged and is very robust. Gatorz’s build quality is apparent.
The Takeaway
As with other pairs of Gatorz glasses, their biggest downside is the cost. Prices for Gatorz Blastshield safety glasses range between $180 to $275 MSRP. However, just like with any other type of high-end technical gear, you get what you pay for. All Gatorz products are 100-percent American made and priced accordingly. Gatorz is far from the only eyewear company that offers glasses with interchangeable lenses, but an argument can be made for Gatorz’s variety of Blastshield lens options. Gatorz offers a selection of high quality lenses that fit the Blastshield glasses, ranging from basic ANSI safety rated units to ballistic rated, polarized or photochromic options. Gatorz ships all Blastshield pairs in a clamshell that includes two extra slots for stowing different lenses. Visit gatorz.com to learn more.
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