The ESS Rollbar is the sweet spot between the comfort of sunglasses and the ballistic protection from US leader Eye Safety Systems.
Eye Safety Systems (ESS) are perhaps best known to most of you for their iconic ESS Profile NVG face masks and ESS ICE ballistic goggles, which are the permanent companions of military and police personnel around the world. Before the ESS Rollbar hit the market in 2013, I was looking for a cross between sunglasses and ballistic protection in the ESS ICE format for a long time. The latter have high quality polycarbonate lenses, but they look too massive on my face. On people with wider cheekbones and a larger head, they may look like ordinary sunglasses for every day, but, unfortunately, this is not my case. On the other hand, most of the sunglasses on the market today, despite their impressive price tags, are just beautiful "glass", the essence of which boils down to "look cool and expensive." In case of any falls and other loads, the lenses of such glasses simply crumble, posing an even greater threat to the organs of vision. For me, glasses are, first of all, mechanical protection from the sun, wind and dust. That is why ESS Rollbar became for me a kind of panacea, which allowed me to spend money on glasses alone, and get protection and an acceptable appearance at the same time, along with the following features.
- Ability to quickly change lenses with Lens Gate technology.
- Slim temples for comfort when using active headphones and headsets.
- Compliance with ANSI Z87.1-2010, U.S. Federal OSHA, CE EN 166 FT and U.S. MIL SPEC MIL-PRF-31013.
- 100% protection against ultraviolet radiation (UVA / UVB).
- Main material: polycarbonate.
- Available frame colors: Black, Terrain Tan.
- Available glass colors: Clear, Smoke Gray, Hi-def Bronze, Hi-def Yellow, Mirrored Gray, Mirrored Copper, Polarized Mirrored Gray, Polarized Mirrored Blue (sold separately).
- Weight (set excluding accompanying documentation): 116 g.
- Weight (frame with lenses): 36 g.
The following review presents the ESS Rollbar Silver Logo glasses in Black, which I have been using since 2013 both in everyday life and during field trips in summer and winter.
The ESS Rollbar glasses are delivered in a bright yellow cardboard box with a very attractive design. In addition to the manufacturer's logo, a photo of the product and the model name on the front, the back side contains an impressive amount of information about the contents of the box, and the colored and functional lenses available for purchase (see above). It is also worth noting that in addition to two color options for the frame, the ESS Rollbar comes with two logo options. On the Silver Logo version (like mine), the ESS logo on the outside of the temples is in a bold silver color, and on the Subdued Logo version, the logo does not stand out except for embossing. This feature may be relevant for operational employees, or when working undercover, where a distinguishable and visible from a distance the ESS logo from knowledgeable people can cause an unwanted association with security forces and law enforcement agencies. Since this moment was not significant for me, I settled on the Silver Logo version.
Inside the box is a very rich product package, including: an ESS Rollbar frame, a hard protective case, a pouch with a zip tie for storing and wiping glasses, a small pocket for transporting replacement lenses and accessories, a pair of transparent lenses (ESS Rollbar Accessory Lenses: Clear), a pair of tinted lenses (ESS Rollbar Accessory Lenses: Smoke Gray), an adjustable elastic band (more on that later), instructions, an insert with a lens replacement guide and a sticker with the manufacturer's logo. Before moving on to the ESS Rollbar glasses themselves, let's take a quick look at the items in the set.
As I said, the set includes a small pocket with a Velcro flap, the interior of which is divided into three flat sections. It is intended for transporting a replaceable set of lenses and additional accessories. So, for example, when there are Smoke Gray lenses in the frame, a pair of interchangeable clear lenses can be packed in this pocket, and there will still be room for the elastic band (as in the photo above). Noteworthy is the fact that each lens can be in its own separate flat pocket, which prevents scratches caused by rubbing the lenses against each other. Thus, both the outer and inner sides of the lenses are protected by the pocket after the flap is closed.
This accessory pocket fits seamlessly inside the tough protective case, along with the rim inside the transport bag. Thus, both glasses and all auxiliary accessories do not come into contact with each other, while they can be transported together under the protection of the solid walls of the protective case. Over the years of use, neither for the protective case, nor for its zipper, I have no complaints. In some places, however, there are already minor defects and scratches on the surface associated with daily wearing in a backpack, but nothing critical. The only drawback of the case that I discovered is the absence of loops for attaching to the PALS interface. With its help, a case with accessories could be fixed on the outer surface of a backpack or platform vest, otherwise you have to carry it inside with all other items.
The frame of the ESS Rollbar is made of durable matte black plastic. There are deep embossings on the inside to facilitate the construction without the accompanying loss of rigidity. They are most noticeable under the lenses, on the bridge of the nose and at the base of the arches. As a result, the ESS Rollbar with a pair of lenses weighs only 36 grams.
The only place distinguishable by the material is the soft silicone inserts below the bridge of the nose, which are clearly visible in the photo above. Thanks to them, the frame puts less pressure on the wings of the nose, which is felt when wearing glasses for a long time.
The ESS Rollbar is made of the same material and has the same sporty look as the frame. They are fastened by means of two protrusions and a vertical pin inserted through the holes in the lower part of the frame. The arms have two pronounced positions (open and closed), and pass between them with effort, which allows you to conveniently control their condition without looking at the glasses themselves.
We should also note the thickness of the temples. It is largest at the base, because inside there should be a pin that allows the bows to fold, and in general this has a positive effect on the overall strength of the knot. Further, the thickness of the arms narrows rather sharply and already two centimeters after the logo acquires its minimum value, which persists right up to the tips. Because of this, the ESS Rollbar does not cause discomfort when using active headphones and headsets. Also pay attention to the holes at the ends of the arms.
When worn for a long time, it is more convenient for me to raise the temples slightly above the point of contact with my ears, which allows me to achieve two things. First, the impact on the base of the ear is reduced, due to which the glasses in this place are literally “felt” for a long time after they are removed. Second, this increases the gap between the frame and the eyebrows, increasing air flow and reducing lens fogging at high temperatures and activity levels. Such subtleties can be manifested to different degrees in different people, because largely depend on the structural features of the skull, the tightness of the glasses to the face and head, etc.
While the ESS Rollbar goggles can be considered to some extent the successors of the trends inherent in the ESS 5B and ESS Credence series, they are distinguished from the latter by the ability to quickly change lenses. And really fast, for which the Lens Gate technology is responsible. Due to its presence, however, the viewing angle is slightly narrowed, tk. the outer frame cannot be tapered.
Lens Gate technology is nothing more than an additional latch that rotates around the same pin that secures the temples and holds the lenses inside their designated slots. To release this latch, it is enough to rest your thumb on its edge, and, holding the bow of the glasses with four fingers, fold this bow.
After that, you can insert the required lens into the frame. The first step is to insert the protrusion of the lens, located at the bridge of the nose, then using a slight tilt - the protrusion in the lower part of the frame. The protrusion that falls on the Lens Gate latch completes the lens mounting.
After that, simply unfold the ESS Rollbar to close the Lens Gate. In this case, fixing the outer protrusion of the lens inside the latch blocks the movement of the glass both left-right and up-down. Because of this, displacement of the glass, backlash or some kind of extraneous sounds are very unlikely. The lenses are removed in the reverse order: first, the Lens Gate latch opens, then the outer protrusion of the lens is released from the groove by moving forward and upward, followed by two subsequent ones.
When changing lenses, be sure to follow the folding sequence of the temples! Otherwise, premature folding of the temples can damage the clips, especially if the lenses have not yet been fully aligned within the slots.
As for changing lenses, the presence of two pairs in the kit is definitely a plus, because you have the ability to change them depending on the lighting characteristics and tasks. In particular, for summer (with high solar activity in clear weather) and winter (with an abundance of light reflected from the snow cover), Smoke Gray lenses are perfect. For all other cases when you do not need darkening, but you need mechanical eye protection, the Clear lens will come in handy. Sufficiently flexible pair that does not require additional expenses. It is worth remembering that, like any other glasses with interchangeable lenses, the ESS Rollbar will not cope very well with rapidly changing lighting conditions (partly cloudy, lateral movement relative to the light source at high speed, etc.) and pre-dawn / pre-sunset for hours. This is due to the fact that the process of changing lenses takes several minutes, and it is not always possible for this, while lighting conditions can change faster.
In the photo above, you can see the ESS Rollbar glasses on the user. As I mentioned earlier, a small adjustable strap is included in the package, which is inserted with its edges into the holes at the ends of the temples. This tape will be very useful in cases where the glasses need additional fixation or protection from loss, such as during active movements or in the water. The result is full coverage of the head without the risk of slipping.
At the beginning of the review, I already said that I have been using the ESS Rollbar since 2013, and during this time I have only had positive impressions. Largely, due to the fact that I did not have to buy and carry with me two pairs of different glasses, but managed to get a combination of ballistic protection and acceptable appearance for reasonable money. As you can see, the glasses have passed the test of time perfectly, without having received significant defects and continue to be actively used both in the warm and cold seasons.
Source: https://secretsquirrel.com.ua/snaryazhenie/obzor-ochkov-ess-rollbar/
Author: MAD
