Wiley X Apex Sunglasses Review: Broad Coverage, High Performance

As I was hunting for new spring workwear and gear, I checked in with the Wiley X crew to see what was fresh for the season. They had several new styles, and in this review, I’m sharing my experience with the Wiley X Apex.

Wearing Wiley X Apex Sunglasses

Fit and Style

The Apex’s size is a good fit for medium to large faces, depending on how much coverage you prefer. It would be a tough sell for smaller faces, even if you prefer the hater-blocker look.

The style incorporates some of the angles and the metal/nylon frame material combination we saw from the Recon, but the larger size presents a less aggressive look.

Overall, it’s a good style for daily wear with excellent eye coverage for driving and safety purposes. While it’s fine for activities like hiking and fishing, cyclists and runners will likely prefer a more athletic style like the P-17.

Comfort

At 36 grams, these are lightweight, especially compared to premium sunglasses with glass lenses, but they’re not as light as they could be. The metal in the frame adds a few extra grams over full nylon frames.

Typically, the weight of heavier glasses doesn’t bother me that much, but if the weight causes them to slip, I’ll be fighting them all day. Fortunately, the Apex includes a generous amount of rubber at the temple tips and works with the rubber nose pads to do a great job of keeping the glasses in place. Aside from regular day wear, I’ve even taken them on a few long bike rides and didn’t have to deal with constantly pushing them back in place.

Lenses

Of course, the lenses are where the rubber meets the road, and they’re what set Wiley X apart. Like all the glasses they make, the Wiley X Apex includes impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses. When you add the side shields, they carry the ANSI Z87.1+ rating that make them approved as safety glasses.

All three versions of the Apex include Captivate polarized lenses. These multi-layered lenses combine 100% UVA/UVB protection, impact resistance, clarity enhancement, and a hydrophobic coating on both the front and back to give you far better performance than a basic polarized lens. I went with the Blue Mirror for my test pair, and as usual, I’m extremely pleased with the clarity.

If you’re so inclined, this is a prescription-ready design. As part of Wiley X’s Active 6 series, the Apex has a flatter six-base lens profile than other models. This allows for a higher range of prescription lenses.

Wiley X Apex at a Glance

• Protection: 100% UVA/UVB protection, impact-resistant lenses with ANSI Z87.1+ rating when using the side shields
• Comfort: Lightweight (36 grams) with slip-resisting temple tips and nose pads
• Clarity: Captivate polarized multi-layer polycarbonate lenses
• Durability: Shatterproof lenses, super-tough Triloid nylon frame components
• Fit: Medium/large, 17mm bridge, 56mm lens width, 34mm lens height, 137mm temple length
• Prescription-ready: Active 6 six-base lens profile allows for a higher prescription range

Wiley X Apex Price

There are three versions of the Apex available:

• Blue Mirror Lens/Gloss Black Frame
• Tungsten Mirror Lens/Matte Black Frame
• Black Mirror Lens/Matte Tortoise Brown Frame

No matter which one you buy, it’s $236, and you get free shipping when you order from Wiley X directly. There’s a lifetime warranty against defects.

The Bottom Line

The Wiley X Apex is a good fit if you’re on the hunt for a large size profile and broad eye coverage with legit protection. With Captivate polarized lenses, your eyes will appreciate the high clarity we’ve come to expect from Wiley X. Plus, it’s going to take more than a little sweat to make them slip, so you won’t be fighting them all day. Unless you want the lightest possible frame by going with a full nylon build, you’ll have a hard time finding a flaw with the Apex.