What are Tac Glasses?

Tac Glasses, a product line by Bell + Howell, are relatively inexpensive sunglasses, usually $20 or less. They are designed to reduce glare, enhance colors and provide clarity. Tac is short for tactical, so named because Tac Glasses are “inspired by sunglasses worn in the military.” 

Bell + Howell Tac Glasses are useful when glare gets in the way of seeing, such as playing sports, fishing, hunting or simply being outdoors in the sunshine. Most Tac Glasses have wraparound lenses so that the wearer’s peripheral vision is also safe from glare.

Tac Glasses are available at major retailers and online. As part of the As Seen On TV collection of products, Tac Glasses are often in displays of such items offered for sale in stores. 

Tac Glasses are polarized

One of Tac Glasses’ features is that they are polarized; their lenses feature a filter that blocks light traveling at a certain angle. When bright light reflects off of a flat surface, it causes glare, making it more difficult to see. Polarized lenses reduce glare and are especially useful in bright light, such as when playing sports in bright sun or when sunlight reflects off the snow. 

Tac polarized glasses are not suitable for use at night; they will reduce your ability to see. The Tac line includes night vision glasses made especially for nighttime driving or other activities.

Tac Glasses provide UV protection

Tac Glasses are sunglasses with a coating that keeps the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays from reaching the eyes. Earth’s ozone layer prevents the sun’s most harmful rays, UVC, from penetrating the eyes. But without a UV coating for protection, some UVB and UVA rays can reach the eye’s lens with dangerous consequences, such as certain kinds of cataracts and macular degeneration. Look for sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection, but ignore how dark the lenses are or their color. Tint does not determine how well the glasses will protect you from ultraviolet rays.

Tac night vision glasses

Night Vision Tac Glasses are part of the Tac line. The company explains that their anti-reflective coating eliminates glare from oncoming headlights, allowing you to see the road. They can also help in other situations, such as walking outside or watching a sport at night. Along with Tac night vision glasses, Tac also sells night vision visors for your car.

Flip-Up Tac Glasses

Flip-Up Tac Glasses have the same features as original Tac Glasses, like polarization and UV-filtering technology. However, the difference is that in Tac flip-up glasses, the lenses flip up or down. When flipped up, the treated lenses are out of the way for reading or other purposes. Then they can flip down again easily to reduce glare. Flip-Up Tac Glasses can be worn over your prescription eyeglasses or on their own.

Tac Glasses over glasses

Flip-Up Tac Glasses can be worn alone or over other glasses, like those that have prescription lenses. The frame’s arms are thick enough to conceal the frame of the glasses worn underneath. And when the Tac lenses flip down, the lens color and treatments hide the frame beneath from the front. Other Tac Glasses, with thinner frames and wraparound lenses, are not designed to wear over eyeglasses.

Tac Glasses’ colors

While Tac Glasses’ frames are black, the lenses have multicolor mirroring. There are two versions currently available: an orange-to-blue gradient that transitions from orange at the bridge to blue on the outer edges, and a dark-purple-to-blue gradient. The colors are slightly different from model to model. The lenses’ mirror color is for aesthetic purposes only; it does not affect how the lenses work.

Night Vision Tac Glasses do not have a mirror finish, and the lenses themselves are a light yellow.

Tac Glasses for men and women

Tac Glasses are unisex and one-size-fits-all. They do not come in men’s or women’s styles. Designed to appeal to both men and women, Tac Glasses will fit most adult heads.

Tac Visor

In addition to Tac Glasses, Bell + Howell also makes Tac Visor, which slides onto a car’s built-in visor. While the company says Tac Glasses were designed with military glasses in mind, Tac Visor was inspired by the visors fighter pilots wear over their faces. The visor’s light-filtering technology stops glare but doesn’t block the view. 

Cleaning Tac Glasses

A soft cleaning cloth is provided with every pair of Tac Glasses so you can clean them as needed without scratching the lenses. A newer version of Tac Glasses, called Tac Glasses 2.0, has built-in microfiber cleaning pads hidden in the upper frame. When you move the lenses up and down, the pads clean both the front and the back simultaneously. So as long as you have the microfiber pads, you don’t need to use a cloth to clean the Tac 2.0 glasses.

Tac Glasses’ “second pair” offer

When ordering online at trytacglasses.com, you may be offered a second pair of glasses at a reduced price. Take note of the type of Tac Glasses you are being provided as a second pair because it is likely to be a different type or style. For example, if you buy the original Tac sunglasses, you are typically offered a pair of Night Vision Tac Glasses for an additional fee. Note that when ordering online, there is also a $1.00 Web Service Fee. The price includes free shipping.

Frequently asked questions about Tac Glasses

Are there Tac Glasses for kids?

Bell + Howell does not make Tac Glasses specifically for children. Tac Glasses are one-size-fits-all to fit most adults. However, Tac Glasses may fit older children or teenagers if their heads are large enough.

Are Tac Glasses official military glasses?

Tac Glasses are “inspired by sunglasses worn in the military.” That means they were designed to look a lot like military-style sunglasses, but they are not official military gear.

Are Tac Glasses for gaming?

Tac Glasses are sunglasses and night vision glasses, so they are not designed for gaming.

Are Tac Glasses suitable for computer use?

Tac Glasses are not anti-blue-light or blue-blocking glasses that help prevent eye strain from using the computer for long periods. Instead, Tac Glasses are sunglasses and night vision glasses for driving and outdoor activities.

Is the Tac Visor for glasses?

No, the Tac Visor fits over your vehicle’s attached sun visor and flips down to help reduce glare while you’re driving.

Can you get Tac Glasses in prescription?

Tac Glasses cannot be custom ordered as the frames do not have lenses that can accommodate personal prescriptions. However, Flip-Up Tac Glasses can be worn over prescription eyeglasses.

Will Tac Glasses fit over prescription eyeglasses?

The Flip-Up Tac Glasses will fit over most prescription eyeglasses. Their arms are wider where they connect to the lens frame to conceal most eyeglass frames worn under them. Other Tac Glasses have wraparound lenses to help you see better in all directions. Their design will not fit over other eyeglasses.

Are Tac Glasses safety glasses?

Tac Glasses are not safety glasses, which are glasses that are specifically designed to protect the eyes from debris or hazards during certain activities, such as working with chemicals or wood. Tac Glasses are not designed for such uses.

What lens tint are Tac Glasses?

Tac Glasses are currently available with mirrored lenses in an orange-to-blue gradient and a dark-purple-to-blue gradient. The colors are slightly different from model to model. The mirror colors enhance Tac Glasses’ appearance and appeal, but they do not affect how well you see when wearing them.

Tac Glasses’ warranty

Tac Glasses’ money back guarantee and warranty vary according to the product. According to the websites, Night Vision and Flip-Up Tac Glasses have a 30-day money back guarantee. Tac Visor and Tac Glasses come with a 90-day money back guarantee. None of these mention a warranty. 

Tac Glasses 2.0  (Self-Cleaning Tac Glasses) have a 90-day money back guarantee and come with a 10-year warranty. All the money-back guarantees are less postage and handling. 

Look for the Return Policy link at the bottom of each website’s page for more information.

As with all warranties, be sure to save your sales receipt showing the date you purchased your glasses to prove you are claiming within the period the money back guarantee or warranty is active. Be ready to explain what happened to the glasses to see if the guarantee or warranty covers your situation. 

Tac Glasses reviews 

Product reviews on Tac Glasses are available online at a large variety of retailers and review sites. There are also a number of video reviews on YouTube. Websites that sell Tac Glasses have ratings, too, such as a number of stars or written ratings given by people who bought and used the glasses. 

Reviews on Tac Glasses are mixed, ranging from one-star because the frames broke the first time the glasses were worn to five stars with a description of the frames as so sturdy they’ll last for years. Some reviewers were sold on the light-filtering technology’s ability to reduce glare and enhance colors, while others said they didn’t think the glasses worked at all.

Where to buy Tac Glasses

Tac Glasses are available at big-box stores like Walmart, Target and Home Depot. They’re also available at pharmacies that sell sunglasses such as CVS and Walgreens. In addition, you can find Tac Glasses online at the same stores’ websites (e.g., walmart.com), on Amazon and at Tac websites such as trytacglasses.com and flipupglasses.com. The credit cards accepted vary with the website, but most take major cards like Visa, Mastercard and American Express. A few accept PayPal as well.

Tac Glasses customer service

The Tac websites list different customer service phone numbers for each product. Look for the Customer Service link at the bottom of the page. Customer service is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. 

Some unhappy customers complained that customer service was of little help to them in resolving their problems. However, bear in mind that nearly every product or service will have customers that are not satisfied for one reason or another. And when people use a company’s customer service line, and all goes well, they rarely write a review just to say “great customer service.”

Page published on Monday, February 22, 2021