Method Seven—Noise Cancelling for Your Eyes

Last year at EAA’s Air Venture in Oshkosh, I met with the Method Seven eyewear team. Method Seven is a small company based in Santa Cruz, Calif. dedicated to redefining the eyewear experience. “Please don’t call them sunglasses” is part of their mission statement.

“Method Seven believes in purposeful performance eyewear, designed to create a harmonious equilibrium between what’s outside your eyes and inside your brain.”

My experience with my new eyewear has been just that. While at AirVenture I tried on several different types of aviation eyewear. I liked the way the Ascent fit my face. One nice aspect of this brand of eyewear is the ability to pick your level of visible light transmission, or VLT. The Ascent eyewear has four options of lenses and three levels of VLT: 9%, 2x 18% (blue or gray lens) and 30%. They also offer a 24% VLT for three types of prescription, bifocal, progressive and single vision. Check out the full Ascent line here.

I went with the SKY18 (at 18%) because my eyes are sensitive to light, and I need light cancelation in all types of light conditions. I don my eyewear even when it’s cloudy, mainly so I don’t struggle searching for my eyewear as we are popping out the top of the cloud layer. Truth is, everyone needs UV protection even when it is cloudy.

Method Seven recently sent me the Interceptor MACH15 to review. I’ve never been a huge fan of plastic-framed eyewear, especially with a sticker price over a hundred dollars, but I gave the Interceptor a fair trial. The lightness of this pair of eyewear was a little shocking because I’m used to metal-frame eyewear with some weight to them, but after wearing them for hours in flight, I almost forgot they were there. The extra thin temple made sure the noise cancelation from my Bose A30 headset was not compromised. Compared with other sunglasses that I have used in the past, I noticed a distinguishable decrease in background noise wearing the Interceptor, which I consider a huge plus. The MACH15 has a 15% VLT, which is just slightly darker than my Ascent SKY18.

Method Seven offers the Interceptor with the classic black frame and a limited 1Moment edition with a translucent orange frame. The 1Moment edition was inspired by Sport Air Racer, Andrew Findlay. The Interceptor has several lens options from 18% VLT to Rx 24% VLT. Check out the full selection here.

Method Seven has four additional pilot-style eyewear:

The Aviatrix

The Patriot

The Altitude and

The Pilot Rx+ is their prescription-lens line that can be matched with a variety of frame styles .

If you are a prescription lens wearer, don’t miss the clip-on options, too.

All their pilot eyewear are non-polarized, which as we all know, are a must when flying aircraft! If I had a nickel for every time I had to explain to a salesperson why I need non-polarized sunglasses, I’d have at least a dollar! Let’s face it, don’t we buy sunglasses about once a year?

Method Seven also offers eyewear for horticulturists, trail runners and everyday life! Be sure to see their full selection of eyewear here. Once you select a lifestyle, their site will recall your selection for the next time you visit their site. You’ll have to scroll down to the footer to select a new style under the Experience heading.

If you haven’t given Method Seven a chance, be sure to look for them at AOPA Fly In, Sun ‘n Fun, AirVenture, Greater Alaska and Las Cruces Air Races.

(Here is their schedule. Sarina make it look good! CP)