Let me guess, you guys are utterly confused about the best brand that provides high-class performance and is perfect for outdoor lovers and athletes.
And you know that both Pit Viper and Oakley provide these, but have to make a choice for the better one between them?
You need not worry anymore because I have solved all your problems! Here in this article, I have made a clear-cut distinction between the brands. So now it’s your turn to decide the winner between the comparison of Oakley vs Pit Vipers.
Pit Viper
Pit Viper was founded by Chuck Mumford and Chris Garcin in 2012. Based in Utah, this brand is the ideal choice of eyewear for outdoor enthusiasts who lead radiant life. Their sunglasses have a bold and eccentric design which are signifying style and adventure at the same time.
The brand has gained popularity among skiers, snowboarders, bikers, etc… That is because Pit Viper has a collection of high-quality sunglasses which has great functionality. The Pit Viper collection is mainly inspired by the style trends of the 80s and the 90s, as can be suggested from their website which has quite an archaic design.
The Pit Vipers has become quite a popular name within a few years of its founding and this can be credited to their straightforward and truthful means of providing the best service to their customers.
Oakley
Founded by James Jannard in 1975, Oakley is a brand that is mainly directed toward athletes but also provides a classy collection to the general public too. The brand which initially started with motorbike grips, is now a giant in the eyewear industry and has an extra collection of apparel, footwear, and other accessories as well.
It has gained popularity due to its focus on developing new technology for making its products more efficient in their performance. All the material that they use is of top quality and gives their 100% to the user.
It has become a reputed name in eyewear as well as the sports industry. Their devotion to innovations and functionality has made them popular among various athletes and the public as well.
Comparison of Pit Viper and Oakley
Brand Popularity
Both Pit Viper and Oakley offer products of the same kind and are quite popular among their target audience who are also the same.
But if we compare their popularity among the general public on social media, then Oakley will emerge as the winner. That is because Oakley has a following of 2.5M + on Instagram, 5M + on Facebook, and 350K + on Twitter, whereas Pit Vipers has a mere 800K + followers on Instagram, 260K + followers on Facebook, and 20k + followers on Twitter.
Retail Distribution
The Pit Viper currently does not have any physical store yet but you can buy their products from various other retail stores that sell sunglasses. You can also buy their products from their official website. Always remember, that if you want to be sure of the authenticity of the product then you should always buy the product directly from their website. Their website is quite a bit of a hassle, but bear with it if you want the real-authentic Pit Viper.
Oakley is a brand in its late 40s, so it is very obvious that they are having much more stores compared to Pit Viper which has no store under its name. Oakley has 170-180 stores across all of America and apart from their own stores, you can also buy their products from retail stores. Amazon also provides Oakley products at a discounted rate.
Price Range
The Pit Viper, even though it uses high-quality materials to make their products, has a very decent price range. The Pit Viper’s sunglasses will cost less than $50 but not more than $100. The Grand Prix series offers you the cheapest products from Pit Viper and their most expensive series is The Fondue. However, if you want to upgrade these and buy higher quality products from the same series then the polarized ones will cost you around $130.
Oakley, being a brand from the 70s, has grown a lot in its brand quotient and so has its price quotient. The Oakley sunglasses cost more than $100, and their expensive sunglasses can cost up to around $500.
Pit Viper sunglasses will cost you way less than Oakley sunglasses which can cost you up to $400 and more. But in the case of Pit Viper, you can buy good quality sunglasses for less than $100. However, not all Oakley sunglasses cost you around $400. You can find most of them in the range of $100 to $250 like Oakley Holbrook XL and Oakley Turbine Rotor.
Variety of Styles
The Pit Viper offers many different styles in the court of various sunglasses industries even when it’s not a very old name. These styles are quite unique and inimitable. These are the Original, the 2000s, the Grand Prix, The Merika, the Exciters, the Nightfall, etc… It has quite a cool collection for sporty nerds, but being a part of the general public I loved The Admirer series. Those heart-shaped frames have got the best of me!
When it comes to the evergreen player in this field, Oakley, they definitely have various styles for us in their bag. Some of these are the Holbrook, the Flaks, the Gascans, the Crosshairs, the Frogskins, the Turbines, the Split Shots, etc… And, if you are an unsporty person like me, you should definitely check out the classic and unfathomable, Oakley Frogskins.
When it comes to their style variety, both the brands have done a pretty good job but if we talk about the collection, Oakley has a larger collection with 1000+ products compared to Pit Vipers which has a little more than 200 products.
Materials Used
The Pit Viper uses high-quality materials in their product manufacturing. The Pit Viper frames are made up of materials like Grilamind which is flexible and provides utmost comfort to the user. They provide polarized lenses for clear images and visuals.
Oakley is known for using Unobtanium in its products for making the nose pads which makes the grip strong, flexible, and comfortable. For making the frames it uses Titanium, Steel, Plutonite, etc…
Warranty & Customer Service
Pit Viper offers a warranty period of a lifetime to the customers, claiming that their products can never go wrong because of manufacturing defects. They mention that whenever the users think that their Pit Viper sunglasses are not working well, they can always apply for a replacement or a return. Very responsible of you Pit Viper I must say!
Oakley, on the other hand, provides a 2-year warranty to their users. However, this warranty is only available for those products that have a manufacturing defect or are found to be wearing away after a few usages.
Which One Would I Choose?
Both brands are equally good and popular. But since Oakley has more experience & expensive, its quality is better than Pit Viper because the latter is not really a performance-based brand. Pit Viper’s products are mainly for serving fashion purposes. So if you’re an athlete, you should definitely choose Oakley.
Pit Viper will be my best option because it is still much more affordable than Oakley and offers good enough performance when it stands alone.
If I have to tell you about my favorite sunglasses from both Oakley and Pit Vipers, then these are my choices: The Miami Night Admirer & The Playmate 2000s from Pit Vipers, and Oakley Flak 2.0 XL & Oakley Crosshair Aviator from Oakley.
Now, the choice is yours.
