Wiley X American Sniper JAKL Sunglasses

The Wiley X JAKL American Sniper Signature Series sunglasses are built to deliver high-performance protection and comfort for a wide range of activities—from shooting and range use to everyday outdoor use.

Developed in partnership with Colton Kyle, son of the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, these glasses combine advanced lens technology from Wiley X with a subtle nod to the American Sniper legacy – featuring the iconic Bone Frog.

I recently had the chance to talk with Colton, who’s been a core part in carrying forward his dad’s brand while making it his own through collaborations like this. The JAKL American Sniper edition is just one product among many that Colton hopes to bring more attention to.

Colton hopes to eventually bring more products to the American Sniper store, including optics, and other gear that he and the industry sees as some of the best in the business but also have good value to the customer and aren’t just needlessly expenisive – Wiley X is certainly a company I would say is worhty of that name when it comes to protective eyewear for shooters.

Today, we’ll take a look at a pair of American Sniper Brand Wiley X JAKLs to see what they have to offer.

Specifications and Features

The American Sniper edition JAKL sunglasses are virtually identical to the standard edition of the Wiley X JAKLs ($210). However, there is some brand flair and color changes in there to make these unique. But as it stands, here is what both the American Sniper JAKLs, as well as the standard Wiley X JAKLs, offer the end user.

• Frame: Made from Triloid Nylon, known for its remarkable toughness and flexibility, the matte-black semi-rimless frame features red rubber accents that enhance grip and add a little bit of extra style. The “ultra-lightweight” frame weighs just 22 grams (0.78 oz), so it doesn’t add any significant weight to your EDC or range gear.
• Lens Tech: The glasses come standard with Wiley X’s proprietary CAPTIVATE lenses, which are said to significantly boost contrast and color vibrancy while overall reducing glare. Basically, what this means is that you’ll notice sharper details and improved depth perception in comparison to monochromatic amber or smoke lenses.
• Lens Material: The JAKLs are made from shatterproof Selenite Polycarbonate; the lenses are supposed to be “10 times more impact-resistant than traditional glass”, meeting ANSI Z87.1+ standards for high-velocity and high-mass impact protection. The glasses also carry MIL-PRF-32432A ballistic certifications, ensuring top-tier safety. Since I plan on using these glasses for a while, I’m not going to durability test these just yet, but when I go to retire them, I’ll check back in with you guys to give you a true protection and durability test.
• Coatings: The lenses come coated with Wiley X’s T-Shell scratch-resistant finish to keep them looking pristine. They also have an anti-fog treatment that prevents condensation during temperature swings and physical exertion. An oleophobic coating repels oils, fingerprints, and water to make cleaning much easier than with other lens coatings that leave streaks and oils on top.
• Fit and Comfort: The embedded hydrophilic rubber nose pads and flexible rubber temple tips are there to provide a secure and comfortable hold that adapts better as you sweat, preventing any slipping without applying too much pressure to your temples. The semi-rimless design is meant to allow better airflow to reduce heat buildup and fogging.
• Lens Interchangeability: The JAKL features a lens system that allows you to quickly switch lenses for different lighting conditions and environments. Whether you need polarized lenses for sunny days, clear lenses for low-light situations, or specialty tints, the glasses adapt easily. Prescription lenses are an option for the JAKL line of glasses, but if you do get prescription lenses, you’ll lose the ability to interchange lenses.
• Protection: The website states that these lenses provide 100% UVA and UVB protection, shielding your eyes from harmful sun rays during extended outdoor use. The lenses on the Chris Kyle American Sniper Brand Signature Series glasses are not polarized.

On the American Sniper website, these can be picked up for $160, or you can buy them directly from Wiley X for the same price, meaning that the American Sniper brand is not jacking up pricing on their own site – a good thing. However, unlike some of the more expensive variants of the JAKL line, these do not come with replacement lenses, but those can be ordered from Wiley X for about $40 a pair.

While the core tactical performance, fit, and lens technology are consistent between the American Sniper edition and the regular Wiley X JAKL sunglasses, the special edition version features unique design elements and colorways that differentiate it at least visually, but in a fairly subtle way.

A feature that is easy to miss, but might be a really cool nod to the brand, is the featuring of the “Bone Frog” logo. A nod to the Navy Seals, this design was originally drawn by Keith Kimura, a Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class belonging to the legendary SEALS. Being a frog, the frog image itself is an obvious nod to the SEALs’ heritage as “frogmen.” Keith, unfortunately, died in a training accident in 1998, leading to the image’s adoption as a tattoo by many other SEALs. Joey Nobody, based out of Virginia Beach, has since freehanded thousands of Bone Frog tattoos for SEALS over the years, making it almost a symbol that is not only a badge of honor for the SEALs, but a symbol that honors their fallen brother.

Everyday Use

Using the Wiley X JAKL American Sniper sunglasses for everyday and outdoor purposes has been largely positive. One of the first things you notice is how lightweight and comfortable the frames are compared to metal or rounded temples.

The soft rubber nose pads and temple tips keep the glasses locked in place securely on your face without causing any pressure points, making them pretty comfortable to wear as everyday sunglasses or under over-the-ear hearing protection, which typically makes poorly designed eyepro hurt during extended use with earpro.

The semi-rimless design, as mentioned above, does actually provide excellent ventilation, greatly reducing issues with lens fogging, which I historically have issues with, even with all the advanced lens coatings and designs out there. For me, I’ve found that open top shield or rimless style glasses work best for me, even though they often technically provide less protection than fully rimmed glasses. Even when moving between cool shade and bright sunlight or working up a sweat, fogging is minimal compared to other full-frame glasses. This open-top design makes a notable difference, especially for those who wear glasses during the summer months or who wear sunglasses when exercising outside (I, for example, use the JAKLs during tennis).

Optical clarity through the CAPTIVATE lenses is great and reminds me of a couple of other similar lens technologies that are meant to keep your view clear from any sort of color distortion, while still giving you protection from the bright light itself. At least to my eye, it seems that colors contrast much better in extremely bright conditions, and don’t seem to dim things too much in cloudy conditions. To my eye, the lenses seem to be free from image distortion, which is a pretty important feature whether you’re shooting, driving, or doing something else that requires some amount of visual tracking or depth perception. Glare reduction works well, and the black mirror tint seen in the American Sniper edition looks sharp and tactical without being as ostentatious or conspicuous as some of the other color-based reflective lenses.

Although the JAKLs excel for general use, they aren’t my preferred choice for shooting eyewear. I usually opt for shield-style lenses, which offer way more coverage and often feature a 100% rimless design, making them great for visual clarity when shooting. This means the JAKLs have become my favored glasses for things like driving, fishing, tennis, running, and daily wear rather than dedicated shooting sessions, where I personally prefer a very specific type of lens to shoot with.

From what I’ve read online, other users have reported similar impressions: lightweight feel, great lens coatings that keep them clear and scratch-resistant, and a neat design that fits well under helmets or hearing protection. Although I haven’t personally tried it, I’ve read that the interchangeable lens system offers some unique utility for switching in lens tints or clarity options quickly, which adds versatility for multi-environment use – something I’ve actually done myself with different brands of shooting eye protection to great effect.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a fan of the novel, the film, or the real history of “The American Sniper” Chris Kyle, the special edition’s design honors the service and values of Chris, while supporting veterans through the American Sniper Brand, giving buyers a meaningful way to back a worthy cause that is now spearheaded by his son Colton.

Beyond that, the Wiley X American Sniper JAKL sunglasses do a pretty good job of blending high-performance tactical protection with all-day comfort and style, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for those who are familiar with Wiley X’s other products – they simply are one of the biggest and best names in the eye protection business. Their impact-resistant lenses, advanced CAPTIVATE tint technology, and durable yet feather-light frames make them worthy of recommending to anyone who’s got the scratch for a $160 pair of sunglasses. While this might seem like a lot, let’s not forget that some people spend well in excess of double that for sunglasses that don’t even offer any sort of ballistic or impact protection. The JAKLs, in addition to being sunglasses, are particularly well-suited to active people who often need to use eye protection for work, but also need the comfort sunglasses provide.

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