The Holbrook Mix is the Holbrook for people who liked the shape and wanted a little more finish on it. Same flat top bar and same squared lenses that turned the original Holbrook into the default Oakley at every boat ramp, tailgate, and gas station pump in the country, but built from metal and O Matter in one frame instead of plastic alone, and cut a few millimeters narrower. If you have the Mix open in one tab and the regular Holbrook in another and you are trying to work out what the difference actually is, this guide lays it out with the real measurements and lens options from our catalog.
What the Oakley Holbrook Mix is
The Oakley Holbrook Mix (model OO9384) is a lifestyle sunglass with a square shape. The lenses are Plutonite, Oakley's polycarbonate lens material, which blocks 100% of UVA, UVB, and UVC and filters blue light up to 400nm. High Definition Optics keeps the view sharp out to the edges of the lens instead of only in the middle. All three versions we stock use Prizm lenses, Oakley's contrast-tuned tint, and the frame is recommended for oval and round faces, which tracks with the shape: a straight brow and visible corners give a softer face some structure.
It is also worth being clear about what the Mix is not. It is not a safety glass. The Holbrook Mix carries no ANSI Z87.1 mark, the same as the rest of Oakley's mainline lifestyle catalog, which we cover in detail in Are Oakley Sunglasses Z87 Rated? Wear it on the weekend, on the water, on the drive in. If the job site requires rated eyewear, skip ahead to the section on work.
The three Holbrook Mix versions we carry
There are three versions of the Mix in our catalog right now, and the lens is the real decision between them more than the frame color.
- Polished Black with Prizm Black Polarized. The darkest lens of the three, with polarization to cut the flat white glare that bounces off water, wet pavement, and the hood of a truck. This is the one for bright, open, all-day sun.
- Steel with Prizm Sapphire Polarized. Also polarized, with Sapphire's blue reflective finish on the outside. The steel frame color reads lighter and a little dressier than the black, which suits the Mix since the whole point of it is a cleaner-looking Holbrook.
- Woodgrain with Prizm Black. The only non-polarized option. That can be an advantage rather than a downgrade: polarized lenses can black out some LCD screens, including phone displays, dash readouts, and the screens on equipment, at certain angles. If you spend your day reading screens outdoors, a non-polarized Prizm lens is the more practical pick.
For a deeper look at how the Prizm tints differ and which lens suits which light, see Oakley Prizm Lenses Explained.
Holbrook Mix vs Holbrook, Holbrook Metal, and Holbrook XL
Oakley sells enough Holbrooks to fill a parking lot, and the numbers are where the differences show up. All measurements come from our product listings.
- Holbrook Mix: 57mm lens, 17mm bridge, 135mm frame width, 43mm lens height, 138mm temple.
- Holbrook: 57mm lens, 18mm bridge, 140mm frame width, 43mm lens height, 137mm temple.
- Holbrook Metal: 55mm lens, 18mm bridge, 134mm frame width, 43mm lens height, 132mm temple.
- Holbrook XL: 59mm lens, 18mm bridge, 140mm frame width, 46mm lens height, 137mm temple.
Read those side by side and the Mix has a specific personality. It keeps the full 57mm lens of the original Holbrook but trims the overall frame width by 5mm and the bridge by 1mm. That means the same amount of lens in front of your eyes on a frame that sits a little closer to a medium or narrower face, and a touch snugger on a narrow nose bridge. The Holbrook Metal goes narrower still but gives up 2mm of lens width to get there. The XL goes the other way entirely, with a wider, taller lens for big faces and anyone who wants maximum coverage. There is also a Holbrook Ti at the top of the range, 133mm wide in titanium, for buyers who want titanium and are happy to pay for it.
The other difference is choice. The standard Holbrook comes in dozens of frame and lens combinations, so if you want a specific Prizm tint like Tungsten Polarized or Road Jade, the original is where you will find it. The Mix is a short list of three, chosen for looks.
The Mix keeps the full 57mm Holbrook lens and trims 5mm off the frame, so it sits closer on a medium face without giving up any view.
Who the Holbrook Mix is for
Buy the Mix if you like the Holbrook shape but find the original a little wide, or if you want the metal accent that makes it look less like a pair you bought at the airport. It suits medium and slightly narrow faces, and oval and round face shapes in particular, which our guide to the best Oakley sunglasses for a round face explains in more depth.
Go to the Holbrook XL instead if the standard Holbrook already feels tight at the temples, and stay with the original Holbrook if you want the widest choice of lenses or a specific Prizm sport tint. If you are torn between two sizes, the 135mm versus 140mm frame width is the number to compare against a pair you already own and like.
If you need your sunglasses to count at work
Plenty of people wear Holbrooks on a job site because they already own them. That does not make them compliant. OSHA's eye and face protection rule, 29 CFR 1910.133, points to the ANSI Z87.1 standard, and a lifestyle frame without the mark does not meet it no matter how well it fits.
If you want the Oakley name on a pair that is actually rated, look at the Oakley Ballistic M Frame 3.0, which clears ANSI Z87 and the military ballistic fragmentation standard and comes in clear and grey lens options. Our guide to Oakley Standard Issue covers the rest of the rated Oakley line. If you need prescription lenses in the Holbrook shape, the Oakley Holbrook RX is the everyday optical version; treat it as a regular eyeglass unless the finished pair is specifically made and marked to a safety standard.
Common questions
Is the Oakley Holbrook Mix polarized?
Two of the three versions we carry are. Polished Black with Prizm Black Polarized and Steel with Prizm Sapphire Polarized both have polarized lenses. Woodgrain with Prizm Black is not polarized, which makes it the better choice if you read phone or equipment screens outdoors.
What is the difference between the Holbrook and the Holbrook Mix?
The Mix combines metal and O Matter in the frame, where the standard Holbrook is O Matter. The Mix is also narrower at 135mm frame width against 140mm, with a 17mm bridge against 18mm, while keeping the same 57mm lens width and 43mm lens height.
Is the Holbrook Mix Z87 rated?
No. The Holbrook Mix is a lifestyle sunglass and carries no ANSI Z87.1 mark. For rated Oakley eyewear, look at Standard Issue models such as the Ballistic M Frame 3.0.
Will the Holbrook Mix fit a large head?
At 135mm wide it runs on the medium side of the Holbrook family. If the standard 140mm Holbrook already feels snug, the Holbrook XL, with a 59mm lens and 46mm lens height, is the better fit.
The Holbrook Mix is a small refinement of a shape that has earned its place, and if the measurements line up with your face, it is the best-finished Holbrook short of titanium. Browse the full range of Oakley sunglasses to compare it against the rest of the lineup.
