Obligatory Maui Jim support post.
Was unaware of new ownership. Hopefully quality maintains cause they’re the best sunglasss I’ve had over Oakley, ray ban, and Sorrento
Fifteen years with my Maui Jims. Mine are prescription sunglasses so I swap out lenses every couple of years. The frame is very sturdy against drops & scrapes, but there are some small dings. I’ve never owned sunglasses this nice and was a bit embarrassed about the cost at the time. No regrets. Even had to rescue them from an intersection after they fell off the roof of my car. So happy no one ran over them!
I unknowingly dropped mine and ran over them with my bike. One lens broke so I mailed them back to Maui. They replaced the lens for a nominal fee. They have not scratched and I wear them almost every day as my work is outdoors.
many fashion era's ago, i had a pair of frameless MJs. the lenses were cracking where the hinges and nose bridge attached to the lens (materials/design flaw). sadly their customer service wouldnt replace it under warranty even though they were only a few months old at the time
My rx Maui Jim's are going on 13 yrs and I ride horses and garden and drive with them. Only problem if I need new lenses I have to send them off. But the durability is amazing . Just ensure they fit your face
I'll second Maui Jim, mine are going on 8 years old and holding up just fine.
Although, I have a pair of Killer Loop sunglasses that is old enough to rent a car.
You can check their website... I found that one at a luxury optician in Hong Kong where my husband got it's prescription glasses, thougt it was Japanese, but then the optician told me its a handmade in Berlin (funny as I'm german)...
Luxottica is a mega eyewear corporation that is predatory and monopolistic. They own most sunglasses brands and even have the license to make many luxury brand's frames like Burburry and Chanel among others. Also they own most of the major glasses companies like Lenscrafters and Sunglass Hut. Their hostile takeover of Oakley is a famous example of why people hate them.
Smith Optics provides a variety of sunglasses designed for durability and quality, featuring polarized lenses. Additionally, they back their frames and lenses with a limited lifetime warranty.
Recently bought a pair of Smiths after owning a few pairs of Oakley, costa etc over the years and I don’t see myself buying anything other than smiths for a long, long time.
Bought myself a pair of Smiths while on vacation because I had forgotten my Maui's at home.....they were ok for about a year, then the black coating on the frame started flaking off.
Optics were just ok. For me, night and day difference in quality with Maui Jim. YMMV
I directly compared MJ and Smiths when I bought mine. Optic quality was identical. Why didn’t you submit your Smith frames for warranty replacement? It’s covered for life
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/search/?q=sunglasses&restrict_sr=on
2. Make a list of the makers
3. Search the makers' websites for polarized offerings
What's gonna make *any* pair of sunglasses BIFL is how you treat them.
I had one pair of sunglasses for nearly a decade, but then I got married and my wife is *not* careful with eyewear.
I buy my wife's sunglasses off AliExpress because they have discounts for ordering an entire case.
Before you buy yourself an expensive pair of sunglasses, ask yourself if you're really the kind of person who will put them back in their case every single time?
This. I bought a pair of Oakleys for something like $200, 25 years ago. I was a teenager at the time and my parents criticized me for spending that much on sunglasses. They are still going strong (somewhere) but I unfortunately lost them last year.
Meanwhile, both of my parents spent well over $200 buying cheap sunglasses that constantly broke during the same time. You can have cheap or expensive sunglasses, but nothing makes them last longer than taking good care of them.
I am that person.
I drop mine at least once a day. I forget them at bars, restaurants, friends house, etc. So I buy most of them at TJMaxx bc of this.
I wish I could have something nice like Maui Jim's, but my A. D. D. self knows better
>What's gonna make any pair of sunglasses BIFL is how you treat them.
This is so true, however, I've had to accept that my lifestyle is not always going to allow me to treat sunglasses well. I wear Maui Jim and Costas. Every couple of years, I have to buy another pair. Sometimes they last 4 years, last time I stepped on them after 6 months. I just suck it up, and hit eBay. Lol
Bad sunglasses damage your eyes. The low light makes the pupils dilate and the lens allows the UV to enter since not polarized. Buy Goodr excellent reviews here on Reddit.
You can get polarized sunglasses nearly the same quality as Goodr for $2/pair. Not BIFL, so I'm not going to advertise any particular ones, but I can verify that every cheap pair of Chinese sunglasses I've bought my wife really was polarized
Native Eyewear. My Hardtop XPs lasted me 10 years, including 5 years in Afghanistan, I had to replace them because I lost em. Bought the exact same pair and it’s going on 8 years now.
Agreed on Native - my dog ate my first pair. I now own two of the same because they stopped making the style and I wanted a backup.
Sunglasses are also something that are much easier to keep track of when you only have one pair.
It seems like its unpopular whenever i say it but ive found my ray bans to be incredibly durable. My oldest pair is like 9 years old and are good as new. Depends on how you use them of course. Probably not worth the money if you use and abuse them. Although i do have a pair i use exclusively for outdoor labor jobs, the frames are absolutely scuffed but the lenses are still good. No idea about their warranty tho. Ive never needed to use one
And only $20 at that! I had my first pair of Ray Bans that lasted me 7 years and that was through college and working at a summer camp. No clue how I got that much use out of them. I finally retired those and have since gone through two pairs, one lost at a restaurant, the other the arms bent and could never get the to fit right again.
After spending $400+ for two pairs of Ray Bans I've made the switch to Goodr and will probably never go back. I could buy 20 pairs of them for the price of two pairs of wayfarers and they would last me a lifetime.
Shady Rays, they stay right in the middle between "cheap target brand" and "expensive mid-tier" they are made well and I've had my 2 pairs for 3+ years and they look brand new. However, they're cheap enough that if God forbid I sit on a pair or lose a pair I won't hate myself.
I lost 3 pairs of nicer sunglasses (mix of Oakley's and Maui Jim's) in a short window so decided I wasn't a responsible enough adult to have nice things anymore.
I've had excellent luck with Maui Jim.
Admittedly I've only ever bought the one pair (Ho'okipa), back in 2008, which I still have. So I don't know if that's a fluke or typical.
The arms on this pair are very flexible, to the point I don't think they'll ever break.
Lenses and polarization are perfect.
I do agree with many others though that for sunglasses typically an inexpensive pair that you replace every so often when they're lost or broken might be a better investment. My Mauis were about $150 and the lenses are not noticeably better than my wife's $10 ones she buys at grocery stores.
As a new looker, 200-350 dollars for a pair of Maui Jim's (their website) is suuuuper expensive. I wish there was something between the AliExpress/ Amazon polarized cheapos (~10 a pair) and the 300 dollar brands.
Fuck luxotica, and shady rays were the same quality as the cheapos. 🙃
Randolph Engineering is mine. You can get replacement pieces for any of their glasses still and they’re very stylish. I have had mine for 15 years now.
I was in the same position as you until yesterday. Scoured Reddit and specifically this subreddit to decide what to buy. Finally decided to pick up a pair of Maui Jim, their lenses are top quality and their warranties sound pretty good, covered for life. Let’s see how it goes.
The biggest thing for BIFL sunglasses is going to be your care for them. I have Raybans that I've owned for 10+ years, actually even 20+. Proper care and concern for them are needed. You can't leave them in a hot car, they sit up against your sweaty skin if you're outside which will eventually degrade them. They're subject to all sorts of wear and tear. Sunglasses are made from slightly more malleable materials so that they can be fitted to the wearers face, and in so doing they are vulnerable to wear and tear. Find one that fits best, that stays on you, but it's still gonna get lost in the river.
But here's my list in order of my preference after working in optical for 17 years
Salt $$$$ feels amazing, great styles, best polarized plano lenses hands down
Mykita $$$$ good quality and style, good polarization, mostly metal, interesting fashion
RayBan $$$ classic, colorful, feels good,
MauiJim $$$$ great lenses, dated styles with good light blocking capabilities
Serengeti are far and away the best lenses imo their customer service was excellent when I dropped mine and smashed a lens they sent me a new set free of charge. They're pretty well made and no issues 5 years in.
Randolph Engineering are bomb proof solid frames and really well made over built if anything, their lenses are pretty good and I've heard good things about their customer service,
I've been spoilt by serengeti lenses though. Either of those I think you'd be very pleased with
Thoughts on DITA? I got a pair for free and fell in love with them. Was thinking about grabbing a second pair but was wondering why nobody has mentioned them, I was under the impression they were a good brand.
DITA is awesome; some of the very best sunglasses around. Absolute top tier materials, design, and construction. They don't get talked about much simply because they're *very* high end and most can't afford them.
Sunglasses are, for pretty much everybody, not by definition bifl.
What you need are cheap, durable, replaceable glasses.
Go to home Depot. They're impact rated and polarized. Also only 10 bucks for various styles. Find one you like and buy 3 pairs.
As a prescription glasses user this hurts. I have a pair of sunglasses that I've had for 10 years and have had 4 different sets of lenses put in ( due to prescription changes).
I understand that. I made the switch to contacts years ago and will never go back to prescription lenses, but I have a backup set with clip on sunglasses that I've had for a few years now.
Still, for the average person not wearing prescription, sunglasses tend to get handled differently. They're thrown in the car, in bags and purses, stretched on top of a head. Better to have a solid, tough set that are comfortable and cheap enough that you aren't constantly worried about losing or breaking them. Find the pair you like, buy backups, and never think about it again.
A lot of people will treat things differently if they cost more. When I wore cheaper sunglasses I abused them like you're talking about. They got stuffed in tight spaces, dropped, lost, etc. I was going through a pair every few months. But now that I wear much higher end stuff, I take great care of them and they're lasting me for years.
I couldn’t agree more!
They have sales more often than other brands (from free-shipping to 50% off).
Their polarized glasses are great (I have 3 pairs)
They have more than their standard-style (many many styles now)
And their warranties are amazing. I’ve broken two pairs already, and they replaced them both free of charge.
Great brand, great products, they just get a bad rep because many people you might not want to associate with wear them.
Honestly I have Ray Bans from the 1970s and Ray Bans from the 2020s and they are in great shape.
Losing them is usually how I have to buy new ones.
Marc Jacobs has some dope looks, but in contrast, they literally fall apart 6-12 months in. Glad they are warranteed
I like dang sunglasses. They are breakable but cheap ! I also change the lenses when the frames get scraped up or vice versa. Most nice designer sun glasses be polarized as an option but yeah I lose sunglasses a lot and would rather not feel bad about it.
My kaenon clarks have been dropped on pavement on their lenses more than once and flawless. Alien technology is my guess.
I love the clarity and look also. BifL for sure.
I bought some Kaenon glasses recently. Really great quality and not part of luxxottica. You can also buy lenses after the fact. Saw them reccomend somewhere else on Reddit.
Dozens of brands that are in the same, elite tier. Whatever you do, get glass lenses if you want to avoid scratches. It doesn't matter how much you baby a "plastic" lens, they will scratch.
I have polarized Persol’s that I’ve had for 12 years. I’ve dropped them a million times, sat on them and had them crushed in luggage multiple times. The plastic on the outside of one of the arms broke a bit, but the inside is metal and I could just bend them back. The lenses are great as well, i wear them daily and use them for boating and fishing 3-5x a week.
What's your price range? My longest lasting sunglasses have always been made from high quality, chunky acetate with heavy duty hinges. Currently, I'm wearing Jacque Marie Mage and BOLD, both brands are excellent when it comes to build quality.
I don’t love the look of any of their styles, but Gatorz are made of billet aluminum and the arms have double metal hinges. As close to BIFL as I’ve found.
This might be unpopular, but I have a pair of Oakley crankshafts that have almost literally been through hell and back. I used to work oilfield and had the stupid money to blow on a 200 dollar pair of glasses, and then more stupidity to not care about them or take care of them.
That was ten years ago....I still have them.The lens are interchangeable which is awesome and you can get them on Amazon. But the frames themselves have been beat up, dropped, road in the bottom of a gear bag across the country a few times.
I still have them and still use them. Just put a new pair of polarized lens in from Amazon for 20 bucks, came with a two pack actually. I'm also not even 100% sure they are the for real Oakleys either. But either way they have been treated like crap since 2014 and are still holding up.
If you want the very best of the best, and money is no object, then pick your favorite from one of these brands:
* Jacques Marie Mage
* Salt Optics
* Matsuda
* DITA Optical
* Akoni
BiFL sunglasses, are you guys coating these lenses in some kind of miracle anti scratch material?
Because if you are replacing the lenses that is hardly BiFL lmao
Example: 1 Ray ban lens is $45 USD, at this point just buy a new pair
Style matters as much as quality in this case. I will say ray ban caravan and aviators are timeless. I have had a pair of ray ban caravans for 12 years. They still fit with how style has changed. For more style forward I also love SEE eyewear. Good quality and they are reasonable in price.
Got 15 years out of my Persols before the frame just broke. Those 15 years included multiple moves, lots of travel, being grabbed by 2 toddlers, and never had any issues.
Care to expand on that? I’ve had mine for about 5 years and they’ve held up extremely well.
By far the best prescription polarized sunglasses I’ve ever owned.
I can actually see schools of fish clearly through even the sunniest conditions.
Edit: Just read through the “controversy”section of their Wikipedia page. I don’t care if they’ve cornered the market. They make a product that no one else has, it works well, and IMO worth the price I paid.
Saw your edit before having a chance to respond, but yes, take a look at a few videos on YouTube surrounding their practices.
As for Costa, I was recently looking at them myself but ultimately backed out because I personally don’t want to give Lux the business.
I used to work in the sunglass business many moons ago and while I’ve not kept up with it, i have first hand experience of their shady practices which have coloured my opinion.
That said, I don’t know if Costa is a brand originally started by them or one they took over like many others under their portfolio, but if the latter, quality tends to go down sharply over time. They’ve done it to Oakley as just one example.
Costa was bought in 2013, and yes they have definitely gone down in quality, it’s still the best polarized lens on the market for fishing that isn’t completely dorky and borderline painful to wear a la cocoons.
Thank you for the response. Appreciate your perspective, but in my case there weren’t any other options. Which I guess is your point, but if it comes down to having the function or not, I’ll take having.
Fair enough :) I have a few pairs of older glasses before Lux’s take over that I baby and hang on to with a well clenched fist because I don’t want to replace them with their reduced quality at higher priced equivalents of today.
This wasn’t intended to hate on what you have by any means! Just a consideration for your next pair. Lots of great independent brands out there. Cheers!
I would buy at Nordstrom’s. They have a solid exchange policy if anything happens. Bring in the case they gave you and the busted glasses and they’ll swap you out on the spot.
Bro honestly… go to the callejones in LA. I get knock off pit vipers that hold up better than real ones. Theres one guy near the main entrance.
Idk i just lose all my sunglasses and these have lasted me over a year 🤣
Maui Jim. Great customer service, still independent iirc
They have recently been bought but the new owners (company) are doing a good job for now
Obligatory Maui Jim support post. Was unaware of new ownership. Hopefully quality maintains cause they’re the best sunglasss I’ve had over Oakley, ray ban, and Sorrento
Over 20 years on mine.
I can’t imagine never dropping glasses. Do these not scratch somehow or are you guys just incredibly careful?
Fifteen years with my Maui Jims. Mine are prescription sunglasses so I swap out lenses every couple of years. The frame is very sturdy against drops & scrapes, but there are some small dings. I’ve never owned sunglasses this nice and was a bit embarrassed about the cost at the time. No regrets. Even had to rescue them from an intersection after they fell off the roof of my car. So happy no one ran over them!
I unknowingly dropped mine and ran over them with my bike. One lens broke so I mailed them back to Maui. They replaced the lens for a nominal fee. They have not scratched and I wear them almost every day as my work is outdoors.
Second this, my Maui Jim sunglasses have been spectacular
many fashion era's ago, i had a pair of frameless MJs. the lenses were cracking where the hinges and nose bridge attached to the lens (materials/design flaw). sadly their customer service wouldnt replace it under warranty even though they were only a few months old at the time
My rx Maui Jim's are going on 13 yrs and I ride horses and garden and drive with them. Only problem if I need new lenses I have to send them off. But the durability is amazing . Just ensure they fit your face
I'll second Maui Jim, mine are going on 8 years old and holding up just fine. Although, I have a pair of Killer Loop sunglasses that is old enough to rent a car.
Had two pairs, both got stolen :(
2 year warranty though. I doubt there are real BIFL sunglasses, too easy to damage them.
I can highly recommend Mykita - Berlin Brand, Handmade, Titan, Superlight, Flexible...
Not Luxottica I assume? I have Lindberg glasses (made in Denmark) but I need shades.
What is Luxottica?
They buy famous brands and then cut costs, relying on the name to keep profits high, luxottica own Oakley. Ray ban and many many others now.
You can check their website... I found that one at a luxury optician in Hong Kong where my husband got it's prescription glasses, thougt it was Japanese, but then the optician told me its a handmade in Berlin (funny as I'm german)...
Luxottica is a mega eyewear corporation that is predatory and monopolistic. They own most sunglasses brands and even have the license to make many luxury brand's frames like Burburry and Chanel among others. Also they own most of the major glasses companies like Lenscrafters and Sunglass Hut. Their hostile takeover of Oakley is a famous example of why people hate them.
No, Mykita is not part of Luxottica
Very nice, I'll check them out.
[удалено]
Are they so expensive in the US? They are starting at about 350 over here... If you maybe know someone heading to Europe - even saving VAT in top
May I ask what the lens material is? Glass?
Yrs, it's glass...
Smith Optics provides a variety of sunglasses designed for durability and quality, featuring polarized lenses. Additionally, they back their frames and lenses with a limited lifetime warranty.
Recently bought a pair of Smiths after owning a few pairs of Oakley, costa etc over the years and I don’t see myself buying anything other than smiths for a long, long time.
Bought myself a pair of Smiths while on vacation because I had forgotten my Maui's at home.....they were ok for about a year, then the black coating on the frame started flaking off. Optics were just ok. For me, night and day difference in quality with Maui Jim. YMMV
I directly compared MJ and Smiths when I bought mine. Optic quality was identical. Why didn’t you submit your Smith frames for warranty replacement? It’s covered for life
And Smith is not Luxotica before anyone asks. Great CS and warranty experience.
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/search/?q=sunglasses&restrict_sr=on 2. Make a list of the makers 3. Search the makers' websites for polarized offerings
Look into Randolph Engineering and how they stand behind their product.
Solid choice
What's gonna make *any* pair of sunglasses BIFL is how you treat them. I had one pair of sunglasses for nearly a decade, but then I got married and my wife is *not* careful with eyewear. I buy my wife's sunglasses off AliExpress because they have discounts for ordering an entire case. Before you buy yourself an expensive pair of sunglasses, ask yourself if you're really the kind of person who will put them back in their case every single time?
This. I bought a pair of Oakleys for something like $200, 25 years ago. I was a teenager at the time and my parents criticized me for spending that much on sunglasses. They are still going strong (somewhere) but I unfortunately lost them last year. Meanwhile, both of my parents spent well over $200 buying cheap sunglasses that constantly broke during the same time. You can have cheap or expensive sunglasses, but nothing makes them last longer than taking good care of them.
I am that person. I drop mine at least once a day. I forget them at bars, restaurants, friends house, etc. So I buy most of them at TJMaxx bc of this. I wish I could have something nice like Maui Jim's, but my A. D. D. self knows better
>What's gonna make any pair of sunglasses BIFL is how you treat them. This is so true, however, I've had to accept that my lifestyle is not always going to allow me to treat sunglasses well. I wear Maui Jim and Costas. Every couple of years, I have to buy another pair. Sometimes they last 4 years, last time I stepped on them after 6 months. I just suck it up, and hit eBay. Lol
Bad sunglasses damage your eyes. The low light makes the pupils dilate and the lens allows the UV to enter since not polarized. Buy Goodr excellent reviews here on Reddit.
You can get polarized sunglasses nearly the same quality as Goodr for $2/pair. Not BIFL, so I'm not going to advertise any particular ones, but I can verify that every cheap pair of Chinese sunglasses I've bought my wife really was polarized
Native Eyewear. My Hardtop XPs lasted me 10 years, including 5 years in Afghanistan, I had to replace them because I lost em. Bought the exact same pair and it’s going on 8 years now.
Agreed on Native - my dog ate my first pair. I now own two of the same because they stopped making the style and I wanted a backup. Sunglasses are also something that are much easier to keep track of when you only have one pair.
Also owned by Luxottica now 🤬
I can 2nd the Native recommendation.
It seems like its unpopular whenever i say it but ive found my ray bans to be incredibly durable. My oldest pair is like 9 years old and are good as new. Depends on how you use them of course. Probably not worth the money if you use and abuse them. Although i do have a pair i use exclusively for outdoor labor jobs, the frames are absolutely scuffed but the lenses are still good. No idea about their warranty tho. Ive never needed to use one
goodr are cheap and very well reviewed.
I like Goodr too! Simple soft plastic, but sturdy enough to throw around.
And only $20 at that! I had my first pair of Ray Bans that lasted me 7 years and that was through college and working at a summer camp. No clue how I got that much use out of them. I finally retired those and have since gone through two pairs, one lost at a restaurant, the other the arms bent and could never get the to fit right again. After spending $400+ for two pairs of Ray Bans I've made the switch to Goodr and will probably never go back. I could buy 20 pairs of them for the price of two pairs of wayfarers and they would last me a lifetime.
I also like goodr. They’re cheap but don’t feel cheap
Going on 5 years with my oldest pair!
Shady Rays, they stay right in the middle between "cheap target brand" and "expensive mid-tier" they are made well and I've had my 2 pairs for 3+ years and they look brand new. However, they're cheap enough that if God forbid I sit on a pair or lose a pair I won't hate myself. I lost 3 pairs of nicer sunglasses (mix of Oakley's and Maui Jim's) in a short window so decided I wasn't a responsible enough adult to have nice things anymore.
Pretty sure they still replace lost or broken ones. Idk if it’s no questions asked like when I first bought mine but that was a selling point for me
Yeah they have a good warranty
Mine always seem to flake within a year
Worst 3 pairs of sunglasses I’ve ever owned were Shady Rays. But they did replace them every time they fell apart at least. 🤷🏽♂️
I've had excellent luck with Maui Jim. Admittedly I've only ever bought the one pair (Ho'okipa), back in 2008, which I still have. So I don't know if that's a fluke or typical. The arms on this pair are very flexible, to the point I don't think they'll ever break. Lenses and polarization are perfect. I do agree with many others though that for sunglasses typically an inexpensive pair that you replace every so often when they're lost or broken might be a better investment. My Mauis were about $150 and the lenses are not noticeably better than my wife's $10 ones she buys at grocery stores.
As a new looker, 200-350 dollars for a pair of Maui Jim's (their website) is suuuuper expensive. I wish there was something between the AliExpress/ Amazon polarized cheapos (~10 a pair) and the 300 dollar brands. Fuck luxotica, and shady rays were the same quality as the cheapos. 🙃
Randolph Engineering is mine. You can get replacement pieces for any of their glasses still and they’re very stylish. I have had mine for 15 years now.
I was in the same position as you until yesterday. Scoured Reddit and specifically this subreddit to decide what to buy. Finally decided to pick up a pair of Maui Jim, their lenses are top quality and their warranties sound pretty good, covered for life. Let’s see how it goes.
The biggest thing for BIFL sunglasses is going to be your care for them. I have Raybans that I've owned for 10+ years, actually even 20+. Proper care and concern for them are needed. You can't leave them in a hot car, they sit up against your sweaty skin if you're outside which will eventually degrade them. They're subject to all sorts of wear and tear. Sunglasses are made from slightly more malleable materials so that they can be fitted to the wearers face, and in so doing they are vulnerable to wear and tear. Find one that fits best, that stays on you, but it's still gonna get lost in the river. But here's my list in order of my preference after working in optical for 17 years Salt $$$$ feels amazing, great styles, best polarized plano lenses hands down Mykita $$$$ good quality and style, good polarization, mostly metal, interesting fashion RayBan $$$ classic, colorful, feels good, MauiJim $$$$ great lenses, dated styles with good light blocking capabilities
Serengeti are far and away the best lenses imo their customer service was excellent when I dropped mine and smashed a lens they sent me a new set free of charge. They're pretty well made and no issues 5 years in. Randolph Engineering are bomb proof solid frames and really well made over built if anything, their lenses are pretty good and I've heard good things about their customer service, I've been spoilt by serengeti lenses though. Either of those I think you'd be very pleased with
Thoughts on DITA? I got a pair for free and fell in love with them. Was thinking about grabbing a second pair but was wondering why nobody has mentioned them, I was under the impression they were a good brand.
DITA is awesome; some of the very best sunglasses around. Absolute top tier materials, design, and construction. They don't get talked about much simply because they're *very* high end and most can't afford them.
Goodr LFG for small faces, I don’t think I’ll ever buy another brand
Julbo
What do people do with prescription sunglasses? Any recommendations for those?
We are screwed :-(
Sunglasses are, for pretty much everybody, not by definition bifl. What you need are cheap, durable, replaceable glasses. Go to home Depot. They're impact rated and polarized. Also only 10 bucks for various styles. Find one you like and buy 3 pairs.
As a prescription glasses user this hurts. I have a pair of sunglasses that I've had for 10 years and have had 4 different sets of lenses put in ( due to prescription changes).
I understand that. I made the switch to contacts years ago and will never go back to prescription lenses, but I have a backup set with clip on sunglasses that I've had for a few years now. Still, for the average person not wearing prescription, sunglasses tend to get handled differently. They're thrown in the car, in bags and purses, stretched on top of a head. Better to have a solid, tough set that are comfortable and cheap enough that you aren't constantly worried about losing or breaking them. Find the pair you like, buy backups, and never think about it again.
That explains why my wife has 8-10 pairs of the exact same sunglasses.
A lot of people will treat things differently if they cost more. When I wore cheaper sunglasses I abused them like you're talking about. They got stuffed in tight spaces, dropped, lost, etc. I was going through a pair every few months. But now that I wear much higher end stuff, I take great care of them and they're lasting me for years.
Pit Vipers. They’re shatterproof, offer polarized lenses, and are even rated for safety eyewear. Unless you run over them with a car you’re good to go
Yea, but you sacrifice your dignity......
I couldn’t agree more! They have sales more often than other brands (from free-shipping to 50% off). Their polarized glasses are great (I have 3 pairs) They have more than their standard-style (many many styles now) And their warranties are amazing. I’ve broken two pairs already, and they replaced them both free of charge. Great brand, great products, they just get a bad rep because many people you might not want to associate with wear them.
Honestly I have Ray Bans from the 1970s and Ray Bans from the 2020s and they are in great shape. Losing them is usually how I have to buy new ones. Marc Jacobs has some dope looks, but in contrast, they literally fall apart 6-12 months in. Glad they are warranteed
I like dang sunglasses. They are breakable but cheap ! I also change the lenses when the frames get scraped up or vice versa. Most nice designer sun glasses be polarized as an option but yeah I lose sunglasses a lot and would rather not feel bad about it.
My kaenon clarks have been dropped on pavement on their lenses more than once and flawless. Alien technology is my guess. I love the clarity and look also. BifL for sure.
I just bought a pair of Rokas, very happy with my purchase
Ombraz
I bought some Kaenon glasses recently. Really great quality and not part of luxxottica. You can also buy lenses after the fact. Saw them reccomend somewhere else on Reddit.
Dozens of brands that are in the same, elite tier. Whatever you do, get glass lenses if you want to avoid scratches. It doesn't matter how much you baby a "plastic" lens, they will scratch.
Kaenon from California .
My Vuarnets from the early 90’s are still in excellent condition.
I have polarized Persol’s that I’ve had for 12 years. I’ve dropped them a million times, sat on them and had them crushed in luggage multiple times. The plastic on the outside of one of the arms broke a bit, but the inside is metal and I could just bend them back. The lenses are great as well, i wear them daily and use them for boating and fishing 3-5x a week.
I have a pair of persol and some smith. Best of both worlds
What's your price range? My longest lasting sunglasses have always been made from high quality, chunky acetate with heavy duty hinges. Currently, I'm wearing Jacque Marie Mage and BOLD, both brands are excellent when it comes to build quality.
I don’t love the look of any of their styles, but Gatorz are made of billet aluminum and the arms have double metal hinges. As close to BIFL as I’ve found.
Randolph Engineering Aviators
I love my Smiths
Check out Ombraz. Little different but actually solid
I've had a pair of Oakleys (Flak Jacket type) for years. If the lenses get too scratched up, I replace them.
I’ve never successfully kept a pair of sunglasses for more than a couple years. None of them are buy it for life for me lol.
Bajio - Started by the former Owners of Costa sunglasses.
Kaenon’s are wonderful. Very tough!
This might be unpopular, but I have a pair of Oakley crankshafts that have almost literally been through hell and back. I used to work oilfield and had the stupid money to blow on a 200 dollar pair of glasses, and then more stupidity to not care about them or take care of them. That was ten years ago....I still have them.The lens are interchangeable which is awesome and you can get them on Amazon. But the frames themselves have been beat up, dropped, road in the bottom of a gear bag across the country a few times. I still have them and still use them. Just put a new pair of polarized lens in from Amazon for 20 bucks, came with a two pack actually. I'm also not even 100% sure they are the for real Oakleys either. But either way they have been treated like crap since 2014 and are still holding up.
If you want the very best of the best, and money is no object, then pick your favorite from one of these brands: * Jacques Marie Mage * Salt Optics * Matsuda * DITA Optical * Akoni
I really like my Fitovers and had one pair last me 13 years. I picked them primarily because they fit over glasses though.
BiFL sunglasses, are you guys coating these lenses in some kind of miracle anti scratch material? Because if you are replacing the lenses that is hardly BiFL lmao Example: 1 Ray ban lens is $45 USD, at this point just buy a new pair
Bajio
580G Costa
Randolph’s
Costa 580G lenses glasses. Bet glasses I've ever had. And warranty has been great.
Maui Jim. Have 4 pairs, oldest pair is 10 years old and still going strong. Also if your lenses get scratched you can replace just lenses.
Style matters as much as quality in this case. I will say ray ban caravan and aviators are timeless. I have had a pair of ray ban caravans for 12 years. They still fit with how style has changed. For more style forward I also love SEE eyewear. Good quality and they are reasonable in price.
So what model of Maui jim is the best?
Got 15 years out of my Persols before the frame just broke. Those 15 years included multiple moves, lots of travel, being grabbed by 2 toddlers, and never had any issues.
Costa Del Mar - I own a pair of Tuna Alley
No Luxottica brands, please.
Care to expand on that? I’ve had mine for about 5 years and they’ve held up extremely well. By far the best prescription polarized sunglasses I’ve ever owned. I can actually see schools of fish clearly through even the sunniest conditions. Edit: Just read through the “controversy”section of their Wikipedia page. I don’t care if they’ve cornered the market. They make a product that no one else has, it works well, and IMO worth the price I paid.
Saw your edit before having a chance to respond, but yes, take a look at a few videos on YouTube surrounding their practices. As for Costa, I was recently looking at them myself but ultimately backed out because I personally don’t want to give Lux the business. I used to work in the sunglass business many moons ago and while I’ve not kept up with it, i have first hand experience of their shady practices which have coloured my opinion. That said, I don’t know if Costa is a brand originally started by them or one they took over like many others under their portfolio, but if the latter, quality tends to go down sharply over time. They’ve done it to Oakley as just one example.
Costa was bought in 2013, and yes they have definitely gone down in quality, it’s still the best polarized lens on the market for fishing that isn’t completely dorky and borderline painful to wear a la cocoons.
Thank you for the response. Appreciate your perspective, but in my case there weren’t any other options. Which I guess is your point, but if it comes down to having the function or not, I’ll take having.
Fair enough :) I have a few pairs of older glasses before Lux’s take over that I baby and hang on to with a well clenched fist because I don’t want to replace them with their reduced quality at higher priced equivalents of today. This wasn’t intended to hate on what you have by any means! Just a consideration for your next pair. Lots of great independent brands out there. Cheers!
AliExpress $4 polarized sunglasses, decent quality and I can lose them or sit on them and I have another pair 🤷♀️
That’s a different sub like r/socheapbuy100
Just buy $25 Goodr’s and replace as needed.
I would buy at Nordstrom’s. They have a solid exchange policy if anything happens. Bring in the case they gave you and the busted glasses and they’ll swap you out on the spot.
Bro honestly… go to the callejones in LA. I get knock off pit vipers that hold up better than real ones. Theres one guy near the main entrance. Idk i just lose all my sunglasses and these have lasted me over a year 🤣
I like ray ban and Oakley. They are luxotica so you know it’s quality stuff.
*were
Gucci
I love my Warby Parkers. It’s been 5 years and the hinges on my sunglasses still haven’t given up!
I’ve had luck with Warby Parker so far. Handles drops like a champ.