Sell me on expensive sunglasses.

one word: polarized.

maui jim lenses are the best, hands down. try them while driving, and ask any eye doctor.

designer glasses are for show and usually lack good lenses.

 

Sunglasses are art for the face and one of the only ways for a guy to express himself.

 

I lose my sunglasses or break them at leat once a year so im done spending $ on them. I have an old pair of Aviator however,they seem unbreakable and i cant seem to lose them.

 

I find that cheap sunglasses will glare off my face. I will get a "cloudy" view through the lens.

A quality lens will manage light better and reduce glare. I feel strongly in a polarized lens.

 

What he said.

Plus, not sure what kind of UV protection you're getting from $1 sunglasses.

 

Ask an eye doctor and see what kind of feedback you get.

 

Don't know if they are the best but they sure have clear lenses. I have to say, they are the most clear glasses I have ever owned and I definitely like them.

I like my Natives too because I can go climbing and they don't come off when I take a whipper.

 

for me:
100% UV blocking
polarized lenses
high quality optics

I'm either wearing Maui Jim's or Oakleys. And I'm consistent, I wear sunglasses when outdoors 95%+ of the time.

The crap cheapo sunglasses may not have UV blocking (and the dark lenses dilate your pupils allowing more UV light into the eye than not wearing sunglasses) and the optical quality is poor which leads to poor vision and fatigue. More UV light = more likely to get pre-mature cataracts (definitely) and may predispose to retinal problems in the future (macular degeneration, but not as direct of a cause-effect relationship as the cataracts).

I'm an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) and I swear, I know what I'm talking about

Note that the fancy 'designer' brands (think of Italian and French named companies who make fancy handbags and shoes, like Gucci, Chanel, Fendi, Prada, Vuitton, etc) usually are decent in terms of optical quality, but lag behind the Maui Jims or Oakleys.

 

I slove sunglasses although I rarely lose them (knock on wood) Everyone raves about Maui Jim sunglasses and dont get me wrong I have a pair and they are quite good however I absolutely love my Serengeti's. Ive had them for 5 years and still are crystal clear with no scratches (knocks again) no other lenses are as hard and clear as my Seregeti's. For me sunglasses are more than jewelry for my eyes (while style still is a factor in buying them) in the cockpit protecting your eyes is key. I wouldn't go back to buying cheap pair. I have had just about every brand of sunglasses on the market (except oakley) and have spent far too much money on them but still I love them. I feel that if you take a pair of cheap sunglasses and compare them side by side with a pair of cheapos it should speak for itself.

 

I have several pairs of Revos....

Been real happy with them.

 

Interesting that so many love Maui Jim. My Maui Jims are more stylish than my 23 yr old Vuarnets, but when it comes to performance/protection/vision (especially when driving at sunrise and sunset) my Vuarnets are about 1000% better than the Maui Jims.

 

Personally,

I've only had 2 pairs of sunglasses in the last probably 14 years of my life, both Oakleys. I have sunglasses on almost anytime I'm outside during the day, so my two pairs of Oakleys have really lasted.

The first pair was some $150 or something, my current pair that I've had for about 8 years now are the Juliet type. Extremely well built, excellent visual clarity, polarized, etc. I also very much like the fact that the frames ride close to my face, which significantly reduces the radiant light that makes it to my eyes from around the glasses... that significantly increases the visual quality.

Since I really make my sunglasses last, a $300 pair of sunglasses really aren't all that pricey considering I will get probably 10+ years of use out of them.

Take care of your glasses and they can last you a very long time. The rest of my family wears Maui Jims, and they love them.

 

++ on that. Nothing compares to the clarity of what you can see with the MJ's on. Well worth the $$$. (And I think the ones I have are still just about $150). Plus, they have a decent warranty on the lenses.

 

I am with Robert on this.
I have lost 3 pairs of $200 sun glasses, and I am not buying any more.

I buy the decent $20-$40 ones now.
And they seem just as good.

Thanks,
UZY

 

Maui Jim! Great company btw, located in my home town Peoria, IL. CEO wears shorts, sandals, and Hawaiian shirt to work every day and encourages his employees to do the same!

 

IMO, Oakley Juliets are the best pair of sunglasses on the market. Replaceable gaskets, lens, screws, etc. make for a pair of glasses that truly can last forever. The optics are great, with wonderful clarity. If you've never tried them, they're worth a look!

 

I am also a fan of Vuarnet's because of their great optics. They are hard to find since none of the "sunglasses" places carry them. So along with my old Vuarnet's I have Serengeti's.

Kudos to spEYEdr for the "tech" in this thread as macular degeneration runs in my family. For sure I'll never buy cheapie sunglasses.

 

I've had 3-4 pairs of Revos and loved them. Interestingly I've been told that the guy who founded Revo went on to found Maui Jim.

Now that I need prescription lenses Revo are a bit more difficult.

 

Got a pair of $350 Prada sunglasses.....best lenses I have ever worn and they look great too. Going on year 3 with them.......and I can spend 10 hours in the sun on the beach and my eyes never get tired. Same can't be said for cheapo glasses.

 

It is probably the same 90/10 rule... you pay A LOT for that last 10%, and whether or not it is worth it depends on the person. I would not wear <$10 sunglasses because they are worse for your eyes (as spEYEdr explained), but the difference between a $40 pair and a $400 pair is probably minimal as far as functionality goes.

I owned two pairs of Oakleys when I was younger (maybe $100 each)... they worked well, I owned them a long time. Decided I wanted a different style/color and bought a pair of Oliver Peoples (~$400) which are polarized, and I can even tell a big difference between the build quality and lens quality between my Oakleys and the Oliver Peoples. I think it was worth it, and I expect to own them for many years.

 

Porsche Design. No worries.