Best Optics in Sunglasses
Mar 28, 2010 at 10:25 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 28
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Pepsione1

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I think that it's common knowledge the leader in terms of optics for sunglasses would be Maui Jim. Then there are also other contenders that come close such as Revo and Serengeti. There are also companies like Costa DelMar and Ruddy Project that are highly regarded by those who own it but they aren't nearly as popular.

My question what's your preference for superior optics in sunglasses?

I am leaning toward Maui Jim right now because I tried on a pair of "Breakwall". The Breakwall are so light and they fit my face so well that I can hardly tell I am wearing them. Of course I don't know how good the optics are because I only tried them in the store. The lens is made of polycarbonate which to me is the lowest grade of material (best being glass of course). Given their reputation I think I am willing to try.

Maui Jim Sunglasses - *New* Breakwall

Any comments from any Maui Jim users on polycarbonate lens is welcome. Reviews on the site shows these lenses have a tendency to develop cracks and fractures.
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Btw, I am pretty dead set on getting Maui Jim because time and time again I see owners comment on how they have been converted from the other brands to Maui after trying them (for Maui's superior lenses) . Although very few comparisons have been drawn between the Maui and Costa DelMar (another brand that I am highly interested in).

The primary use will be for on the water for fishing.
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Mar 28, 2010 at 10:33 PM Post #2 of 28
I was always annoyed by how flimsy Maui Jim sunglasees felt, and the models I've tried didn't fold flat at all, instead going for an awkward oblong shape. I guess that's the price you pay for comfort.

For me, I use Oakley. I have three pairs of them (Eyepatch, Nanowire 4.0, Jupiter), and while two of the three are more fashion than anything else, the Nanowire lens resists water and the polarizing aspect is great too. A coworker who I noticed also wore Oakley said how the company had a closed public event one time where they shot a BB pellet at the lens and it didn't shatter. I would not be able to trust other companies like Ray-Ban and their glass lenses for occasions like that. Not that I plan on being shot at anytime soon, but it always reminds me of my uncle, who got into a car accident and his glasses shattered and some of it cut into his eye.
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Obviously Oakley is overpriced like every other name brand, so buying on eBay is a must. For instance, the Nanowire 4.0 goes for $300, but I got them for a little over $100 on an eBay sale, when it was the middle of the day, so i guess the bidders before me were at work.
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EDIT: Just noticed you were going to use the sunglasses primarily for fishing. Oakley has four fishing-specific sunglasses. They don't go into much detail, but I read on another website that they polarize opposite (horizontal/vertical) from what polarizing lenses usually do, so that way you can see through the water reflections and into the water.

http://www.oakley.com/pd/4868
http://www.oakley.com/pd/5717
http://www.oakley.com/pd/4869
http://www.oakley.com/pd/5716
 
Mar 28, 2010 at 10:34 PM Post #3 of 28
Maui Jim owner here.

I have 2 pairs. One is broken but I will get it replaced once I have some $$$$. The best sunglasses you can possibly get.

Bodyglove sunglasses are rather nice too and they are much cheaper.
 
Mar 28, 2010 at 10:53 PM Post #4 of 28
I have a pair of Maui Jim (Moku?) sunglasses. They are about 3 years old and I love them. They have the Evolution lens which Maui Jim classifies as different from the polycarbonate lenses, although I think it is technically a polycarbonate anyway. The lens itself has been outstanding. It is very light and has no distortion visible to me. The polarization is outstanding and uniform.

Maui Jim's customer service is amazing (better than any other company I've ever dealt with, and I've dealt with old school Shure!
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). Originally, the arms of that line of sunglasses had a faulty design in that the polymer used became brittle very quickly and snapped. Mine did snap and I sent it in and they replaced the arms free of charge, as expected for a faulty design. On a different incident, my girlfriend dropped the sunglasses from some height and they fell hard on the bridge, which broke. I sent them the broken pair again, this time with a check for the cost of the repair. They sent my sunglasses back a few days later repaired, with the original check and a nice new microfiber cloth.

The next sunglasses I get will probably be Maui Jims, and I would encourage anyone who is buying sunglasses and wants superior optics and the best customer service to do the same.
 
Mar 28, 2010 at 10:58 PM Post #5 of 28
I never really tried on super expensive sun glasses, but every pair I ever try on just doesn't look right optically, and they make me dizzy really quick. The only pair I've managed to use long term are these super awesome super dorky LL Bean sunglasses. They have 0 style, which of course makes them really cool looking IMO.

But one of the earpieces broke off, so now they sit really lopsided on my head. It works for the car, except that when i roll the window down they shake cause there's no left earpiece.

Any recomendations for cheapish, utilitarian looking sunglasses that have good optics?
 
Mar 29, 2010 at 12:43 AM Post #9 of 28
Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I've only owned Oakley, but looking into a pair of carbon-fiber Ray-Bans.

RB8304 Sunglasses | Official Ray-Ban Site


Neat, maybe the lightness of carbon fiber will solve my problem with being Asian; Ray-Bans are so heavy they keep sliding down my nose.
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Mar 29, 2010 at 12:45 AM Post #10 of 28
Bausch and Lomb Original Wayfarers 2....other than the previous user accidentally scratching a lens, I love them.

As for previous comments on shatter proof lenses, Wiley X seems like a good company. There were a few stories floating around the internet where troops were hit with IED's while wearing Wiley Xs. The got fragged, but their eyes were okay.
 
Mar 29, 2010 at 12:45 AM Post #11 of 28
Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Neat, maybe the lightness of carbon fiber will solve my problem with being Asian; Ray-Bans are so heavy they keep sliding down my nose.
rolleyes.gif



Hey, Ryan, just got into UC Berkeley. Still waiting for others, but looks like there might be a chance we'll be at opposite ends of CA =0.


Quote:

Bausch and Lomb Original Wayfarers 2


Was the guy in the 1941 bridge snapshot wearing something like these?
 
Mar 29, 2010 at 1:26 AM Post #13 of 28
Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Was the guy in the 1941 bridge snapshot wearing something like these?


Bridge? 1941?

The most famous reference of someone wearing these off the top of my head could be JFK, or Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's
 
Mar 29, 2010 at 1:43 AM Post #14 of 28
Quote:

Originally Posted by gore.rubicon /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Bridge? 1941?

The most famous reference of someone wearing these off the top of my head could be JFK, or Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's


This picture:

ABYC000a00fa.jpg
 
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