Maui Jim is it a good Sunglasses brand ?

[ﮎ¡D]

Hi all,
I just discovered the brand Maui Jim and I think they make some fine sunglasses, but I wanted to ask you, is it a reliable brand ?
What s the best sunglasses between Ray Ban & Maui Jim ?
What is the best brand for sunglasses according to you ?

 

[Edward]

No experience of Mau Jim, sorry. Ray Bans are great, though. One word of warning - don't pay premium for Ray Bans if you are going to switch out the lenses for prescription / photochromic / anything else. An optician once told me that a large part of what you pay for with Ray Bans is the quality of the lenses, so if you get rid of those you're discounting that.

 

[Pompidou]

I really like my currently anonymous 1920s celluloid sunglasses I got from eBay, but before that, I was pretty loyal to Oakley. I think of the two brands you mentioned, I'd go with Ray Ban for name recognition, all else equal. That said, I think sunglasses are all about looks, with name taking a back seat. I wouldn't worry about name or price, unless you need something very specific, say for sports or the like. Just put a pair on and see if you like it. That's all that matters. If someone comes up and asks where you got your cool, expensive sunglasses and you can say they were just 20 bucks, that's golden.

 

[kiltie]

... I think sunglasses are all about looks, with name taking a back seat. I wouldn't worry about name or price, unless you need something very specific, say for sports or the like. Just put a pair on and see if you like it. That's all that matters. If someone comes up and asks where you got your cool, expensive sunglasses and you can say they were just 20 bucks, that's golden.

Uff - I don't wanna come off as being argumentative here...
I'm a Ray Ban wearer from the Baush and Lomb days ( I think they're made by Luxotica, now? ). After reading a book on the Flying Tigers that included a purchase order for Ray Bans for all the pilots, well... Heh, heh... Anywho, I think it pays(?) to drop it for a good pair of sunglasses. When I hit the river/lake/etc... I often pick up a pair of 'throw downs', and the cheap lenses can get more than a little irritating, what with distortion, uneven tint, and so on.
So that's my vote for the older Ray Bans. I do have new Wayfarers and they're pretty good, but I'm not really a connoissuer(SP?). Buuuut... a bill and a half for sunglasses is a little excessive.

 

[scooter]

My wife has a pair of Maui Jim's I bought her. She lost one of the nose pads and sent them in to have it replaced. She'd had them a while and when the repair facility received them, they called her and asked how long she had been having a problem with the lenses. She said she wasn't even aware there was a problem. Apparently they had delaminated slightly on the top edge of one lens. They said, "Our lenses should NEVER do that". So they replaced the nosepad, and both lenses for like $8, or something ridiculous like that. I have worn RayBans most of my life, but I was VERY impressed with the glasses she got, and their customer service. Hope this helps.

 

[Saint-Just]

I, on the other hand, believe that bad sunglasses are extremely damaging to the eye, much worse than no sunglasses at all. I do not know Maui Jim, Ray bans were fab, they are now good (nothing to write home about, apart from style but I would not hesitate to wear them). Persol are still excellent, I wear Serengeti and although the style is not as smooth as Persol, the lenses are outstanding.

 

[bil_maxx]

Maui Jims are very nice sunglasses. A little pricey, but they have a nice fit and lens view. I have a friend who has now broken his 2nd pair by sitting on them and twisting the frame, and he got free replacements, twice. He didn't even think they had a guarantee but the store said that they want to keep customers happy so they will replace them with no questions. I have tried them and like them a lot.
That being said, I love my rayban aviators. I have had them for almost 20 years and I still wear them every day. They look almost new.

 

[Lily Powers]

Maui Jim isn't a bad product at all, and has only improved over the years (it began in the 1980's). However, I agree with Kiltie that the older Ray-Bans by Bausch & Lomb are top notch. They feel solid; the plastic isn't brittle and the dark lenses really feel like they're protecting my eyes. The basic Wayfarer designs tend to remain timeless in their style, too.

 

[Tomasso]

Funny, when I first encountered this thread (before anyone had responded) I though it was spam. It just seemed an odd post for the lounge, espeically for a brand new member's first post.

 

[ButteMT61]

I like and just bought a pair of H807 Maui Jm. Love them.
Ray Ban to me is dated. Used them in the 70's, but my brother, a pilot, loves them. He looks better than I do, which is my main issue. Get what you like, but $20 sunglasses likely aren't worth it.
I think a good pair under $200 is worth getting.

 

[Saint-Just]

Funny, when I first encountered this thread (before anyone had responded) I though it was spam. It just seemed an odd post for the lounge, espeically for a brand new member's first post.

Funny you said that. It was my first thought too. But KyleK mentioned them here so thought he might have read it...

 

[Doublegun]

I was a big fan or Ray Bans since I was a kid, until I bought a pair of Maui Jim's. There is absolutly no comparison between Ray Ban or any other brand of sun glasses and MJ. I have been wearing the same pair for close to 10-years. I have a pretty wide head and I am constantly bending glasses taking them on and off. Well after 6-years my MJ's got so sprung that the lenses would pop out. Sent them to MJ with a note explainig the problem and letting them know how much I liked the glasses and received back a completely new set of rims, lenses and my old temples. No charge no hassle and it took less than 3-weeks. You will not find better customer service - anywhere.

If you are in need of sunglasses I assume tnat you are really looking for protection for your eyes and again, you'll never find better glass lenses than with MJ. I spend a lot of time behing the wheel of cars and trucks and a lot of time on water (seldom at the same time) and I wanted the sharpest vision I could find. They recommended the rose colored lenses. Bright sun, overcast and even in the rain they cut an amazing amount of glare. By the way, those old Ray Bans are not polarized and once you have worn sunglases with polarized lenses you'll never go back.

The only downside to MJ's is the cost. They are expensive but given how MJ stands behind them they are not a bad investment. I'll probably never buy a pair of sunglasses that aren't MJ's. BTW, they have now an aviator style frame so if you want the pilot style but with great glass you can get them.

DG

 

[ﮎ¡D]

Thx a lot for all these answers !!! I didn t expect so much responses in such a short time, that s great ! :eusa_clap
No it s not a spam :eusa_doh: I'm really interested in knowing which are the best sunglasses.
Ray Ban is the most famous brand I think but even though MJ is not very famous I think it s a great brand ! That s what I felt when I talked to a seller in a store, she told me it s an Hawaian brand and all their lenses are polarized which is not always the case with Ray Ban, plus the quality of the lenses and the polarized effect on the MJ's could even surpass Ray Ban.
Anyway both brands are great, that s what I feel, according to what I can hear from the seller, you... I saw the MJ in store and it clearly seems high quality
So what can we say ?

1-Maui Jim
2-Ray Ban
3- ?
4-5-6-7....

 

[jcmjrt]

I used to wear Ray Bans and still have an old pair but switched to Costa Del Mar. I have photo sensitive eyes and like to spend time on the water sailing so I love my sunglasses. I think they call my lenses 580 but they do make different qualities/types of lenses(more than just a difference in color).

 

[ButteMT61]

I'd never heard of MJ before I found these. I tried them on and instantly loved them. I don't generally like or wear sunglasses, but these I likes right off.
It's all personal really. The stories on MJ support make me glad I bought them...

 

[FiftyFathoms]

MJ makes a nice set of glasses. I haven't bought a set of Ray-Ban's since Bausch & Lomb sold the company to Luxottica in 1999. MJ makes a great, if not one of the best polarized lens around. As stated above, MJ customer service is second to none. I currently rotate thru MJ, Costa Del Mar, Oakley and Spy. No complaints with any of them. Enjoy your MJ's, I love mine.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I wear Serengettis that I got for a buck at a thrift shop and have been very pleased with them. I think they're from the 70's. I also have a pair of Ray Ban's that are rather nice, but I never wear them. I will have to check out Maui Jim, now.

 

[DJH]

I needed new sunglasses this year and narrowed the choice to Persol and Maui Jim.

Having tried several pairs of both, I bought MJ and have been very happy with the decision. Both are super high quality, but the MJ just had the edge in fit and clarity. Here are the MJs with one of my VS hats:

Oh, I really like the look of Aviator style glasses, but they always touch my cheeks and irritate me. My daughter says I have chipmunk cheeks!

 

[SgtRick]

Oakleys in the field here in Iraq and Oakleys at home. Nothing else will do.

 

[Edward]

The most important thing is that they are both UVA and UVB resistant. Lenses on very cheap sunglasses that let those through are worse for you than no sunglasses at all, as they cause your pupils to open up and take in more of the light that gets through, including harmful UV rays.