Review: Ray Ban vs. Maui Jim vs. Oakley vs. Costa Del Mar: Which Makes the Best High-End Sunglasses Brand?

• Ray Ban Sunglasses Review

Brand History

Ray-Ban is an Italian/American brand of luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses created in 1936 by the American company Bausch & Lomb. Timeless style, authenticity and freedom of expression are the core values of Ray-Ban, a leader in sun and prescription eyewear for generations. 

The brand is known for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. Since the introduction of the iconic Aviator model created for the aviators of the United States Army, Ray-Ban has been at the forefront of cultural change, becoming a symbol of self-expression, worn by celebrities and public figures all around the world.  

Official Price: $66-$453

Designs

Ray-Ban makes some of the most recognizable sunglasses in the world, in styles representing a perfect union of form and function. And while Ray-Ban is known for their iconic frame shapes, the technology that goes into the lenses cannot be discounted. Ray-Ban stays on top with impressive style-but also by creating highly functional sunglasses that protect the eyes and provide crisp, clear vision. Personalize your style when you choose from hundreds of lens and frame combinations. 

From colored or mirrored fashion lenses, to the classic green Ray-Ban G-15s, FramesDirect offers a multitude of options in Ray-Ban lenses to suit your look. The Aviators and Clubmasters have even earned spots to the best women's sunglasses, best men's sunglasses, and best polarized sunglasses. 

Material & Technology

All Ray-Ban lenses have UV protection, but the exact level of varies among the types of lenses. Here's what Ray-Ban offers:

• Classic lenses absorb 85% of visible light and block most blue light while providing a "natural vision" because they don't alter the colors you see around you. 

• Mirrored lenses reduce glare for visual comfort near snow and water. Colors look clearer and brighter. 

• Polarized lenses block more than 99% of reflected light around you, eliminate glares, and enhance contrast. Everything looks clearer and brighter.

• You can also find gradient lenses and vintage-style colored lenses from the Legends collection. Another great feature from Ray-Ban is the ability to get prescription lenses. Choose from a wide range of classic Ray-Ban frames and make them yours with custom prescription lenses. You can even make them polarized. 

  

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• Maui Jim Sunglasses Review

Brand History

Maui Jim was launched by a single man selling sunglasses on the beaches of Maui in 1986. The original line had seven styles and was available exclusively in Ka'anapali at the Hyatt and Sheraton hotels.  The business was purchased by Hester Enterprises in 1991 and created the Maui Jim name in 1996. 

Today, Maui Jim is recognized for unparalleled "Aloha Spirit" and customer service as well as patented PolarizedPlus2® lens technology, which blocks 100 percent of harmful UV rays and eliminates glare while enhancing color, definition and depth perception. Maui Jim sunglasses have earned the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation as an effective UV filter for the eyes and surrounding skin. 

Official Price: $169 - $479

Designs

With 172 different styles, 574 SKUs, and 92% customer loyalty, Maui Jim is the world's fastest-growing polarized sunglass maker. Styles include flash mirrors, aviators, fashion, wrap, sport, rectangular, rimless, sports, classic and cat eye. 

Bi-Gradient Mirror - The original Maui Jim Bi-Gradient mirror is applied to the top and bottom of the lens.  MauiGradient - MauiGradient was developed as a stylish alternative to the Bi-Gradient mirror. Fashion Mirror Lens Finish - their fashion lens mirrors are Blue Hawaii, MAUI Sunrise, Hawaii Lava and MAUIGreen. Maui Jim regularly releases new styles and line extensions.  

Material & Technology

•  The lenses enhance color like no other lens on the market. Many sunglass lenses simply darken your view, dimming and fading color for a flat, low-contrast perspective. PolarizedPlus2® lenses enhance the colors your eyes naturally perceive.

• Every pair of Maui Jim sunglasses eliminates 99.9% of glare. Glare washes out colors, obscures details and fatigues your eyes. PolarizedPlus2® lenses eliminates that glare, allowing you to see the world at its brilliant best.

• Maui Jim lenses block 100% of UVA, UVB and UVC rays. Just like your skin, your eyes need protection from exposure to the sun's rays. PolarizedPlus2® lenses eliminate 100% of UV radiation and provide protection against a number of additional stresses, helping your eyes stay healthy so you can keep taking in all the world's beauty.

•  SuperThin (ST) Glass provides the absolute best optics available. It is the heaviest of Maui Jim's four materials but is 35% thinner and lighter than standard glass. MauiBrilliant is Maui Jim's most advanced polarized lens material that features optics nearly as clear as glass with just one-third of the weight. MauiPure is Maui Jim's most popular polarized lens material. It combines optics almost as crisp as SuperThin Glass with ultralightweight and excellent scratch and shatter resistance. MauiPure LT is their thinnest, lightest, and strongest lens material that delivers sunglasses that weigh the same as just two pieces of paper! Maui Evolution features the lightweight and scratch and shatter resistance of polycarbonate while offering a much higher optical clarity. Polycarbonate is a lightweight polarized lens and is injection molded for clear optics and is also scratch-resistant.

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• Oakley Sunglasses Review 

Brand History

Oakley was started by James Jannard in 1975 in his garage. Oakley, based in Lake Forest, California, and a subsidiary of Italian corporate giant Luxottica based in Milan, designs, develops and manufactures sports performance equipment and lifestyle pieces including sunglasses, sports visors, ski/snowboard goggles, watches, apparel, backpacks, shoes, optical frames, and other accessories. Most items are designed in house at their head office, but some countries hold exclusive designs relevant to their market. 

Oakley is a high-end active sports and lifestyle brand with a focus on technology and innovation that improves the quality of peoples' lives. It currently holds more than 600 patents for eyewear, materials, and performance gear.

Official Price: $143 -$327

Designs

Oakleys are likely the best sunglasses for outdoor sports based on durability and protection. One of the biggest benefits that Oakley has to offer is that they have wrap around frames. While these aren't quite as stylish as they once were, they do serve a very important purpose. They actually protect the entirety of your eyes. Oakley's Prizm lenses are excellent for anyone interested in outdoors sports, because they're designed to increase your ability to pick out details in your environment. This could mean better choosing your path going down the mountain or spotting fish activity in deep water.

Popular styles for men are Holbrook, Flight Jacket, Frogskins, Split Shot and Sutro; for women, styles include Unstoppable, Reverie, Low Key, Reve Up, and Top Knot. The company also has its Capsule Collection and Limited-Edition lines.

Material & Technology

• Oakley PRIZM Lens Technology works by manipulating the light spectrum and boosting contrast to make everything in your environment more vivid and easier to see. Whether you are hitting the open waters or heading inland to a nearby river, there is a PRIZM lens for you. PRIZM Shallow Water Polarized boosts green and copper hues making fish easier to spot.PRIZM Deep Water lens enhances contrast by filtering out shades of blue. If you're a fisherman, this means spotting fish beneath the surface will be easier. PRIZM technology allows you to see into the water instead rather than the reflection coming off the surface. 

• PRIZM Deep Water lenses are HDPolarized for optimal glare protection. HDPolarized is Oakley's patented polarized lens technology that blocks 99% of reflective glare! Both PRIZM Deep Water and Shallow Water also have an iridium coating which acts as a mirror to protect your eyes and help reflect light away from the lens.

• Plutonite lens material is yet another reason why Oakley makes the best fishing sunglasses around. Plutonite is an impact resistant, high-grade polycarbonate lens. This proprietary lens material is extremely lightweight and blocks 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC rays and blue light up to 400 nanometers. Not all Plutonite lenses are polarized. Since a polarized lens is a necessity on water, PRIZM Shallow and Deep Water are only available as a polarized lens. All Oakley Plutonite Polarized lenses are manufactured in an infusion molding process to produce one, single-layered lens for uncompromising clarity.

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• Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Review

Brand History

Costa Del Mar or simply Costa is an American manufacturer of polarized sunglasses based in Daytona Beach, Florida.  It was founded in 1983 by Ray Ferguson in Daytona Beach. By 1986, it was the official gear of the Stars & Stripes team in America's Cup yacht racing contest and quickly became popular among surfers and recreational fishermen due to its sun glare protection.

Costa Del Mar sells only polarized sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection. Their sunglasses are popular in the sport sunglasses market, and are considered good for outdoor sports practicing, such as Summer activities, recreational fishing and boating. See fish more clearly under the water, before they see you with the top best polarized fishing sunglasses. 

Official Price: $149-$299

Designs

Costa advanced polarized sunglasses and polarized prescription sunglasses are handcrafted for life on and off the water. Built to be expedition tough while fishing, boating, or exploring, Costa Del Mar polarized sunglasses have been handcrafted by designers so you can see what's out there with UVA/UVB protection. Costa sunglasses come in four sizes - small, medium, large and extra-large.

The Costa Del Mar sunglasses collection offers a wide variety of sunglasses models for men and women. Perfect for every type of sun, from sea to lake and every sport you can imagine. Costa Del Mar also offers polarized sunglasses and sophisticated designs guaranteed to stand out in any situation. Costa Del Mar sunglasses are high-end sporty sunglasses, both for men and women. Created from the best designers, with a good combination of style, elegance, design and functionality. 

Material & Technology

• The lenses are manufactured in three different materials: CR-39, Glass, and Polycarbonate. Each of these lenses offer different attributes mainly focused on durability, optical clarity, and scratch resistance. Every lens made by Costa Del Mar is 100% Polarized and offers 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection.

• Costa Del Mar offers two quality lenses. The Costa 400 is offered in all three lens materials, and it eliminates glare at the 400 nanometer mark. This allows for clearer vision and reduces strain on eyes.  Costa is the first brand to have an all polarized color enhancing lens technology, also known as 580. Not only does it have a 99.99% polarizing efficiency, but Costa's 580 lenses will block out all the bad HEV blue light. On top of that, 580 lenses filter out all the harsh yellow light and boost the reds, greens, and blues to provide a sharper image. All Costa sunglasses are polarized and will come with the 580 technology. They offer anglers and boaters the highest level of clarity in the world and are available in both glass and plastic. 

• Some of the frame styles also are C-Mates (a bi-focal lens) which is currently offered in the +1.75 and +2.50 magnification levels. Costa Del Mar sunglasses can also be made custom with prescription lenses which feature all its lens technology that comes standard.

• The C-wall technology (a coating that it's not glued or sprayed on, but placed under the surface of the lenses), also provides a smudge-free and oil resistant barrier which repels water, sweat and dust.
  

• Costa Del Mar is also constantly looking for ways to use recycled materials during their manufacturing process and started a Kick Plastic initiative in order to reduce the amount of plastic that they use in their packaging.

  
  

Where to buy for the cheapest? 

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sunglasshut.com (5-7% cashback)

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• Ray Ban vs. Maui Jim vs. Oakley vs. Costa Del Mar: Which Makes the Best High-End Sunglasses Brand?

Ray-Ban

The gold standard in sunglasses for almost 80 years, Ray-Ban offers excellent quality shades in trend-setting styles. The popular Wayfarer and Aviator sunglasses, popularized by Ray-Ban, are now considered classics. 

However, if you're more looking for something stylish, then Ray Ban certainly fits the bills, and they do offer great quality lenses. Ray Bans do use glass lenses which tend to be more resistant to scratching than plastic lenses, and they also tend to provide exceptional optical clarity. However, they are not impact resistant  like Oakley and will break more easily, so it's a trade off.

Oakley

Often considered the best sunglasses for outdoor sports, Oakley shades are made from high quality composites and are extremely durable. Because they have more rigid frames which can snap rather than bend. Oakley's exciting wrap-around styles provide excellent protection from the sun and are the perfect fit for an active lifestyle. While these aren’t quite as stylish as they once were, they do serve a very important purpose. They actually protect the entirety of your eyes.

The bad about Oakleys is that light-weight material that they're made of comes at a price. The lenses are made of poly-carbonate, tend to scratch easily when compared to glass lenses as featured on the Maui Jims. You'll need to keep them in a protective soft case to keep the lenses free from harm. 

Maui Jim 

Classic styles from Maui Jim look great on men and women, with fashion lenses and metal frames. Authentic Maui Jim sunglass lenses are made with 9 layers of protection and meant to give clarity while driving or near water. If you worry about breaking your sunglasses, try the Mauiflex line, which are made from a unique alloy that bends but does not break. When it comes to Maui Jim vs Ray-Ban, the Maui Jims are a far better choice for UV protection.

Costa Del Mar 

Few brands manage to cross over from specialist, high performance eyewear to become a fashionable and desirable brand. Costa Del Mar is a brand that blurs the boundary between functionality and fashion. Costa Del Mar created their sunglasses to meet the needs of the adventurous, the brave and the globe trotters. Costa Del Mar sunglasses have been designed for the ocean lovers and river dwellers alike, those who spend countless hours on the water. With lenses designed to ensure absolute clarity and complete protection from the damage that can be done by endless exposure to the sun's glare. Each Costa Del Mar sunglasses is hand assembled by skilled craftsman, because the brand believe that nothing can beat the quality that comes from an expert.

In short, if you want a great looking pair of sunglasses, then Ray Ban does make quality products. However, if you need something durable that can perform in harsh light, then go for something like the Oakley and Costa Del Mar, or perhaps a pair of Maui Jims if you can afford them, and go for polarized sunglasses.

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