My “Lucidversary” review

[TrekTaken]

You won't regret it. They are, by far, the best. What Maui Jim gets right are really the lenses. I'll put it the same way I put the Lucid: just go try it. If, when you walk outside and do a side-by-side comparison you don't find them obviously superior, don't buy them. Also, let me know because you'd be the first one I'd ever met.

They're also the Wirecutter pick for driving sunglasses.

There are a few other great brands too - Costa Del Mar, Smith Optics, Revo.

Stay away from any of the classic ones like Ray-Ban, Oakley, or any of those; they used to be really good, but haven't produced quality for the last decade or more. The exception, maybe, is the Ray Ban tech partnership stuff for FB goggles and whatnot - totally different team.

Particularly stay away from anything Luxottica if at all possible. Technically Costa Del Mar is owned by them but they are the one exception to the rule, and their quality is also getting more iffy - I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years they're off my list. You might be surprised to find some of the brands Luxottica owns :Costa Del Mar, Oakley, Luxottica, Persol, Ray-Ban, Vogue, Olver Peoples, Armani, Brooks Brothers, Bulgari, Burberry, Chanel, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Miu Miu, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Ferrari, Swarovski, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Valentino, Versace.

But the conspiracy goes further than that... these are the locations Luxottica owns: Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical, EyeMed Vision Care, Oliver Peoples, Alain Mikli, Oakley, Glasses.com, Ray-Ban.

John Oliver did a thing on it:

Adam Ruins Everything did too:

Luxottica sucks.

Maui Jim just sold to Kering in 2022; I have seen no decline in quality or service yet. Kering owns a bunch of luxury brands: Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Creed, Alexander McQueen, Puma, Maui Jim, Boucheron, Brioni, JeanRichard, Qeelin, Pomellato, Dodo, Lindberg. I have no reason to suspect they'll decline in quality any more than any of those other luxury brands.

Also, worth noting: Maui Jims literally never, ever ever, go on sale. They are never discounted. There is one exception: Costco. Limited styles, except for when they do one of their Road Shows - if you can find them at Costco though, they're way way cheaper. Like $103 instead of the normal $200-300. You'll never see them discounted anywhere else; if you do, tell me!

A friend let me try on his Maui Jim, and you’re absolutely right, the lenses are AMAZING! I just need to find a pair that fits my slightly low nose bridge.

Thanks for the detailed response; it’s very helpful! My new adventure for new sunglasses begins.

 

[joec]

A friend let me try on his Maui Jim, and you’re absolutely right, the lenses are AMAZING! I just need to find a pair that fits my slightly low nose bridge.

Thanks for the detailed response; it’s very helpful! My new adventure for new sunglasses begins.

I have two pairs of prescription Maui Jims. And I’ll never go back. I haven’t used a sun visor in years in either of my cars.

 

[Amster]

A friend let me try on his Maui Jim, and you’re absolutely right, the lenses are AMAZING! I just need to find a pair that fits my slightly low nose bridge.

Thanks for the detailed response; it’s very helpful! My new adventure for new sunglasses begins.

I was an Oakley devotee until someone let me try their Maui Jims. Now I have a prescription quite and a back up regular pair of Mauis. There's lots of styles. The one I have is considered a guys style, but it fit me the best.

 

[borski]

I have my wife to thank, as with most good things in my life; my wife let slip to me once that there is never a time she isn't squinting outside. I asked why she didn't wear her sunglasses (she had Oakleys, since they're a "good brand"). She said she did, but she still had to squint behind them.

A lot of googling (and confirmation with an ophthalmologist friend) later I decided she had photophobia and a bunch more research later discovered that rose-colored glasses (hold your laughter, please) mitigated the symptoms in many people who have it. Lo and behold, Maui Jim has rose-colored lenses.

But there's more! Maui Jim also has this concept of a 'bi-gradient mirror' coating where the top and bottom third of the lens is mirrored but the center isn't, so you get this very slight mirrored effect you can only see in some light, but behind the lenses the effect is that they basically squint for you.

She has never squinted behind sunglasses again. She's the reason I found Maui Jim - that they happen to make incredible lenses for "normal" people was something I discovered through that.

 

[TrekTaken]

I have two pairs of prescription Maui Jims. And I’ll never go back. I haven’t used a sun visor in years in either of my cars.

I didn’t know there are so many Maui Jim fans here. Maybe Lucid should consider doing a co-marketing campaign?

 

[TrekTaken]

I was an Oakley devotee until someone let me try their Maui Jims. Now I have a prescription quite and a back up regular pair of Mauis. There's lots of styles. The one I have is considered a guys style, but it fit me the best.

I’ve tried two dozen pairs so far, and like two styles. However, I want to try as many as possible beige committing to a pair or two… or three… lol!

 

[TrekTaken]

I have my wife to thank, as with most good things in my life; my wife let slip to me once that there is never a time she isn't squinting outside. I asked why she didn't wear her sunglasses (she had Oakleys, since they're a "good brand"). She said she did, but she still had to squint behind them.

A lot of googling (and confirmation with an ophthalmologist friend) later I decided she had photophobia and a bunch more research later discovered that rose-colored glasses (hold your laughter, please) mitigated the symptoms in many people who have it. Lo and behold, Maui Jim has rose-colored lenses.

But there's more! Maui Jim also has this concept of a 'bi-gradient mirror' coating where the top and bottom third of the lens is mirrored but the center isn't, so you get this very slight mirrored effect you can only see in some light, but behind the lenses the effect is that they basically squint for you.

View attachment 19681

She has never squinted behind sunglasses again. She's the reason I found Maui Jim - that they happen to make incredible lenses for "normal" people was something I discovered through that.

Which stores can I find the bi-gradient mirror coating to try? I would like to see how they look and feel because I’ve kind of become obsessed in trying all the different Maui Jim sunglasses!

 

[DeaneG]

Which stores can I find the bi-gradient mirror coating to try?..

We've tried on Maui Jim sunglasses in nicer sunglasses stores, and at Costco. They're definitely my first choice in sunglasses. You can buy direct from Maui Jim online, but we usually wait for Costco's sales and buy one or two at ~30% off to keep in the closet until we lose our current pair.

 

[DBV]

Maui Jim’s are simply awesome! The best and awesome service and warranty too!

 

[Bus Driver]

I bought a pair of Maui Jims once, long ago. About $300 with a discount if I recall correctly. Didn’t have them for more than a month before they got crushed within their soft sided case, while my bag was going through the scanner at TSA security. No fault of TSA, or the scanner. Some big, heavy manuals flopping around in my bag destroyed them.

I can’t remember how well they worked, but all I can think of right now is that line from Taylor Swift’s song - “That’s why we can’t have nice things”.

 

[TrekTaken]

We've tried on Maui Jim sunglasses in nicer sunglasses stores, and at Costco. They're definitely my first choice in sunglasses. You can buy direct from Maui Jim online, but we usually wait for Costco's sales and buy one or two at ~30% off to keep in the closet until we lose our current pair.

Costco sales sound great, thanks!