The TRUTH About Designer Sunglasses 

Fun fact. Commercial Pilots are no longer allowed to wear polarised sunglasses. At certain angles the polarisation blanks out the digital screens in the cockpit.

I work as an optician and the one thing I can confirm is that pretty much every frame we get is sent to us by Luxottica. Ray-Bans, Polo Ralph Laurent, Armani, Vogue... All these brands come from Luxottica. And all our materials, lenses, and machines are all Essilor. Only corp name I see besides those two are Optiplus, which I do think is a Belgian company specifically.

Thank you, macular degeneration runs in my family. My grandmother went blind for the last decade of her life and really struggled, so experiencing that is one of my greatest fears. But I still want to avoid giving my money to monopolies! I will definitely be checking out Sunski!

I have an easy compromise. I buy quality expensive glasses (I am in Italy, therefore Luxottica-Essilor are EVERYWHERE) but I choose an evergreen style for the frame. If my retailer has them, I'll take something from an old collection and it will be cheaper. I always go to the same retailer. They appreciate regular customers and they will go out of their way to treat me well. Then there's maintenance. Sunglasses are worn when it's hot. Sweat is horribly acidic and it will ruin your glasses in no time. When I come home, I wash them in warm (not hot, just tepid) water with baby mild soap. It takes 90 seconds, it takes away all stains and it makes your glasses last. I have had glasses for more than ten years and they look new.

I've had several aliexpress glasses tested by opticians and the lowest result was UV380. It doesn't make sense for a company to specifically run a factory line that doesn't comply. That would increase their costs more than simply producing UV-protective lenses across the board. If you want to save money on sunglasses, order the cheap ones and have them tested - most opticians will test for free and it just takes a minute.

Had my wayfarers over 10 years now and despite really not taking care of them-they live in my rucksack that's used daily, and they don't often get put in the case, they've been dropped many times but apart from a few scratches to the frame they are in great condition. The lenses are a mineral glass so don't scratch, and the frame is a cut and shaped acetate (not injection plastic as mentioned) the plastic is sort of translucent red when held up to a very bright light on my black ones, it feels like a quality material in a way most plastics don't. The original wayfarer is the strongest, hardest wearing set of eyewear I've ever had my hands on. That said, not all raybans are as hard wearing, the carbon ones are prone to falling apart and a lot of the newer designs have plastic lenses and feature more injection moulding.

Costco is the go to place for these type of glasses. Bought a par of Maui Jim's for $99 when the normally retail for $250

I recently bought Akila sun glasses, LA based small company doing luxury quality sunglasses for around $120. Really pleased with them

For those who are bragging that they still have functioning frames: I still use the same frame I had in 2016 and it was a generic no-brand name that cost $10 including compatible lens and prescription and I am still using it to this day. I did have to replace the lens in 2019 though, because I needed to have my lenses corrected.

Finding sunglasses that fit is more of a struggle than avoiding luxottica. There are a lot of excellent smaller brands out there now.

I really liked this video but I feel it’s maybe a touch exaggerated although not far off. I personally work for Sunglass Hut and very much understand half of what we sell isn’t amazing quality for what you pay but there are brands that are an exception. Persol, for example, is one brand that we sell that often integrates glass lenses and better yet most of the product is hand-made, with additional benefits like a modular arm that can expand to fit larger faces better. On sale, if you are patient you can get Persols for about $150-200 USD for a pair of fully handmade Italian glasses with huge historical significance, that better yet uses Acetate a much higher quality way of making plastic glasses is a very good deal. On top of that if you do end up breaking them we have a generous 1-year breakage warranty that allows you to have an allowance of half of what you originally paid for a pair of glasses towards any of your choice. Furthermore, you don't need to spend $200 on a pair of glasses through Luxottica, we have a lot of brands such as Polo, Arnette, and Vogue which often fall into the $100 if you aren't picky about models. On top of that, I would like to mention Luxottica whilst owning a large market share doesn’t ultimately limit competition, there is still a very saturated amount of competitors which offer great sunglasses for great deals a favorite of mine right now is Kiaura eyewear, where prices can readily be available for around $150. Funny enough similarly priced to most of our Rayban's, similarly most brands that incorporate similar quality materials aren't that much cheaper if you are comparing apples to apples. This was very well touched upon till the end of the video but I feel this needs to be emphasized more because Luxottica ultimately doesn’t have influence to the extent that they are the only ones providing halfway decent sunglasses. Lastly, I think something that is important is understanding how sunglasses are made, there is a technic called plastic injection which is what most Sunglasses incorporate, whilst you can buy a $50 pair of sunglasses the chances being are plastic injected is a more cost-effective way of producing pairs. Most nicer glasses are acetate which is a method that requires a lot more effort to produce but also makes your more expensive pairs more durable and prone to future wear, Acetate is a process that is furthermore complicated in the instance that you want frames in tortoise colors or unconventional colors, often requiring a high degree of physical input to produce. Whilst you are correct that UV 400 protection is readily available ultimately these lenses can’t be compared, factors such as the materials, lens category, and the polarisation technology aren’t great on cheaper pairs, so much to the extent I wouldn’t recommend cycling with cheaper pairs as your supermarket lenses often affect your depth perception, especially inexpensive polarised supermarket sunglasses.

Good video. As someone that used to work in optical, I'm glad you touched on luxxotica not simply raising prices and not caring about quality at all. Lots of people seem to think this is the case. Not trying to excuse their practices (which suck btw), but if their stuff was junk, the major fashion brands (Dior, Armani, etc.) would leave. As you mentioned, they have a reputation to keep. Unfortunately, the quality of Oakley's has sucked since the takeover. I'm hoping mine last for a loooong time.

I'm not really a brand kinda guy. I do like some local brands but generally it's not something I pay a lot of attention to I think I owned 20 different pair of sunglasses over the course of my 30 years on this planet. They kept breaking. I thought that's just me being silly, not treating them very well. So why would I go for expensive sunglasses if they'll only last me a year? Well one year my sunglasses broke again but this time it was very apparent that it was due to their low quality. They just disintegrated over time. Okay, I told myself, I'm gonna give this ONE shot and go for expensive sunglasses and see how long they'll last me. I didn't think it was gonna be a good economic decision for me because I'd have to basically wear them for 10+ years to justify the 150 euro price tag for a pair of original wayfarers. (calculating one 15 euro pair of sunglasses every year, which honestly was quite realistic) Anyway I bought them, knowing I'd probably take better care of a more luxury item. That was like 6 years ago and I've owned the same pair of wayfareres since then. So by that calculation it's only 4 more years until it wasn't only a better ecologic but also a better economic decision to get expensive sunglasses. Just thought this was an interesting observation. The reason they last longer I think, is split between on the one hand taking better care of them and on the other hand them being better quality.

Yeh...60 Minutes did a report on this about 10 years ago. It's good this info is updated with your report. Keep up the good work, bro!!!!

I have several pairs of Ray Bans and they are decent but I recently bought a pair of Bolle Safety - Contour Safety Glasses - Polarised mainly for golf and cycling. I've been blown away by the quality and they don't look like safeties, and for a tad over £35 they are excellent value.

In that picture Dylan wasn't wearing Raybans. He did wear them at some point in 1965 a year before he found the slightly more chic and iconic glasses which I still haven't found.

I bought some Persol folding sunglasses - not the Steve McQueen model, but the original style. They’re extremely well made, timeless, and will last decades. Bought 2nd hand for a fraction of the full price. Very happy with them!

Randolph Engineering makes phenomenal aviator sunglasses and offer a lifetime warranty on their frames which makes up for the high cost in my opinion. They're also one of the few higher end brands not under the Luxotica umbrella.

This problem also stretches to regular glasses where prescription glasses are so expensive

🎉 congrats on your play button! Even happier knowing I’ve been wearing Sunski for 4 years now

Would have been nice to accompany the article with a list of companies NOT owned by Luxottica like Smith Optics, 100%, Rudy Project, Maui Jim, Spy Optics, etc

I love love love my Sunski sunglasses, they are my first pair of good quality sunnies and are a game changer while driving. Plus they are a great shape and thus flattering worn. I’m coming around to not just believing but also practicing doing some reading/learning and investing in quality. As long as I am thoughtful with my quality items, I know they’ll last me a long while :)

I have sunski,and loving the quality and what the brand stands for. Thanks to you i found them,and i feel good every time i use them. Never buying the expensive brands, for me anyways. Buying another sunski coz they give back to the planet,why not !😊

Roka is a high quality manufacturer of glasses as well as triathlon gear in Austin Texas. Good to support local companies that make high quality products

Optician here at a private practice. Luxottica is evil and most raybans are shit. I would never spend my own money on one unless I get a hella deal. Maui Jim is my jam and worth the price. But anyways. At our place raybans are always half off because we understand how marked up the products are. Essilor lenses are great when the lab puts out decent work. We do have a high redo rate.

I actually recently got some Sunski's--highly recommended for quality, style, and price 👌

I was hoping to hear about the mid range shades. Like Shadyrays or Knockarounds. Covered the high end and the cheap junk, but there's a middle ground that got overlooked.

First off let me say that i'm a sunglasses man! I can't wear Rayband or Oakley (made by same company) because they give me headaches........wear them for a week, I get a headache. Stop wearing them for two weeks everything good! Start back wearing them and headaches again. I did this for three occasions and the headaches kept returning so I was done with them. I stepped up a notch and wear Maui Jim or Vuarnets and no problem! AHHH, peace! I spoke to a sales rep in a local sunglasses store about it and she said that the level of the filter and the quality of the lens on the MJ's in particular (Not saying that V isn't great) is way superior than Rb or Oakley. My eyes and my head tend to agree! If you can wear Rb or Oakley then kuddos to you but not for me. Blessings!

I get migraines bad, and a friend gave me their old Smith sunglasses and it was a game changer. Well years and many scratches later I needed a new pair and fainted when I found they're $400!!!! So did a bunch of research and found a $15 pair which worked just as good! I just couldn't justify that much even though it was for medical purposes.

guys i'm sure you'll get to a million and beyond! just bcause it's so interesting to listen to you and look at these graphs

I bought Polaroid sunglasses six years ago. If they can't polarize then nobody can. They patented the process. The glasses have been with me to some rough places, all kinds of weather, crammed into my backpack, smacked in the face by vegetation and bumblebees, dropped on rocks, and they remain in good condition. The price was very fair.

I still like my Goodr shades, and price is pretty hard to beat. Same deal 1% 4 the planet, carbon neutral, etc. etc. fun colors

I work for Ray-Ban, I love the brand but the company practices are lame. Not a fan of how they handled Oakley at all, but I guess that’s just capitalism & strategy for ya.

I am want to thank you for telling the truth about EL. EL has made it next to impossible for our sunglass line, "Tonic Eyewear" to be offered to consumers in select stores because of their monopolistic attitude. There are brands out there that are higher quality than anything EL offers. Ours being one of them. Hopefully, someone gets the word to end this Standard Oil of Eyewear.

Idk why the algorithm recommended your channel to me, however I'm glad it did. You have content on your channel i never knew I was interested in or would be in. I have been binging your content, very methodical and well put together the quality of your videos is simple yet so good. Keep it up man! You got a new subscriber!

I think the sensible solution is to buy mid-tear sunglasses. Those are connected to a name with a reputation and are safe to use (and will probably last a while) without paying for designer brands. It's true that if it's not regulated it could be a problem, but sunglasses are some the worst price mark-up goods- they're dirt cheap to make and there's absolutely no reason in the world to pay 200$ for them.

I recently got a set of Maui Jims with prescription lenses - an independent company not owned by E.L. They cost, erm, a LOT. But they are hands down the best glasses I’ve ever owned, even with commercial prescription brands. After doing a multi-day road trip in them, I think it was worth every penny.

I have a pair of Rayban polarized folding wayfarer, spent $220 I think in store. Bought them 7 years ago and have used them almost every day, taken them everywhere I've gone and they’re still holding up great and I still absolutely love them. Fit me well, love the look, and work good. While i'm sure it cost them nothing to make and there is better options out there, i'm happy with my purchase

early here yet again, said the video was privated for a second lmao what was that about or was it on my end. anyway great to see another upload

I feel you should have talked more about the tech behind high quality lenses and frames. I did a lot of research before buying my last pair and the difference in quality between the cheap DTC glasses I got and a RayBan seemed quite small. Even though the video mentions that there are good DTC brands it takes too long to nail the main point, in my opinion - that not only RayBans and friends are bad for the industry, they are also mostly overpriced.

And here I thought EL were quick to take down the video.

I’ve had great service from Oakley in the UK when my sunglasses broke. Either fixed free of charge or for a nominal charge. Very impressed.

From a french guy, I buy only Moscot brand (eye and sun glasses with Nikon glasses), created in 1915, in New York, the original creator of the Wayfarers (please check this out), but to bad, the design got stolen....Lemtosh are Iconics, last for ever, and real after sales services from their retailers, you may change parts if necessary....pricy but worth it, by the way, the Pirate wears only that brand.

Luxxotica is basically the Mafia of eyewear. As for paying 100s of dollars for sunglasses, how lousy do you feel after you lose them? No thanks. My range is not too cheap. Not too expensive.

The problem with sunglasses is that they're easy to forget left and right, once you remove them when day turns to night. If you don't carry a purse or a backpack, you're very likely to just leave them lying around. I usually buy sunglasses that he drugstore, for around 10 euros a pair, and this lasts me for as long as I don't lose them. Sure, maybe their quality is not the very best, but according to their labelling they offer the protection I need, and they don't necessarily look terrible like the "dime a dozen" glasses you describe in your video. I'm surprised you didn't talk about the markup brands like Ray-ban make on a pair of say, aviator frames. Good video though!

What was not mentioned specifically is that Luxxotica now OWNS the Sunglass Hut AND LensCrafters! They MAY also own Pearle Vision (not sure). I am a member of the Lions Clubs, and I accept, sort, repair, grade and package used eyeglasses (over a thousand pairs a month) to be sent to specialists in the Lions Club, who then further sort them by prescription, and send the glasses overseas to third world countries to provide vision for people too poor to afford eye care. Thus, I come across a LOT of glasses! I agree with this guy that Luxxotica is a gigantic "octopus" controlling the glasses market but also they DO provide excellent quality. I can tell just by touch alone that Ray Ban, Versace, Oakley, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Brooks Brothers, Armani, Armani Exchange, Deneuve, Gucci and many other top label brands are owned by Luxxotica AND that they are high quality. Knock-offs exist, and I generally can find them immediately. I deplore Luxxotica's business practices (as an INDIVIDUAL! I do NOT speak for Lions Clubs!) but yes, their quality IS maintained. If you want to avoid Luxxotica, then EyeBobs, Eye Buy Direct, and the brand he mentioned and a number of other Internet based companies DO sell non Luxxotica eyeglasses.

Congrats on your 100k. I really enjoy your work. Keep going.

I recently bought a pair of Maui Jims. Really happy with them

Huh, I didn’t know that the cheap, freebie sunglasses could potentially be harmful. That’s like all I use since I have like 4 pairs! May need to look into that more (although truly I don’t wear sunglasses that much and they mostly sit in my car and get put on during *particulalry* bright days while I’m driving)

I bought a pair of Suncloud glasses after seeing them recommended on Reddit. I have super sensitive blue eyes, my optometrist told me I have "absolutely no natural sun protection" in my eyes. And I absolutely love them! They're not the cheapest but I treat them like crap and they still fit with no scratches.

Commenting now before watching a minute of it: I so so so so hope Levi shows us the Oakley founder/CEO's mansion. It's horrific and amazing.

Hi there, loved the video and also have a small part of this story that might interest you! So, I live in the province where Luxottica was founded and still has a lot of its original factories: it's called Belluno and it's mostly known for Cortina and the Dolomites. One of the reasons why Luxottica was that successful is that the area already had a tradition of making good quality eyewear since pre-industrial times. While at the beginning, during the Italian economic boom, the presence of such a successful business was good for our mountainous and marginal territory, the population in the last decades has grown more and more dependent on it, with a good portion of the working class being employed in Luxottica and a lot of other smaller business working in the supply chain. The big issue is that this giant is shaping from the core how our province is developing, without giving back enough and preparing a future where younger generations will be still more dependent on it. And while a lot of us youngsters are leaving because here is either Luxottica or a very precarious job position, we fear what kind of damage to the economy some sort of delocalisation could cause. Despite this, we are resilient, resourceful and have the luck to live in one of the richer areas of Europe (northern Italy): I can't imagine the impact that corporations like this can cause to poorer areas of the world 😢

Loved your video! In actively trying to avoid E.L. I found Tens and INVU. I prefer Tens while on vacation because of their amazingly cool filter which instantly puts me in a good mood, but wear INVU regularly for the polarized lens.

I literally liked this video. Like literally irl and I like literally liked the video by liking the like button with like my fingers. I also typed out words to like literally leave a comment. I’m also like literally subscribed because I like you and your videos so much, Levi.

*Oh boy, someone's on the A-list black list now* 😆

My first Oakleys lasted 13 years before the coating finally gave out. My new ones 12 months. I'm now about to replace the lenses with secondary market ones, which I hope are fine (they're about a quarter of the price, and should still be good quality polarized lenses...) The problem is, there's no way of knowing, if there's as good, or if Oakley are still making good lenses. I check out Sunski, and they don't make wraparound glasses so I'll stick with Oakley. Sungod also look good, but I like my sunglasses to cover the sides of my eyes. I'd rather have Oakleys cheaper models than buy a Wayfarer shape that doesn't protect me from all angles. Sadly, Sungod don't do the Oakley style of wraparounds although they do do massive cycling and skiing goggles but you've got to be pretty blase to wear cycling glasses day to day. The person I know who does a) does a lot of long distance road cycling and b) has expensive prescription Oakleys. What I don't know about the lenses is whether or not the hardening coatings and general clarity is much different. Oakley claim to have developed good lens tech, which may be true but I can't be sure either way (I think it *was* legit but I don't entirely trust Luxxotica). Will my new lenses be any good at all? I'm not sure I'll know to be honest.

0 second of video and I hitted "Subscribe". You're good dude

i subed man. i liked the video about the water bottles, and this one too. keep it up man.

congrats on subscribers milestones, IMO you deserve more

I ordered a pair from some local manufacturer online, they had good reviews and the sunglasses cost me around ₹ 800/- (or 10$) and they are all features loaded, UV 400 polarization etc., and somehow I feel better wearing those than my brother's ray ben aviators, my brother also told me the same, so unless you want that big name "Ray - Ban" or " D & G ", you can find yourself some really good pair for around 10-30$ with same and even better lenses than these brands.

I love giving insightful comments that let creators know exactly what I like about their stuff, but all I can say for this is.... Good. Very good. Also, how future proof is the cannabis industry?

Back in college in 2005 I tried Julbo, a French company that makes Mountaineering sunglasses, and they have more affordable street shades, best quality and they cost less than half of Rayban or oakley, Julbo still sells expensive models, understandable if you will need them to protect your eyes while climbing the Everest, but their everyday styles are very affordable and have the same tech... I don't mind paying a price for quality, but paying just because of the name on the temple is ridiculous

I’d love it if there was a place where you could specifically find alternatives to hyped, admittedly good but insanely pricey products that are just as good or even just almost as good but more affordable for the everyday person 👀

I work at sunglass hut and two reasons why the prices keep going up are because of inflation and thefts.

I prefer Maui Jim sunglasses, but prefer not to pay their high prices. Many do not know that Maui Jim's discontinued models are now sold by Costco. You can buy glasses that retail frequently over $300 for just $96 for Costco members. These are factory sealed eyewear with Maui Jim's case and microfiber cloth.

Welp, I just watched this video on the day that I decided to overcome my fear of sunglasses and buy the ones I really liked from my local drugstore. I guess it was a bit of a mistake but at least I'm happy that I'm not delusion in beign afraid to wear sunglasses because they trick the iris into opening more due to the dimmer light and thus damaging the eyes. But I kinda got them because it's hard for me to find ones that fit me and I found them and secondly, I thought they'd help with my potential sun allergy.

i know a guy who works in the eye industry as a wholesaler and the frames have markups of 1500& > 10000%s. the frames are stamped out, high volume & for pennies. the hinges are low cost, they will always be a weak point of failure. screws are made small on purpose because the thread will sheer off after a set time. UV400 protection is not exactly hard either to apply as a coating. what would be more fancy is to apply the opitcal coatings that people like canon / nikon apply that harden the surface of the glass to make it more scratch resistant & for optical reasons.

I love the old Wayfarers without the RayBan logo on the arm. I have a stash to last me the rest of my life.

Been using a pair of very cheap sunglasses for nearly a decade. Stopped because I didn't know if they have UV protection. Had them checked by an optometrist yesterday and they didn't let any UV pass so back to wearing them. I really like them so glad I didn't have to toss them.

I'm going to shout out William Painter here. We've got 3 pairs of them and they look great and are amazingly built. Gone through many pairs before but can't seem to break these. I've got a pair of similar Armani's and the build quality is night and day.

I’ve just bought some prescription sunnies from Zenni because I do not have $400-1000 to spend. It’s damned scary. The costs are insane!

Thanks so much for talking about why you want to avoid buying cheep or fake sunglasses! Our vision is way to important to risk with sketchy sunglasses! EDIT: @11:10 in the video he shows the RB3025 for $139 but then compares them to a special Copper Gradient Flash color way that was $234 But the exact Large Metal Gold G15 Lens pair from 2011 that was $139 is now $163 on their official website. Ether way great video!

Stopped buying raybans when they got rid of glass lenses. It's like designer watches made by Fossil. A race to the bottom of quality. No offence but it's what happens when accounts and marketing are valued higher than other departments of large companies.

How difficult it is it to design functional and fashionable sunglasses? There are only 2 moving parts and the lenses have to be in front of the eyes - both of them, one lens per eye. Anyone that pays $399 for a pair of sunglasses has had their brain removed or got too much money and far too little sense.

I recently took my ray bans in to repair and was happy to see that they can due that instead of buying a whole new pair. Levi id love to know a little more about the manufacturing of companies like Ray Ban and not just their business model.

I used to deliver food to the Essilor building in Irving, TX…it too was dark and mysterious lol

I have the original Wayfayer Ran Bans. I wore them my whole time in the Marine Corp because they didn't scratch and didn't fog up as bad as the ESS glasses. I got a lot of crap, but they never broke. Even being the front man in the stack watching doors blow up 6' in front of me w/out the blast blanket.

I am not sure I believe the whole thing about the quality still being decent/good in order to maintain reputation. I say that because I always owned second hand sunglasses that were given to me by older relatives (old school wayfarers, aviators, etc) and never had issues with them. Then, a few years back, I decided to actually drop a few hundred dollars on a brand new pair of Raybans, right out of a Rayban shop. I justified it by assuring myself that Rayban made good stuff that would last, and buying right out of the shop would ensure that I was getting the real thing rather than risking a fake if ordered online. The result? They were complete garbage. I babied those things and still somehow managed to completely destroy the lens coating within just a few weeks. I've heard similar stories from others about modern Raybans being high priced garage. Seeing as how they are all owned by the same company, I can only assume that they don't care as much about their reputation since there is no competition to worry about.

Yeah, they are all made by the same company. I found our about this a few years ago and, since then, I'm actively trying to avoid anything made by Luxottica when I need new glasses or sunglasses. For the lenses, I try to stick to Zeiss, I hope they are still independent, but I'm not sure, haha.

Knockaround sunglasses are fairly good for the price, and to my knowledge, they are not owned by the giant EL Also, I have a pair of Suncloud sunglasses that have been pretty good

I have some prescription 2-4-2 sunglasses from superdry they were expensive but they have lasted ages and I mostly wear them in night clubs when on drugs

Occasionally you can find brands like skeleton sunglasses that are made in luxottica factories in Italy but in the beginning only cost like $35. If you go to their website now they charge over $200 for the same models I bought for $35. Now I'm left searching for cheap sunglasses made in Italy rather than China.

The cost to actually make Ray Bans hasn't gone up that much in the last couple decades, but the price of their glasses has skyrocketed through the roof. I'm glad I bought about 5 pairs of Ray Bans about 20 years ago, for $60 Canadian each from a drugstore called London Drugs. They are original, legit, quality, and about 1/3rd the price of buying new ones. F B&L Essilor, or whatever. If I ever end up needing another pair of sunglasses I will be looking elsewhere.

This was interesting and answered a lot of questions I had. I would have liked it if he had focused more on affordable sunglasses with acceptable quality though. Near the end he mentions only one brand, ie Sunski, and while they are less expensive than Ray Ban $60-$100 is not what I consider affordable. If you look around there are less expensive choices.

I have owned a set of Rayban New Wayfarer for about 6 or 7 years. Have tightened the screws on the frame once. The lenses are ‘Crystal’, which is a combination of glass and polymer. There isn’t a single scratch on these. I owned a pair of RB3025 aviators with Chromance lenses and polarised - great driving specs - but they started to peel at the edge of the lenses and had fine scratches on them, which didn’t bother me too much, after about 4 years. Not all Ray Bans have the same lenses. The crystal is far superior and you will get decades out of them if you keep them in a case when not in use. I won’t get the ones with plastic again. Btw, I use one pair that is Polarised and one that’s not, depends what i am doing.

It’s not just sunglasses, it’s frames for prescription glasses too. Rather than pay almost a grand for 2 pairs of glasses with transitions lenses (bright sunlight is not so great for my eyes), I checked out online glasses places and picked Zenni… got pretty much the same thing (couldn’t find polarized transitions, is that not a thing anymore?), but for $250 for 2 pairs. (My daughter wrecked my old glasses, best to have a backup. So far they are holding up about a year later. I never liked the plastic ones, always get metal.)

I'm really surprised that the Oakley thing was even remotely legal

The indigenous sunglasses are totally fashionable! They look designer af

Randolph Engineering make the best optics I've experienced in New England by hand, so if you like metal frames, you've likely noticed their aviators in many movies/TV. They're pricey, but worth it

Interesting video but I want to correct something around minute 9. You’re leaving viewers with the impression that cheap sunglasses are less likely to have UV protection, and that’s not true. It’s actually difficult to produce plastics or glass which do not protect against UV.

I've used the ZZ Top song "Cheap Sunglasses" as my motto for some time. I get the cheap polarized UV rated glasses, and replace them at the first sign of scratches... It eliminates the dread of losing, scratching, or damaging an expensive pair...

I bought a pair of sunglasses yesterday from Marks and Spencer in the UK, just £7.50. I'm assuming that they satisfy all regulations re UV filtering etc and they look ok. Why would I pay more?

I really enjoyed this video, I subscribed and I hope to see more awesome content like this😊

Luxottica is like the Mob. But they do make some nice glasses.

5:28 Captain* Jack Sparrow

What I would like to know is what sunglass brands produce stylish polarized sunglasses for guys on a budget. The only ones I've liked styles from are Privé Revaux & Shady Rays, along with some other brands not owned by eyewear conglomerates. Even Privé Revaux is owned by an eyewear conglomerate, but they make their lenses with 100% UVA & UVB protection & they're polarized for under $50

tbh Oakley has always treated me right. The business looks a bit funny on paper now for sure and I preferred being a small California company however. All that being said the price and performance has always been impressive. Prescription lenses are a bit expensive but the non-prescription is cheap for something that could easily last you 5-10yrs.

This is why I stopped wearing designer eyewear years ago...I'm happy with my generic sunglasses that has the same style and offers similar protection but at fraction of the prices

Dude needs to study basic economics. 50% increase in 12 years is not a huge increase. It’s actually in line with normal inflation. Hell, groceries have increased 50% in the last three years. I’d wager today semi luxury goods like Ray-Bans are being discounted to grab opportunity spending from relative competition on basic inflated goods like food and gas.

For riding my bicycle or driving I use a $20 USD pair of Milwaukee safety glasses from Home Depot. As good as any purpose specific sunglasses I've ever had. In fact, the only pair of Oakleys I've had fell apart within a year.