Thanks for watching! We have most the top brands shown in this video available on our website ShadeReviewStore.com up to 80% off the MSRP! Also buy from the companies directly here: Maui Jim Store ► bit.ly/BuyMauiJimSunGlassesHere Persol Store ► bit.ly/OfficialPersolOnlineStore Randolph Store ► bit.ly/RandolphSunShop Ray-Ban Store ► bit.ly/BuyDirectlyFromRayBanOffical
Why is it that no one ever talks about Julbo? For me they are a mix of Vuarnet and Oakley, not very expensive, and I own a few pairs that are decent quality
So for those of you confused about the Tom Ford joke.. Years ago he reviewed a pair and the said the quality was pretty good but not worth the crazy high price tag. etc well the company got really made and said there was some missinformation in the video.... which i guess there was he said something wrong about them by accident.. anways they sued him for like slander and they setled out of court and and he had to remove the review and not review T F again... so thats why he said noting and just put it in the trash lol because now he HATES HIM even tho they are decent sunglasses... sorry for spelling errors my english is not great!
For me Persol definitely belongs into S for their quality, heritage and style. Their collaboration with D&G is a smaller mistake in my opinion, compared to RBs decreased quality. If RB were still producing in NA and maintaining their former quality level, then they of course should be in S. But in their current state I put them into B.
I love Serengetis just bought my third pair. The first pair I bought in he 80s, and my sister swiped them, the so-and-so. Then I bought another pair 4 years ago. When they went missing for several months,I thought I'd go mad. But yesterday I found them perfectly unscathed. Happy surprise! One thing I learned though is, for me, superior optics are very important. So today I got a "just in case" pair!
I would bump Serengeti and Randolph to S tier. I love their lenses, tech, and frame quality. Maui Jim would probably be in the A category - I absolutely agree with your take on them, but for me the lenses are SO good I’d have to put them there. Persol would drop off the fence into A tier. Mainly because I have trouble finding a pair that look good on me. Not their fault really, but there we are. Gucci and Bespoke would probably drop down to D. And I’d probably bump Costa to C. I agree on the frames not really interesting me, but they do have some nice glass lenses and serve a certain niche well. DITA AND both “Leights” I have no experience with.
I would definitely bump up MJ to A, Serengeti to S and Costa to B. Ray-Ban would be an A and Oakley a C. I lean towards performance and quality though. And even though Oakley's quality is not the best, their lenses are really good sports lenses. Designers sunglasses should all be at the bottom. Revo would be on top of Oakley if it was there, perhaps alongside Smith.
Agree with a few comments here. MJ in A tier would be fair. The only thing stopping them from being in S is that a lot of their frame designs look outdated. But stunning lenses. And you are absolutely right about Persol and D&G Collab. Persol are known for their sophistication. D&G are a loud, designer brand. The outcome is just HIDEOUS!!! Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Was quite a pleasent change.👍👍👍
At the moment Persol is untouchable for me. The aesthetics and the quality of the frames is just out of this world, not to mention they have great heritage. The D&G collab is absolute trash tho, i can easily agree. MJ would be an A tier for me, having a pair of Kawikas I can easily say that those polarised lenses are on another level, tho it was a hard time finding an MJ where I actually liked the looks (and I still think that a classic Clubmaster looks better than the Kawika, however I really wanted to try MJ lenses). I would definitely want to try an Oliver Peoples in the future, and I am also hooked for Moscot, but I was terribly surprised that they are MiC considering the price tag. TBD Pleat is also on my wishlist, however there are probably better options for the price.
To be honest, I would put ray ban on b tier just cuz yes they have that heritage but the ray ban of the past is not what it is today and if not for the history, it would be trash. That being said, I would put maui jim in a tier just cuz of how amazing the lenses are. At one point when I put on my mj and saw a red car and thought how beautiful the color red on that car was and how it stood out. Turns out it was the lenses that made it that beautiful and when I took off the glasses, it was just a regular red car. Another time when I casually lended my mom my mj recently and was shocked how beautiful the red trees where and I had to constantly remind her that its the glasses that give it that bright red and contrast.
I still have my Serengetis that I bought in the 80s. They cost me a ton back then, but they're still going strong today, and even look better on me now, than they did back then. Rayban is still my second favorite, because they are timeless classics.
SMITH is another brand. They make some pretty decent products. Their chromopop lens tech is fantastic. Frames are well constructed and durable. I've got a pair of Guides Choice with low-light yellow lenses. Meant for fishing, but great for cloudy days.
I own three pairs of Smith's...loooove their optics. Don't love the frame that comes with the chromopop lenses. They feel cheap, but the Chromopop lenses makes up for it. The other frames are okay.
I disagree with the Costa ranking because while a lot of the styles they offer are unflattering they still do offer great, classic looking styles like the Paunch or some of the "Costa Untangled" Glasses. In my opinion at least.
Hi Shade Review. Here is my initial Reaction (without thought). If RB's history puts it in the top tier then why isn't AO along side, especially with the new owners and higher build quality? I know AO Eyewear was slumping until the new owners, but I think the China component of RB is a factor. Also, I like the new acetate styles of Serengeti. I agree with the Persol positioning and the brands in the a, c, d and e catagories...Nice video... I'll re-review and let you know, after some thought if I changed my mind.🙂. Again, thanks for the great content.
So AO has an amazing history was well! But they never did 1/4 of the innovation that Ray Ban probably created 90% of all the frame styles that are still warn today! And then with lens tech as well Chromax, Diamond Hard, Ambermatic etc!
Okay. I understand. Question: I agree with your opinion about Persol copying Ray Ban. Is that a Persol call or a Luxotica call? Same question for all of the so called collaborations.
@@ShadeReviewyou should do another ranking video now..:) of course everybody will have different opinion about where they should belong but I think your decisions are spot on.
Ray Bans above Maui jim and Serengeti? I mean 30 years ago RBs were good but now not even close to MJ and Serengeti quality on lenses or frames and Rbs are owned by luxottica which mass produce mostly junk at high prices.
Amazing video but for the quality and material of Maui Jim I would place it on the S tier the rest I agree even loving Oakley's but quality and lenses are not what is used to be! Amazing content Shade Review!
Great review! Agree with your Ray-Ban perspective. I just got two pair, one the 2035 made in Italy with glass lens G15 and a 2635 polycarbonate lens made in China. I was surprised at how much better the Italian version with glass lenses was...and that the clarity was noticeably better. Ray-Ban made in Italy with glass or the highest end made in Japan is the way to go!
I would put Maui Jim in A for their exceptional lens and above average frames. Only reason I wouldn't put them in S is because their designs are underwhelming. Ray-Ban does deserve credit for their heritage and contributions to the industry but in terms of quality it could be better so I would put them in B, or A if you value the iconic styling and design.
O MAN O MAN, you are my go to person when it comes to sunglasses. But you placing RAY BAN on that level now just changes the game. You should have made a special category for brands that have influenced the industry, known for trends but not the best for over quality…..
This is the tier list I would agree with the most. I have a few smaller complaints, but this is generally a VERY good one. I would absolutely agree with Maui's frames always falling off my face. If I was to buy solely on frame fitting, I would have to go with Luxottica's non-fashion offerings (and even their fashion offerings fit pretty well with minimal adjustment). My personal dream would be an Italian Luxottica frame with Maui lenses. I have a similar complaint about my vintage American Opticals. I do think that Ray-Ban should be separated into three eras: Bausch Ray-Bans, Italian Luxotticas, and Chinese Luxotticas. I think that Chinese Ray-Bans would probably land in D Tier with only their frame fitting qualities keeping them out of E, if even. I love my Italian Ray-Bans (RB 3675 to be precise), and they're probably my favorite Luxottica offerings without breaking into Persol and Oliver Peoples territory, and neither have appealing Aviator offerings to me as of writing, though I would not be surprised if this ends up changing. I'm personally looking at getting my hands on a pair of Serengetis and Ditas, but I think I need to keep my eyes on Olivers just in case I find something interesting. Maybach's are a bit of a long term goal for me. The only real fashion brand I want to get my hands on is Chanel since its a bit of a family tradition on my end to go with Coco's company, but most fashion brands are for aesthetics only.
Persol is Definitely S tier. They're really unmatched with style, quality and materials. 1. Persol, Ray-Ban (tie) even though persol crushes them in quality. 2. Oliver peoples. That's all I need 🤷🏻♂️
As a whole, Persol is better quality than Ray-Ban, because they dont have a lower tier line with cheaper made frames etc. But Ray-Ban's do have some made in italy glasses are that equal. They are all made by luxottica after all
I recently bought a pair of maui jims to replace my old serengetis, and had to return them because the lenses had noticably less clarity than the serengetis. I wouldnt put those two brands together as being equivalent
This video gets TWO THUMBS down!!! You are being too hard on Persol when it's hand made in Italy. High quality sunglasses!!! Who cares about the fact that they copy a lot of Ray Ban styles... when they do it better!!! Ray Ban lower the quality of their sunglasses by having it made in China... should AUTOMATIC move them down to A tier. Persol deserves to be in S Tier for the quality. If you held Persol Wayfarer against Ray Ban wayfarer in your hands, you would automatic notice the better quality in Persol against cheap made Ray Ban!!!
I really enjoyed your list, it made me realise that apart from Persol & Vintage RB`s i don`t own any others on the list . Ray ban would be an S if they were still owned by B&L , that is where the legacy was made & they became iconic. The history has nothing to do with Luxottiga, they have no interest other than to buy the history & rinse the brand for all it`s worth ,they have destroyed RB IMHO. Persol is one of my favourite brands but the D&G nonsense has the smell of Luxottiga all over it & how long before we see Persol being made in China ?. I have been getting as far away as possible from Luxottiga & searching out independents & vintage . The Renauld Sixty One is on my wish list .
Fair points, buy what you like is the general rule of thumb for me. Persols just suit my face and for hand made in Italy glasses for 200 ish euros/dollars/ pounds I think you get good bang for buck. I really should shell out the extra for the polarized lenses next time.
Hey bud great videos I appreciate all the time you have taken to give us this information. I like the Ray Ban Wayfarer, could you suggest a pair of sunglasses like those with Black Lenses thanks for the help.
MJ and RE should be in S. MJ has superb lens quality for multiple purposes (fishing, hiking, hunting, leisure, etc) and various frame styles. RE - not as many frames as others but damn great quality as well, like they said, it’s worth an investment due to the superb quality. RB - regardless of history (AO has wow factor history as well), the fact China has hands on it just kills it. Shouldn’t have been on the S category. At best an A, at least a B. But like you said at the end, it’s your opinion. Great video though.
You're trying to tell me Persol copies Ray Ban? Nobody ever missed Ray Ban, they only gained actual popularity in the early 70s, and they were cheap AF. Then Luxottica pulled them from shelves after purchase and put them back up a few years later as part of a marketing stunt (people want things they can't have). Persol has been kicking since the Treaty of Versailles, hand-making all their models. There's only so many ways you can make a classic, reserved pair of sunglasses, and if there's any resemblance between models, priority will always go to Persol for the sole fact they're an older, more respectable brand than the cheapened outsourced Ray-Ban. Persol easily in S, Ray Ban down to B
What is the difference between Gucci frames (for example web GG0341s) and (plain GG1135s) Is there a difference in quality or is it just personal preference. Thanks.
I wouldn’t put Jacques Marie mage glasses to S tear, next to the Oliver peoples because of their insane prices. JMM only uses all glass lenses in their high end models and their prices are well over the thousand dollars. Their acetates are similar to Oliver peoples’s Japan made or special collaboration models I think. Oliver peoples frames are just simple and classy, JMM frames are on the other hand they have much more presence, not everyone’s taste. Yes they are great sunglasses but I think no other brands come closer to Oliver peoples for price and quality.. Oliver peoples would be on top of my list for sure.
Thought your rankings were all well-reasoned and I especially like your factoring in of history and heritage which doesn't always get considered. Only surprise for me was ranking Serengeti a 'B' given how much you loved their Wayne model (Which I have on order btw)...My best regards to you.
So Serengeti I hasn’t been extremely revenant for the past 10 years or so.. It’s just now recently (past 3 years) that they have really started to change the game! And that’s awesome I know you will enjoy the Wayne!
I think a lot of weight in this ranking was given to style, and in particular the style you liked. It would be good to have some weight for lens quality, frame quality, value (quality/price ratio), etc.
The problems with “the best lens” is that people’s eyes are different. Sure there are some specifications that might be beneficial but at the end of the day, it is a personal choice.
wonder what's up with Tom Ford .. i laughed so much when you throw it in the trash. Never owned one, and other glasses reviewers said they are sh*t as well. Are they "THAT" bad?
No they are not that bad. I have 6 or 7 Tom Ford sunglasses and their quality are ok. But not at the same level as the ones in b-a-s category. Their glasses are not that good and frames for what I heard, have many problems. I didn’t have any issues yet but I’m not using them all the time..:) I think they should be in the c or d category. Maui Jim, Serengeti, Randolph engineering, Persol, Oliver peoples have much better glasses.
We don’t do them in house at the moment but we have a fantastic partner that does! They can do custom tints transitions anything you want we can get you right! 😎
You have missed a big one. CARTIER. Using thick precious metal plating, elegant designs, nothing compares. I would rather spend 1000 on something that costed 200 bucks to make than spend 500 on something that costed 5 dollars to make.
Cartier has a big name and that’s it. Kering produces their glasses and their quality is not that great. Ok they are not bad and they are not great. There are many other companies that uses thick plating, thicker than the Cartier and their prices are way lower because they are not as good known as the Cartier. I only have one Cartier sunglasses and I would never buy again. Just too much money for its worth.
It is hard ranking sunglasses because different brands have different purposes and some could be at the top of their intended category, but at the bottom if judged by a category where others excell. Perhaps it's easier to establish categories like performance, styling, quality , desirability, etc. and then rank them. Or sports, lifestyle and fashion.
Ya I totally agree with you! That’s why I said this video was just for fun and not to be taken to seriously! Thanks for watching and the comments inglando!
While I am not an expert on materials, etc. when it comes to sunglasses, I would say that Oakley deserves a higher ranking for its sports performance glasses. Your list seems to be based on the more leisure ware glasses, but no other brand performs like Oakley in sports performance.
Best independent and high quality manufacturers out there: Etnia Barcelona Vuarnet Randolph Engineering Serengeti American Optical Maui Jim You’re welcome!
Dita is S tier you pay a lot, but the build quality is 2nd to none got in a 30 mph crash they fell off my face and only left 2 barely noticeable nicks I dropped my RAY BAN WAYFARER LITEFORCE from table height and shatterd the bottom right part of the frame. Imo B tier would be generous for rayban now
Excellent video, and awesome ranking, although I would put OP in a class on their own. Loved the brief appearance of TF, was like ‘huh??’ and then lol’d. Good move. I really want to like Moscot (esp the Lemtosh) but really struggle with the price coupled with MiC, so can’t see that I’ll take the plunge tbh, at least not when there are OP styles that are still on my list.
Thanks glad you enjoyed it! If you are looking for the beautiful Lemtosh style for way less check out Old Focals J.S. The rumor in the sunglass business is they are made at the same company that Moscot used to make them in China but the are only $169 for the frames and then you can have That Glasses Guy install custom lenses in them! 😎
Luxottica who owns Oakley has their own hundred thousand square-foot plant in China. So Ray bands, Oakley, Prada, and many more are made in the same plant in China
Hey do you have any opinions on Celine sunglasses. They have some very classic frames that are aesthetically nice but don’t know much about the quality of the lenses or acetate they use
They are not bad, but they are not at the same level as the persols. They are overpriced a bit because of high fashion brand, but insanely overpriced as the Cartier frames :)) for the look, you can of course buy Celine glasses but know that you can buy higher quality sunglasses for less if they are not a fashion brand.
Good input here. I wonder if a video about eye-wear peripherals would be interesting. I'm looking for quality carrying cases at the moment. I've got several pairs of sunglasses that came with crummy cases (cough... Maui Jim)
@@ShadeReviewbought two pairs of Compass from Jomashop. Rose and bronze. Only rose came with the bamboo case and cover So far, Oliver peoples are my best cases
I totally understand why you rank the Ray Ban history so high but in my opinion, they completely crashed their legacy in the last couple years. I would also like to know, why you put Tom Ford in the trash, because I think they are fine in quality and a bit too pricy but they just drop s-tear-designs. It’s also interesting which labels you didn’t mention as in my opinion, Cazal, Cartier, Carrera, Matsuda and Porsche Design should find a way in such a ranking. But maybe that’s my European view on this. Very interesting video so far, and it’s also cool to listen to your opinion. Thank you for your channel 🙏
If bespoke makes great quality frames but don't have many color and polarization options plus not glass lenses, wouldn't you throw Moscot over them? Seems like Moscot has great quality acetate and then they check the other boxes you said bespoke didn't, just curious 🤷♂️.
@@ShadeReview yes I got it, I'm talking about quality in a subjective point of view, but then is your personal list so everyone has their preferences haha, great video I don't miss any of them!
Are the Getty II S sunglasses made by Mr. Leight or Garrett Leight? Because both websites seem to sell them, and Mr. Leight actually has a link to GL for the sunglasses as well. A little confusing!
Nice vid. Although if Oakley get dropped because of the their recent decline but were much better years ago, why don’t Ray-Ban face the same? Also been looking for sunglasses for the past 6 months, eventually settling on Persol 3019s but loathe Ray-Ban because they dominate the sunglasses shops and not a single style suits me. I also loathe their inverted lenses as they virtually touch my eyeballs. So for me, Ray-Ban are D tier. For the quality of styles and money they have, not a single style works with my face shape.
Fun video! I mostly agree with your ratings but not with Ray-Ban being S and not Persol. Basically, I think both should be in the same tier by similar arguments. Both were S in the past and now they're somewhat worse. So by the same argument Persol is not S, then Ray-Ban should not be S as well. I also hate the Persol+D&G collab but I think Ray-Ban does similarly cheap stuff (e.g. Made in China). If anything, I would say Ray-Ban is A and Persol is almost-S. Strictly speaking I think Oliver Peoples is the only one that deserves S from this list. Second, I would love know to more about what happened with Tom Ford lol. Can you talk about it? You mentioned in the video so maybe you can say something about what happened,. Finally, some brands that would be nice to include and that you should definitely review: Carrera, Barton Perreira, L.G.R, Matsuda, Jacques Marie Mage. There's some S tier potential here.
What about Police? They used to make great frames in the 80s and 90s...now owned by Luxottica too, they only have a few premium frames and a lot of cheap trash. But back then they were pretty relevant
Ford In the Bin hahahaha Nice list, Randolph is one of my favorite brands! But, I am going to check out some of the other A list brands that I don’t own and look into purchasing a pair of Oliver People’s next
Oh nice if you do end up finding a pair of our people send glasses you want let me know I’m about to get it for you a lot cheaper on ShadeReviewStore.com even if we don’t have it available on the website.
Has anyone had issues with their Vaurnet frames peeling and cracking? I picked up some legend 03 but sent them back after reading some negative reviews over the peeling issue and the arms breaking easily.
From a functional perspective Maui Jim’s are top tier, love their non slip nose pads and high quality lens. And I agree that their lens tend to be oversized, but that’s so they offer more protection. So function over form. I have a larger sized head so think they look fine. Overall I’d agree though that from a style perspective they are not top tier. I love Persols but if I wear my Steve Macqueens for any length of time they start slipping down my nose which is annoying. If they had Maui Jim nose pads they’d be unstoppable!
I only have two pairs of sunglasses both good one are saint Laurent other is Versace. I got them because my dad get $2000 for glasses a year from his job.
Thanks for watching! We have most the top brands shown in this video available on our website ShadeReviewStore.com up to 80% off the MSRP!
Also buy from the companies directly here:
Maui Jim Store ► bit.ly/BuyMauiJimSunGlassesHere
Persol Store ► bit.ly/OfficialPersolOnlineStore
Randolph Store ► bit.ly/RandolphSunShop
Ray-Ban Store ► bit.ly/BuyDirectlyFromRayBanOffical
You gotta try Revo
@@matthouston8411 He has them for sale on his website lol
Why is it that no one ever talks about Julbo? For me they are a mix of Vuarnet and Oakley, not very expensive, and I own a few pairs that are decent quality
Why did you put Tom Ford in the trash????
So for those of you confused about the Tom Ford joke..
Years ago he reviewed a pair and the said the quality was pretty good but not worth the crazy high price tag. etc well the company got really made and said there was some missinformation in the video.... which i guess there was he said something wrong about them by accident.. anways they sued him for like slander and they setled out of court and and he had to remove the review and not review T F again... so thats why he said noting and just put it in the trash lol because now he HATES HIM even tho they are decent sunglasses... sorry for spelling errors my english is not great!
Wow that’s crazy thanks for clarifying
New to sunglasses and love Tom Ford design, but wow that’s a piece of shit move… will probably check other brands
@@kylerodgers3608 Ya it was unreal!
@@sebastiandiego8539 Wow thats crazy
Randolph, Maui and Serengueti are A tier, just for the fact that they're not Luxottica. They also make great sunglasses.
There’s nothing wrong with Luxottica. You fell for the meme.
@@sybo59 They turn brands into garbage, no one wants to be caught with that crap on their face
Same thing here. I really like Persols, and they’re owned by Luxottica, i don’t see something bad about it, as long they provide quality.
Randolph Engineering is excellent! I live 15mins from the factory!
@@sybo59 yes there is lol their quality is way worse than Randolph and AO
For me Persol definitely belongs into S for their quality, heritage and style. Their collaboration with D&G is a smaller mistake in my opinion, compared to RBs decreased quality. If RB were still producing in NA and maintaining their former quality level, then they of course should be in S. But in their current state I put them into B.
I love Serengetis just bought my third pair. The first pair I bought in he 80s, and my sister swiped them, the so-and-so. Then I bought another pair 4 years ago. When they went missing for several months,I thought I'd go mad. But yesterday I found them perfectly unscathed. Happy surprise! One thing I learned though is, for me, superior optics are very important. So today I got a "just in case" pair!
I would bump Serengeti and Randolph to S tier. I love their lenses, tech, and frame quality. Maui Jim would probably be in the A category - I absolutely agree with your take on them, but for me the lenses are SO good I’d have to put them there. Persol would drop off the fence into A tier. Mainly because I have trouble finding a pair that look good on me. Not their fault really, but there we are.
Gucci and Bespoke would probably drop down to D. And I’d probably bump Costa to C. I agree on the frames not really interesting me, but they do have some nice glass lenses and serve a certain niche well.
DITA AND both “Leights” I have no experience with.
Very thought through list!
Thanks for your personal edits!
Really great to get your perspective!
Serengeti, Randolph and Persol are my favorites. Lens technology and build quality are superb.
Same they make the best sunglasses. I have cartier/persol/ray/dita and they don’t even come close to those two
I would definitely bump up MJ to A, Serengeti to S and Costa to B. Ray-Ban would be an A and Oakley a C. I lean towards performance and quality though. And even though Oakley's quality is not the best, their lenses are really good sports lenses. Designers sunglasses should all be at the bottom. Revo would be on top of Oakley if it was there, perhaps alongside Smith.
His list was very accurate specially when you compare to DITA who knocks them out
Agree with a few comments here. MJ in A tier would be fair. The only thing stopping them from being in S is that a lot of their frame designs look outdated. But stunning lenses.
And you are absolutely right about Persol and D&G Collab. Persol are known for their sophistication. D&G are a loud, designer brand. The outcome is just HIDEOUS!!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Was quite a pleasent change.👍👍👍
Ya! I love Persol so much and this was just soo so bad haha
Check the Maui Jim's frames again, they do have modern styles as well. I have the Kanaha, very modern.
@@Sean71976 you couldn't pay me to wear those. If looking like Neo from the matrix is modern, then count me out.
My last two pairs (Chromance & Boyfriend) of Ray-Ban were absolute garbage. I'm very surprised by this ranking.
I disagree with Oakley Ranking, but totally agree about Tom Ford. FTW!!
At the moment Persol is untouchable for me. The aesthetics and the quality of the frames is just out of this world, not to mention they have great heritage. The D&G collab is absolute trash tho, i can easily agree.
MJ would be an A tier for me, having a pair of Kawikas I can easily say that those polarised lenses are on another level, tho it was a hard time finding an MJ where I actually liked the looks (and I still think that a classic Clubmaster looks better than the Kawika, however I really wanted to try MJ lenses).
I would definitely want to try an Oliver Peoples in the future, and I am also hooked for Moscot, but I was terribly surprised that they are MiC considering the price tag. TBD Pleat is also on my wishlist, however there are probably better options for the price.
Thanks for sharing your personal edits and favorites!
What would you say Persol vs Oliver Peoples acetate frames?
Oliver peoples is better. Full stop,
To be honest, I would put ray ban on b tier just cuz yes they have that heritage but the ray ban of the past is not what it is today and if not for the history, it would be trash.
That being said, I would put maui jim in a tier just cuz of how amazing the lenses are.
At one point when I put on my mj and saw a red car and thought how beautiful the color red on that car was and how it stood out. Turns out it was the lenses that made it that beautiful and when I took off the glasses, it was just a regular red car.
Another time when I casually lended my mom my mj recently and was shocked how beautiful the red trees where and I had to constantly remind her that its the glasses that give it that bright red and contrast.
I still have my Serengetis that I bought in the 80s. They cost me a ton back then, but they're still going strong today, and even look better on me now, than they did back then. Rayban is still my second favorite, because they are timeless classics.
SMITH is another brand. They make some pretty decent products. Their chromopop lens tech is fantastic. Frames are well constructed and durable. I've got a pair of Guides Choice with low-light yellow lenses. Meant for fishing, but great for cloudy days.
I own three pairs of Smith's...loooove their optics. Don't love the frame that comes with the chromopop lenses. They feel cheap, but the Chromopop lenses makes up for it. The other frames are okay.
I disagree with the Costa ranking because while a lot of the styles they offer are unflattering they still do offer great, classic looking styles like the Paunch or some of the "Costa Untangled" Glasses. In my opinion at least.
Hi Shade Review. Here is my initial Reaction (without thought). If RB's history puts it in the top tier then why isn't AO along side, especially with the new owners and higher build quality? I know AO Eyewear was slumping until the new owners, but I think the China component of RB is a factor. Also, I like the new acetate styles of Serengeti. I agree with the Persol positioning and the brands in the a, c, d and e catagories...Nice video... I'll
re-review and let you know, after some thought if I changed my mind.🙂. Again, thanks for the great content.
So AO has an amazing history was well!
But they never did 1/4 of the innovation that Ray Ban probably created 90% of all the frame styles that are still warn today!
And then with lens tech as well Chromax, Diamond Hard, Ambermatic etc!
Okay. I understand. Question: I agree with your opinion about Persol copying Ray Ban. Is that a Persol call or a Luxotica call? Same question for all of the so called collaborations.
@@maryjudeszymanski767 not sure what you are trying to say?
Agree. The Ray Ban in S was for hos benefit. Make me question his opinion always.
@@amymac66
Didn’t see Matsuda, I’ve heard they’re hard to find but I figured you’d have one or two.
I think that serengeti is unique with photochromatic and polarized lenses.
Honestly spot on. Let's let the sting get taken off of this dolce fiasco and then persol will take its thrown in S-tier.
Ya a few years from now hopefully we can all forget this ever happened 🤣
@@ShadeReview I'm still waiting on the April fools joke to kick in but i guess this is real...
@@ShadeReviewyou should do another ranking video now..:) of course everybody will have different opinion about where they should belong but I think your decisions are spot on.
History aside, Luxxotica brands are absolutely crap. Putting Ray Ban and Oliver Peoples into S is a big miss in my opinion.
Ray Bans above Maui jim and Serengeti? I mean 30 years ago RBs were good but now not even close to MJ and Serengeti quality on lenses or frames and Rbs are owned by luxottica which mass produce mostly junk at high prices.
Amazing video but for the quality and material of Maui Jim I would place it on the S tier the rest I agree even loving Oakley's but quality and lenses are not what is used to be! Amazing content Shade Review!
It’s just the size that’s a bit to large for me!
But I definitely see where you are coming from!
Great review! Agree with your Ray-Ban perspective. I just got two pair, one the 2035 made in Italy with glass lens G15 and a 2635 polycarbonate lens made in China. I was surprised at how much better the Italian version with glass lenses was...and that the clarity was noticeably better. Ray-Ban made in Italy with glass or the highest end made in Japan is the way to go!
I would put Maui Jim in A for their exceptional lens and above average frames. Only reason I wouldn't put them in S is because their designs are underwhelming.
Ray-Ban does deserve credit for their heritage and contributions to the industry but in terms of quality it could be better so I would put them in B, or A if you value the iconic styling and design.
Me: Cries in Tom Ford sunglasses
How about Montblanc? Have you encountered this brand for sunglasses?
Very nice and entertaining video, thanks
What about Carrera sun glasses ?
O MAN O MAN, you are my go to person when it comes to sunglasses. But you placing RAY BAN on that level now just changes the game. You should have made a special category for brands that have influenced the industry, known for trends but not the best for over quality…..
This is the tier list I would agree with the most. I have a few smaller complaints, but this is generally a VERY good one.
I would absolutely agree with Maui's frames always falling off my face. If I was to buy solely on frame fitting, I would have to go with Luxottica's non-fashion offerings (and even their fashion offerings fit pretty well with minimal adjustment). My personal dream would be an Italian Luxottica frame with Maui lenses. I have a similar complaint about my vintage American Opticals.
I do think that Ray-Ban should be separated into three eras: Bausch Ray-Bans, Italian Luxotticas, and Chinese Luxotticas. I think that Chinese Ray-Bans would probably land in D Tier with only their frame fitting qualities keeping them out of E, if even. I love my Italian Ray-Bans (RB 3675 to be precise), and they're probably my favorite Luxottica offerings without breaking into Persol and Oliver Peoples territory, and neither have appealing Aviator offerings to me as of writing, though I would not be surprised if this ends up changing.
I'm personally looking at getting my hands on a pair of Serengetis and Ditas, but I think I need to keep my eyes on Olivers just in case I find something interesting. Maybach's are a bit of a long term goal for me. The only real fashion brand I want to get my hands on is Chanel since its a bit of a family tradition on my end to go with Coco's company, but most fashion brands are for aesthetics only.
Persol is Definitely S tier. They're really unmatched with style, quality and materials.
1. Persol, Ray-Ban (tie) even though persol crushes them in quality.
2. Oliver peoples.
That's all I need 🤷🏻♂️
Awesome thanks for the comment!
@@ShadeReview Great list
As a whole, Persol is better quality than Ray-Ban, because they dont have a lower tier line with cheaper made frames etc. But Ray-Ban's do have some made in italy glasses are that equal. They are all made by luxottica after all
Very interesting ranking , but i have a question , what do u think about carrera sunglasses? Thanks.
I'd put Carrera in the "C" category.
I'd keep MJ in B becasue polarization doesn't work for everyone and that's all they sell.
How do you mean?
@@attilab.2818 Pilots, people with digital dashboards, people who use screens outside, motorcycle riders with visors that may themselves be polarized.
I recently bought a pair of maui jims to replace my old serengetis, and had to return them because the lenses had noticably less clarity than the serengetis. I wouldnt put those two brands together as being equivalent
This video gets TWO THUMBS down!!! You are being too hard on Persol when it's hand made in Italy. High quality sunglasses!!! Who cares about the fact that they copy a lot of Ray Ban styles... when they do it better!!! Ray Ban lower the quality of their sunglasses by having it made in China... should AUTOMATIC move them down to A tier. Persol deserves to be in S Tier for the quality. If you held Persol Wayfarer against Ray Ban wayfarer in your hands, you would automatic notice the better quality in Persol against cheap made Ray Ban!!!
Great video. I hope you do an update at least once per year.
Great idea I can save the PSD and come back to it!
I have some nice metal frame Maui Jim's that I've had for about 15 years.there still holding up and look great.
I really enjoyed your list, it made me realise that apart from Persol & Vintage RB`s i don`t own any others on the list .
Ray ban would be an S if they were still owned by B&L , that is where the legacy was made & they became iconic. The history has nothing to do with Luxottiga, they have no interest other than to buy the history & rinse the brand for all it`s worth ,they have destroyed RB IMHO. Persol is one of my favourite brands but the D&G nonsense has the smell of Luxottiga all over it & how long before we see Persol being made in China ?. I have been getting as far away as possible from Luxottiga & searching out independents & vintage . The Renauld Sixty One is on my wish list .
I totally agree if BL Ray Ban was still around they would be in a while other category! Such amazing technology and frame design!
I so agree with you.
Fair points, buy what you like is the general rule of thumb for me. Persols just suit my face and for hand made in Italy glasses for 200 ish euros/dollars/ pounds I think you get good bang for buck. I really should shell out the extra for the polarized lenses next time.
Ya I totally agree Persol definitely have a great price point to them!
Thats a good tier list , but i have a clue , witch its better sport shades Oakley or Bolle ???
So this list is comprised of the sunglasses that you think look cool. And thank you for the Costa del Mar old man shot.
Hey bud great videos I appreciate all the time you have taken to give us this information. I like the Ray Ban Wayfarer, could you suggest a pair of sunglasses like those with Black Lenses thanks for the help.
MJ and RE should be in S. MJ has superb lens quality for multiple purposes (fishing, hiking, hunting, leisure, etc) and various frame styles. RE - not as many frames as others but damn great quality as well, like they said, it’s worth an investment due to the superb quality.
RB - regardless of history (AO has wow factor history as well), the fact China has hands on it just kills it. Shouldn’t have been on the S category. At best an A, at least a B.
But like you said at the end, it’s your opinion. Great video though.
My Garrett Leight Brooks Sun are some of my favourite sunglasses I’ve ever owned.
You're trying to tell me Persol copies Ray Ban? Nobody ever missed Ray Ban, they only gained actual popularity in the early 70s, and they were cheap AF. Then Luxottica pulled them from shelves after purchase and put them back up a few years later as part of a marketing stunt (people want things they can't have).
Persol has been kicking since the Treaty of Versailles, hand-making all their models. There's only so many ways you can make a classic, reserved pair of sunglasses, and if there's any resemblance between models, priority will always go to Persol for the sole fact they're an older, more respectable brand than the cheapened outsourced Ray-Ban. Persol easily in S, Ray Ban down to B
What is the difference between Gucci frames (for example web GG0341s) and (plain GG1135s) Is there a difference in quality or is it just personal preference. Thanks.
Hi,
you forgot to mention Jacques Marie Mage glasses :)
I wouldn’t put Jacques Marie mage glasses to S tear, next to the Oliver peoples because of their insane prices. JMM only uses all glass lenses in their high end models and their prices are well over the thousand dollars. Their acetates are similar to Oliver peoples’s Japan made or special collaboration models I think. Oliver peoples frames are just simple and classy, JMM frames are on the other hand they have much more presence, not everyone’s taste. Yes they are great sunglasses but I think no other brands come closer to Oliver peoples for price and quality.. Oliver peoples would be on top of my list for sure.
Thought your rankings were all well-reasoned and I especially like your factoring in of history and heritage which doesn't always get considered. Only surprise for me was ranking Serengeti a 'B' given how much you loved their Wayne model (Which I have on order btw)...My best regards to you.
So Serengeti I hasn’t been extremely revenant for the past 10 years or so..
It’s just now recently (past 3 years) that they have really started to change the game!
And that’s awesome I know you will enjoy the Wayne!
I think a lot of weight in this ranking was given to style, and in particular the style you liked. It would be good to have some weight for lens quality, frame quality, value (quality/price ratio), etc.
The problems with “the best lens” is that people’s eyes are different. Sure there are some specifications that might be beneficial but at the end of the day, it is a personal choice.
wonder what's up with Tom Ford .. i laughed so much when you throw it in the trash.
Never owned one, and other glasses reviewers said they are sh*t as well. Are they "THAT" bad?
No they are not that bad. I have 6 or 7 Tom Ford sunglasses and their quality are ok. But not at the same level as the ones in b-a-s category. Their glasses are not that good and frames for what I heard, have many problems. I didn’t have any issues yet but I’m not using them all the time..:) I think they should be in the c or d category. Maui Jim, Serengeti, Randolph engineering, Persol, Oliver peoples have much better glasses.
Hey do you do prescription sunglasses, I was thinking of buying couple of Oliver people from your store?
We don’t do them in house at the moment but we have a fantastic partner that does! They can do custom tints transitions anything you want we can get you right! 😎
Oh my gosh at 9:21 when he finally taked about Tom Ford
for those of you who don't know T F sued him for a video made about 2 years ago and because of that he can never review them.
@@suzieboo643 oh ok that is why he has a support list for them. 😂😂😂
@@charlesmack6235 yes lol
May I know your opinion on Matsuda and Chopard? Thanks
Costa and Oakley are the only ones that should be at S TIER
That’s hard facts
Bro , what do you think of Revo Sunglasses?
You have missed a big one. CARTIER. Using thick precious metal plating, elegant designs, nothing compares. I would rather spend 1000 on something that costed 200 bucks to make than spend 500 on something that costed 5 dollars to make.
Buffalo horn temples! Comfortable and beautiful
200$ what would be the most expensive part? This is an interesting thought.
Cartier has a big name and that’s it. Kering produces their glasses and their quality is not that great. Ok they are not bad and they are not great. There are many other companies that uses thick plating, thicker than the Cartier and their prices are way lower because they are not as good known as the Cartier. I only have one Cartier sunglasses and I would never buy again. Just too much money for its worth.
Serengeti vs RayBan ?
It looks like you live in a Sunglass Hut! I love it! :))
Thanks hahah!
It is hard ranking sunglasses because different brands have different purposes and some could be at the top of their intended category, but at the bottom if judged by a category where others excell. Perhaps it's easier to establish categories like performance, styling, quality , desirability, etc. and then rank them. Or sports, lifestyle and fashion.
Ya I totally agree with you! That’s why I said this video was just for fun and not to be taken to seriously! Thanks for watching and the comments inglando!
@@ShadeReview Thank you for sharing your videos. I really enjoy them.
@@inglando No problem! Glad you are enjoying them!
really helpful video thanks
While I am not an expert on materials, etc. when it comes to sunglasses, I would say that Oakley deserves a higher ranking for its sports performance glasses. Your list seems to be based on the more leisure ware glasses, but no other brand performs like Oakley in sports performance.
Vuarnet, Roka, Revo, Maui Jim all easily best Oakley even in the sports and performance category.
Best independent and high quality manufacturers out there:
Etnia Barcelona
Vuarnet
Randolph Engineering
Serengeti
American Optical
Maui Jim
You’re welcome!
Need try try out Etnia Barcelona!
@@ShadeReview +1 on Etnia Barcelona!
Maui Jim is not independent manufacturer anymore
Maui Jim & Serengeti are owned by Boll'e Brands , a French company & like Luxottiga they are a huge eye wear corporation.
I thought Vuarnet were owned by Essillor
Where would you place SUNGODS brand with their 8k polarized lens
Where would you put Revo? Their lens technology is amazing
Dita is S tier you pay a lot, but the build quality is 2nd to none got in a 30 mph crash they fell off my face and only left 2 barely noticeable nicks I dropped my RAY BAN WAYFARER LITEFORCE from table height and shatterd the bottom right part of the frame. Imo B tier would be generous for rayban now
Excellent video, and awesome ranking, although I would put OP in a class on their own. Loved the brief appearance of TF, was like ‘huh??’ and then lol’d. Good move. I really want to like Moscot (esp the Lemtosh) but really struggle with the price coupled with MiC, so can’t see that I’ll take the plunge tbh, at least not when there are OP styles that are still on my list.
Thanks glad you enjoyed it!
If you are looking for the beautiful Lemtosh style for way less check out Old Focals J.S.
The rumor in the sunglass business is they are made at the same company that Moscot used to make them in China but the are only $169 for the frames and then you can have That Glasses Guy install custom lenses in them! 😎
Thanks for the tip! Hope the store is going well 😎
Do you know who is the manufacturer of Oakley in China? I thought of getting in touch, to see what other brands they manufacture there.
Luxottica who owns Oakley has their own hundred thousand square-foot plant in China.
So Ray bands, Oakley, Prada, and many more are made in the same plant in China
Dita is S tier, Persol S tier, Ray Ban is B tier, where is Cartier and Maybach?
Hey do you have any opinions on Celine sunglasses. They have some very classic frames that are aesthetically nice but don’t know much about the quality of the lenses or acetate they use
They are not bad, but they are not at the same level as the persols. They are overpriced a bit because of high fashion brand, but insanely overpriced as the Cartier frames :)) for the look, you can of course buy Celine glasses but know that you can buy higher quality sunglasses for less if they are not a fashion brand.
How would you rate Dior? Looking at the Neodior Ru but there’s barely any info out there
What do you think about Cartier, tom brown, yves Saint Laurent and Mikita sunglasses
Get u some "buffies!" Dog! Youd be the coolest mf on the blocc
Good input here. I wonder if a video about eye-wear peripherals would be interesting. I'm looking for quality carrying cases at the moment. I've got several pairs of sunglasses that came with crummy cases (cough... Maui Jim)
Oh ya there new case is soooo bad!
Do you have the of the old bamboo case those were great!
@@ShadeReviewbought two pairs of Compass from Jomashop. Rose and bronze. Only rose came with the bamboo case and cover
So far, Oliver peoples are my best cases
I totally understand why you rank the Ray Ban history so high but in my opinion, they completely crashed their legacy in the last couple years.
I would also like to know, why you put Tom Ford in the trash, because I think they are fine in quality and a bit too pricy but they just drop s-tear-designs.
It’s also interesting which labels you didn’t mention as in my opinion, Cazal, Cartier, Carrera, Matsuda and Porsche Design should find a way in such a ranking.
But maybe that’s my European view on this.
Very interesting video so far, and it’s also cool to listen to your opinion.
Thank you for your channel 🙏
If bespoke makes great quality frames but don't have many color and polarization options plus not glass lenses, wouldn't you throw Moscot over them? Seems like Moscot has great quality acetate and then they check the other boxes you said bespoke didn't, just curious 🤷♂️.
I see 1 Prada in 1 Movie on the Cinema, and after that i found and i buy this model Prada PR 22YS
Serengeti is easily S tier.
he doesn’t know what the f he’s talking about. serengeti tier b? what a clown.
Serengeti glasses are good but their acetates aren’t that good. Persols for examples have very good acetate and glass lenses..
Maui should be at least in the A Tier with Randolph, I get your point with Ray-Ban but today it's quality is a B tier, same with Persol.
Just wish Maui sized there glasses a bit smaller!
@@ShadeReview yes I got it, I'm talking about quality in a subjective point of view, but then is your personal list so everyone has their preferences haha, great video I don't miss any of them!
@@ShadeReview
Funny, I've found most of them too small. 😅
Awesome list. Also, where would you rank Tom Ford? I think they have the regular line and private collection, but not sure if its worth it. Thanks!
He htes TF because they sued him i guess
Hi Shade Review, where would you place 'Burberry' brand on the list?
I’d put them right there with Prada they are both made right next to each other by Lux haha
Are the Getty II S sunglasses made by Mr. Leight or Garrett Leight? Because both websites seem to sell them, and Mr. Leight actually has a link to GL for the sunglasses as well. A little confusing!
They are pretty much the same thing now lol.
But the Japan made frames are MR
@@ShadeReview would you recommend them? Yay or nay?
Versace should be in the list. The one that Notorious B.I.G wore was so Iconic.
Whar was the the category that Tom Ford ended up in? 😅
I have a pair of TF108s, look good but dissapointing quality.
Another great video 🔥 I do think Randolph should be in the S.
no titanium been doing the same thing or 50 years..
@@notablog4750 yes they have but if the same thing is really successful why do you change,and he has a huge collection of Randolph
Nice vid. Although if Oakley get dropped because of the their recent decline but were much better years ago, why don’t Ray-Ban face the same?
Also been looking for sunglasses for the past 6 months, eventually settling on Persol 3019s but loathe Ray-Ban because they dominate the sunglasses shops and not a single style suits me. I also loathe their inverted lenses as they virtually touch my eyeballs. So for me, Ray-Ban are D tier. For the quality of styles and money they have, not a single style works with my face shape.
Only one I’d bump up is maui absolutely love the lense quality on mine!
I disagree with a lot of your takes, mainly rayban, Maui Jim, costa, Persol, and Randolph. I agree with you on Oakley, though.
We can all agree with where Oakley is at right now 😂
Fun video! I mostly agree with your ratings but not with Ray-Ban being S and not Persol. Basically, I think both should be in the same tier by similar arguments. Both were S in the past and now they're somewhat worse. So by the same argument Persol is not S, then Ray-Ban should not be S as well. I also hate the Persol+D&G collab but I think Ray-Ban does similarly cheap stuff (e.g. Made in China). If anything, I would say Ray-Ban is A and Persol is almost-S. Strictly speaking I think Oliver Peoples is the only one that deserves S from this list.
Second, I would love know to more about what happened with Tom Ford lol. Can you talk about it? You mentioned in the video so maybe you can say something about what happened,.
Finally, some brands that would be nice to include and that you should definitely review: Carrera, Barton Perreira, L.G.R, Matsuda, Jacques Marie Mage. There's some S tier potential here.
Ya I totally agree with you and want to get into those other brands. I actually have reviewed Carrera before
I like dita sunglasses, im not happy with Versace ones they don’t last the test of time
What about Police? They used to make great frames in the 80s and 90s...now owned by Luxottica too, they only have a few premium frames and a lot of cheap trash. But back then they were pretty relevant
How about chrome Hearts and JMM ?
I actually have never owned a pair of either of those so I can’t say. Thanks for the comment Thao
Ford In the Bin hahahaha
Nice list, Randolph is one of my favorite brands! But, I am going to check out some of the other A list brands that I don’t own and look into purchasing a pair of Oliver People’s next
Oh nice if you do end up finding a pair of our people send glasses you want let me know I’m about to get it for you a lot cheaper on ShadeReviewStore.com even if we don’t have it available on the website.
Has anyone had issues with their Vaurnet frames peeling and cracking? I picked up some legend 03 but sent them back after reading some negative reviews over the peeling issue and the arms breaking easily.
Definitely the most qualified for this video 😂
Thanks! Haha
do a list like this about affordable brands
Knockaround brand
What do you think of Mont Blanc Glasses?
From a functional perspective Maui Jim’s are top tier, love their non slip nose pads and high quality lens. And I agree that their lens tend to be oversized, but that’s so they offer more protection. So function over form. I have a larger sized head so think they look fine. Overall I’d agree though that from a style perspective they are not top tier. I love Persols but if I wear my Steve Macqueens for any length of time they start slipping down my nose which is annoying. If they had Maui Jim nose pads they’d be unstoppable!
Dita quality is superior to OP in my opinion but styles can be out there. A few other great brands not on here so will leave them out. Overall agree
DITA has some great designs but the price and the fact that most of the styles aren’t timeless keep them out of S
A company that don’t come up much, but I think makes phenomenal glasses is MYKITA they should be somewhere at the top.
I only have two pairs of sunglasses both good one are saint Laurent other is Versace. I got them because my dad get $2000 for glasses a year from his job.