Hi Everyone!
I recently broke my Ray-Bans and was curious about recommendations for sunglasses. I understand they’re commonly considered a consumable item, but was hoping to find some solid and/or sustainable options.
Thanks for weighing in :)
Your only option is insurance. You’re not gonna find an all-steel pair (would be terribly uncomfortable) with somehow unscratchable lenses, and short of that, how could any pair be bifl.
Honestly, if they have flexible or generally solid hinges, that’s the most you can do to avoid the most common point of failure in cheap glasses, and beyond that, their longevity depends on use much more than build quality.
As for sustainability, there are a lot of cheap and nice brands using recycled materials or bamboo. But the best thing you can do is treat a pair well so you can go longer before replacing them.
No doubt, you make some great points.
I agree that finding steel frames with magically unscratchable lenses probably aren’t realistic :) I also agree that treating a pair well is the best bet at making them last. The pair that I just broke was my first time splurging on a nice pair of sunglasses and being intentional about treating them well. They lasted me for over two years and I was very happy with them!
The more I see promises like Waterhaul though, I wonder if their Osprey-style guarantee would be nice to have. They have a lifetime guarantee on replacing their frames (probably banking on most people losing theirs rather than breaking them) on top of using recycled materials. Obviously this would not include replacing lenses. Seems like it’s at least half way to being a good route?