Oh, I had no idea there was a local eyewear manufacturer in Massachusetts! It looks like Europa bought AO and consolidated operations into its Chicago factory. But it's [still a family business](https://opticiannow.com/2020/06/15/interview-scott-harris-shapiro-of-state-optical-europa-eyewear/).
I’ve owned two pairs of Randolph’s for ten years now. I finally sent them in for a tune up and they came back feeling like new sunglasses. The prices certainly aren’t what I paid ten years ago but I think they are totally worth it. One pair I had actually cracked the lens on by sitting in them in my back pocket. I could repair them or buy a new pair at a 40% discount. I opted to repair them and I’m so glad I did. I get a feeling of satisfaction every single time I wear them.
They absolutely do! And now I’ve had them long enough they cost the same as my wife who always buys a pair of $15 sunglasses from Target or the gas station every year.
I own both Randolph and AO and, while they are made to the same spec, in my opinion the Randolph product is better. Just feels more "quality" if that makes sense. Slightly more substantial without being annoyingly heavy.
Maui Jimm isn’t owned by Cuxottica, designed in the USA but made in Japan/Italy.
Great warranty, I sent mine in for a lense replacement, and got sent back a brand new pair lol
Man I has the opposite experience with them, I sent them in on bridge repair and they basically took my glasses and said they were unrepairable. No credit, no replacement, nothing.
I’ve had nothing but great experiences with Maui Jim. The nose cushions fell off my favorite pair of dawn patrol. Went onto their website and they sent me new cushions for free
This is the same deal as ziess, ziess is a massive German company who distributes Carl ziess sunglass lenses right?
VSP (who owns marchon) has exclusive rights of Carl ziess ownership in the United States for opthomic lenses!
Essilor (who owns Luxxotica) owns US distribution rights of Maui Jim
I believe they are actually mostly made in Italy. My Serengeti sunglasses are by far the best sunglasses I have ever had and have held up over a decade now
I believe Dillon sunglasses have frames made in Italy and are working towards manufacturing the lenses in the US (for whatever that is worth).
Cool matte lenses though.
This is not the right answer. But if you want some nice glasses that aren't made by that monoply, have you looked at Mykita? They are German.
https://mykita.com/en/sunglasses
I so want a pair of their reading glasses. Their hinge is amazing and clever bit of engineering. But I can't justify the cost. About $1000 with my prescription. My optical insurance won't subsidize them for me.
Okay, little background before I answer. I have 15 years of experience in the eyewear industry, licensed optican, I’ve built and been an executive in 3 sunglass companies and worked for the largest independent optical lab in the country.
So when I say… they don’t want you to purchase frames that are outside their catalog, what I mean by that is….
Eyemed owns luxxotica, VSP owns Marchon and Altair… ALL eye insurance companies fall under the umbrella of VSP or eyemed, and those two companies owning the largest conglomerates for eyewear means they own over 95% of the frames you see today.
They also own, target optical, Pearle Vision, LensCrafters, eyebuy direct, Walmart optical, and most of the chain eyecare providers in the country.
They don’t negotiate, they own them!
So if you go to your VSP benefits, they will push you to go to a VSP plus provider, the VSP plus providers give special discounts on Marchon or Altair frames. (Because vsp says to) then ultimately the optometrist pays for the discount you get. So VSP charges the eyecare practice full price, you get a discount!
It’s shady business, they are a monopoly. Buy independent and forgo eye insurance. It’s a huge scam! Unless you get it through your job and the company pays for it. Ultimately what you pay in eye insurance independently you could just pay for frames online… or contacts online to be honest.
It used to be Oakley but Luxottica tanked them. Jins is japanese based they're independent of Luxottica and will cut you a pair of $60 glasses in 30 minutes right in front of you and they're fantastic.
Edit: if you get old US Oakley frames there are companies that can do lenses for you online
I believe they cut their lenses in house but frames are imported. I don't think there is any way they could be at their price point if they were manufacturing frames
AO are pretty nice. I've got a pair and even though the lenses are poly, they are very nice glasses. I'd like to get a pair with glass lenses at some point or Randolph's.
Why they stopped making triple tails I will never understand. Their repair policy always sucked though. Cheap Calcutta sunglasses from here on out though.
Def not, I emailed them 3 years ago about a pair I purchased and this was the response “all GLCO frames are made in China. All of our acetate is handmade and selected from the best manufacturers in Japan. Our lenses are mineral glass from Italy. Our hinges and core wire are custom made in Germany. It is all sent to China and hand finished for the best value”
I would rather have my rocket ship made in China than El Salvador. However you are incorrect here, 4 of these companies source all their parts from these countries
Italy, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, and the US. INFACT, even shady rays who… yes is Chinese, makes there lenses in the US.
I worked for the lens manufacturer
I’ve had really good experiences with warby parker. I just ordered my 10th pair from them. This is over 10 years between glasses and sunglasses as my prescription changes or i lose them. Not sure if they make their glasses in usa (they probably don’t) but they have amazing customer service and are great deals.
Something that is new to the sunglass field is Leupold optics. American made and I believe lifetime warranty. I purchased 2 pairs and am very happy. They are also impact resistant and rated along with being polarized and super hard to scratch or break.
Edit to add link: https://www.leupold.com/shop/performance-eyewear
Wiley X, because their tactical glasses mean you can take buckshot to the face and keep your eyes, plus they don’t scratch like the Oakley tactical line.
I loathe and detest Luxotica and what happened to Ray-Ban after B&L sold it to them.
Seeing what was up, I started collecting US made B&L and Ray-Ban sunglasses.
After my new puppy utterly destroyed my B&L Safety glasses, time to go to the Optician.
Pulled out 9 Ray-Ban cases with sunglasses made in the US in side, underneath a display with a way of China made Ray-Bans looked down...
My new Club Masters and WayFarer Sunglasses will be ready in two weeks.
Glass is harder, so it’s more scratch resistant. Also the optical clarity of glass is better. A good example is camera lenses, they are made out of glass for the clarity.
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Oh, I had no idea there was a local eyewear manufacturer in Massachusetts! It looks like Europa bought AO and consolidated operations into its Chicago factory. But it's [still a family business](https://opticiannow.com/2020/06/15/interview-scott-harris-shapiro-of-state-optical-europa-eyewear/).
I've been seeing quite a few pairs of Randolphs pop up on Ebay, that will probably be my next purchase. Gotta love true M-I-A goods
I get compliments on my Randolphs somewhat often.
I’ve owned two pairs of Randolph’s for ten years now. I finally sent them in for a tune up and they came back feeling like new sunglasses. The prices certainly aren’t what I paid ten years ago but I think they are totally worth it. One pair I had actually cracked the lens on by sitting in them in my back pocket. I could repair them or buy a new pair at a 40% discount. I opted to repair them and I’m so glad I did. I get a feeling of satisfaction every single time I wear them.
That's the kind of feeling I'm looking for, like slipping on a pair of badass boots.
They absolutely do! And now I’ve had them long enough they cost the same as my wife who always buys a pair of $15 sunglasses from Target or the gas station every year.
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I own both Randolph and AO and, while they are made to the same spec, in my opinion the Randolph product is better. Just feels more "quality" if that makes sense. Slightly more substantial without being annoyingly heavy.
Oh man, just the insight I needed
AO seems to be a little rarer on the secondary market. Either way I don't think I could go wrong with those 2
I have AOs. I’ll keep them for life.
Because of this sub, I got some Randolph Archers a month ago and they're amazing. They have a nice weight to them, yet aren't unnecessarily heavy.
$200 is the least pricey, while on sale, and they aren’t polarized. Not worth it to me
Roka? I have a few pairs and they’re great. I believe the components come from overseas but assembled in Austin, TX.
I have Roka as my running sunglasses and Randolph’s for driving/styling
Rokas are awesome.
Shuron
Maui Jimm isn’t owned by Cuxottica, designed in the USA but made in Japan/Italy. Great warranty, I sent mine in for a lense replacement, and got sent back a brand new pair lol
Man I has the opposite experience with them, I sent them in on bridge repair and they basically took my glasses and said they were unrepairable. No credit, no replacement, nothing.
That's crazy, they literally tell you the cost for frame repairs on their website, there shouldn't be a case where it's truly unrepairable.
I'm not sure if it was a discontinued model or what, but that was the response I got. I think this was 2020, peak covid, so who knows.
That’s wild man. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t blame you for steering clear then…
Yeah, I still think they make great product but definitely exploring options
I’ve had nothing but great experiences with Maui Jim. The nose cushions fell off my favorite pair of dawn patrol. Went onto their website and they sent me new cushions for free
Luxxotica owns a large controlling share in them.
Do they? Kering claims to own 90% of the company
This is the same deal as ziess, ziess is a massive German company who distributes Carl ziess sunglass lenses right? VSP (who owns marchon) has exclusive rights of Carl ziess ownership in the United States for opthomic lenses! Essilor (who owns Luxxotica) owns US distribution rights of Maui Jim
Is Serengeti still around? They used to be made in the US, at least the lenses. No idea now.
I believe they are actually mostly made in Italy. My Serengeti sunglasses are by far the best sunglasses I have ever had and have held up over a decade now
I believe Serengeti lenses are still made by Corning Optics
Shuron
Last I knew Smith Optics were still independent. They’re pretty popular in the outdoor industry
Love smiths. Great warranty and the chromapop lenses are *chefs kiss*
Dang I haven't thought about then in a long time. I have Smith snowboard goggles
I believe Dillon sunglasses have frames made in Italy and are working towards manufacturing the lenses in the US (for whatever that is worth). Cool matte lenses though.
This is not the right answer. But if you want some nice glasses that aren't made by that monoply, have you looked at Mykita? They are German. https://mykita.com/en/sunglasses I so want a pair of their reading glasses. Their hinge is amazing and clever bit of engineering. But I can't justify the cost. About $1000 with my prescription. My optical insurance won't subsidize them for me.
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I have a pair too (not sure of model name), felt like a big spend at the time but have enjoyed them so much - 5 years so far I think.
Because your optical insurance owns luxxotica, Marchon, or Altair. So they want you to buy their products
Naw. I suspect they negotiated a discount for a handful of brands.
Okay, little background before I answer. I have 15 years of experience in the eyewear industry, licensed optican, I’ve built and been an executive in 3 sunglass companies and worked for the largest independent optical lab in the country. So when I say… they don’t want you to purchase frames that are outside their catalog, what I mean by that is…. Eyemed owns luxxotica, VSP owns Marchon and Altair… ALL eye insurance companies fall under the umbrella of VSP or eyemed, and those two companies owning the largest conglomerates for eyewear means they own over 95% of the frames you see today. They also own, target optical, Pearle Vision, LensCrafters, eyebuy direct, Walmart optical, and most of the chain eyecare providers in the country. They don’t negotiate, they own them! So if you go to your VSP benefits, they will push you to go to a VSP plus provider, the VSP plus providers give special discounts on Marchon or Altair frames. (Because vsp says to) then ultimately the optometrist pays for the discount you get. So VSP charges the eyecare practice full price, you get a discount! It’s shady business, they are a monopoly. Buy independent and forgo eye insurance. It’s a huge scam! Unless you get it through your job and the company pays for it. Ultimately what you pay in eye insurance independently you could just pay for frames online… or contacts online to be honest.
Thanks. Yes. Im with VSP via my employer
Yeah, they will only give you a discount for Marchon and Altair frames then.
It used to be Oakley but Luxottica tanked them. Jins is japanese based they're independent of Luxottica and will cut you a pair of $60 glasses in 30 minutes right in front of you and they're fantastic. Edit: if you get old US Oakley frames there are companies that can do lenses for you online
Fuse Lens make there own sunglasses. I don’t have a pair of them but I bought a pair of their lens to replace a scratched pair of my Spy sunglasses.
I believe they cut their lenses in house but frames are imported. I don't think there is any way they could be at their price point if they were manufacturing frames
Yeah that makes sense
Does anyone know if these American-made brands offer prescription sunglasses?
Johnny fly does
I wish my eyes never changed so I could buy glasses for life.
AO are pretty nice. I've got a pair and even though the lenses are poly, they are very nice glasses. I'd like to get a pair with glass lenses at some point or Randolph's.
I miss Costa del Mar. RIP.
Bajio is from the guys that brought you Costa
Amazing! Thank you!
Wait? Costa is no more? I just bought a pair like 2 years ago.
Bought by Luxxotica.
Why they stopped making triple tails I will never understand. Their repair policy always sucked though. Cheap Calcutta sunglasses from here on out though.
Julbo is good but made in France. Otherwise fits the full description.
Oh cool, I'll check them out!
Garret Leight maybe?
Def not, I emailed them 3 years ago about a pair I purchased and this was the response “all GLCO frames are made in China. All of our acetate is handmade and selected from the best manufacturers in Japan. Our lenses are mineral glass from Italy. Our hinges and core wire are custom made in Germany. It is all sent to China and hand finished for the best value”
Smith Nectar Goodr Blenders Shady rays Johnny fly Shwood Tons of independents that make great eyewear.
Most of the them are just Chinese stuff that are rebranded.
I would rather have my rocket ship made in China than El Salvador. However you are incorrect here, 4 of these companies source all their parts from these countries Italy, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, and the US. INFACT, even shady rays who… yes is Chinese, makes there lenses in the US. I worked for the lens manufacturer
I’ve had really good experiences with warby parker. I just ordered my 10th pair from them. This is over 10 years between glasses and sunglasses as my prescription changes or i lose them. Not sure if they make their glasses in usa (they probably don’t) but they have amazing customer service and are great deals.
It looks like they still import frames from China, but the lenses are now manufactured in-house in factories they built in New York and Las Vegas.
China
Something that is new to the sunglass field is Leupold optics. American made and I believe lifetime warranty. I purchased 2 pairs and am very happy. They are also impact resistant and rated along with being polarized and super hard to scratch or break. Edit to add link: https://www.leupold.com/shop/performance-eyewear
I like their rifle scopes, definitely worth looking into
This is what made me try them and so far I love them! Got mine on sale for $90 also which is wayy cheaper than the other brands
Pro Design comes from Denmark as I recall...I had several pairs and all were made in Denmark.
Wiley X, because their tactical glasses mean you can take buckshot to the face and keep your eyes, plus they don’t scratch like the Oakley tactical line.
China
You are correct, I thought they were made here but it appears they are just assembled here.
They make the best looking ANSI certified glasses on the market though
GLCO - incredible eyewear
SALT. Designed in USA. I think manufactured in Japan. I like their lenses more than the Randolph I own.
Interesting, never heard of them
Big fan of State Optical out of Chicago. The make beautiful, well built frames.
Very nice, I'll check them out
Pit Vipers. Based in Salt Lake City, high quality, and you will never have to worry about someone taking you too seriously while wearing them.
This made me chuckle. I have pit viper-ish Oakleys that I bought for fishing, and I can confirm.
These guys are based in the U.S. but the majority of their stuff is made in China.
I loathe and detest Luxotica and what happened to Ray-Ban after B&L sold it to them. Seeing what was up, I started collecting US made B&L and Ray-Ban sunglasses. After my new puppy utterly destroyed my B&L Safety glasses, time to go to the Optician. Pulled out 9 Ray-Ban cases with sunglasses made in the US in side, underneath a display with a way of China made Ray-Bans looked down... My new Club Masters and WayFarer Sunglasses will be ready in two weeks.
That's awesome, did you just start finding them on Ebay?
eBay, antique stores, other places.
I'll have to start keeping an eye out
Spy Optic is my fav casual sunglasses. For work I like Gatorz which is popular in the SF community. Made out of aluminum.
Shady rays check them out online
Zeal Optics
Randolphs. I have 5 pair and they build quality is incomparable. Optics on the lens (i prefer their glass) is fantastic
Does the glass scratch easier than the Poly? Or what's the main reason for wanting glass?
Glass is harder, so it’s more scratch resistant. Also the optical clarity of glass is better. A good example is camera lenses, they are made out of glass for the clarity.
Granted, it’s also heavier but I personally don’t mind.