Costa del mar vs. maui Jim?

[super dave]

I'm shopping around for a new pair of sunglasses and want the best polarized lens. I have heard a lot of good things about the maui's but am also considering the Costa del mar's as well. Any opinions on the quality of their polarized lens'?

 

Thanks.

[Live2fish85]

I haven't checked out the Costa del mars really enough to say anything on them. The Maui Jim's are great. That being said I like my revos a lot better.

 

I have heard great things on the Costa glasses though.

[Fishing4Tails]

I have a couple Costa del mars .. They have great customer service and of course really good sunglasses . I have both plastic lens and glass .. Personal the glass one are little heavier but well worth the extra bucks.

With that said I also have heard many good things about Maui Jim's . Best to try them both on .

[GreenCanada]

Maui Jim's are considered by most optometrists to have the most effective polarized lens system. I recently bought a pair of Maui Jim Stingray's with the HCL Bronze lens and it's like living in HD. They are great for lots of different light conditions and the polycarbonate lens protect against errant sticks and lures!

 

There is a topic I posted about sunglasses, back in August or July that had tons of info from a bunch of other users here. It might be helpful to check it out.

 

*Edit*

 

Here's the link, in case you were interested.

 

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=64258&hl=sunglasses&st=0

Edited October 18, 2012 by GreenCanada

[BillM]

Won't be trading in my Maui Jim's anytime soon.

[edmichit]

I've had my maui's polarized with bi-foculs "readers" awesome on the water, re tie's are a breeze again now that my arms are long enough again.

[Headhunter]

Everyone will tell you what their favorites are, you're best off going out a trying a bunch and buying what feels best for you...

HH

[fishindevil]

love my 2 pairs of maui jims,and have been wearing them for four years,and they are great lightweight,and very durable...they are supposed to have the best polarized lenss as well....i have grey and amber lenses...awesome worth the $225.00 a pair for sure...

[timmeh]

Whatever you decide think about paying the extra $$ for glass lenses. Any style of plastic lenses will scratch and the clarity just isn't quite as good.

 

I have a pair of costas with the 580 glass lens and they're fantastic. No experience with Maui so I can't compare. I suspect you'll be pretty happy with either brand. If you do go with costa's make sure you find a pair that fits you. They have many different sizes of frames so be careful if you're considering buying them online.

Edited October 18, 2012 by timmeh

[cram]

Anyone know where to find costas and maui jims in west end of GTA or Oakville/Burlington?

[porkpie]

I only own mauis and have no experience with the other brands. I am very happy with the MJ's. I have also used their warranty service, and it is second to none. Your mileage may vary!

[boombap]

I haven't tried either but my Oakley hijinx are great

[Canuck]

Costco has or had Maui Jim's earlier this summer. I posted about it.

[Parnelly]

I used to be hardcore Oakley until I bought my Maui Jim's. Cant say anything about the Costa's though, never tried them. As someone else mentioned... I wont be switching from the Maui's any time soon.

[Raf]

BPS carries Costa del Mar.. try them on there and shop on ebay to save $$$

[musky_hunter]

Lebaron has costa

[jace]

 

My votes...

 

and i've tried most of the commonly available brands with polarized lenses. Just a little research will narrow it down to 3 or 4 that produce the best lenses, and from there you can decide what styles you like. There's a clear difference if you do side by side comparisons. A friend had cheap department store "polarized" glasses and was struggling to see the same fish swimming by. cheap glasses have crooked polarizing layers don't cut the reflection and glare as effectively and the lenses are distorted.

 

 

Besides the optical quality, i've had all good warranty experiences with them. The thing is they MUST be bought through an authorized dealer for good after service. I dropped a pair off my head onto cement, smashed both glass lenses, they replaced the pair for peanuts. I broke an arm off a titanium pair 2 years after buying them...got a new pair for nothing. I cracked several pairs of frameless Rx lenses at the bridge..all replaced free. They were Lahaina's so if you have a fat head, don't bother to try them. My newest pair of Rx MJ's got a lens scratched while helping move my sister's toilet, They weren't even a month old and the lens was replaced free...not just polished out, they ground a new one. Rx MJ's are pricey but they're good for the day's you don't want to wear contacts.

 

 

their quality + service will have me going back as long as it keeps up.

 

a good #2 for me are the revo glass lens. I don't care for the colored mirroring on costa's but they do have good glass lenses.

 

 

I have nothing good to say about any plastic lenses, i've seen the distortions in most of them, even good brands when they have full frames...tightening the frame around a plastic lens bends it. You can see the flex and stress points by looking at them with another polarized pair of glasses.