Maui Jim Sunglasses

Maui Jim started in 1980 selling sunglasses on the beach in Lahaina, on the island of Maui, where the glare off the water is about as harsh as it gets. The lens the company built to cope with it is still the point of the brand. PolarizedPlus2 is Maui Jim's name for a lens that does three things at once: polarizes to cut reflected glare, blocks UV, and — this is the part people notice — treats the lens so colors look richer and contrast sharper rather than dull and grey. Look through a pair for the first time and greens, blues and skin tones read more vivid than they do without them.

Maui Jim offers that lens system in several materials, from ultra-thin glass for the sharpest optics to lightweight polycarbonate and its own proprietary lightweight materials for all-day comfort, and in a handful of tints tuned to different light.

Each tint is built for a kind of light. Our frame specialists will hand you two or three to compare against the window; the difference is obvious within a few seconds.

If you spend real time outdoors — driving, fishing, boating, golf, a lot of walking — yes, and you'll know within the first afternoon. The glare reduction is dramatic, the color is noticeably better, and the frames are built to be worn hard. What you're paying for is the lens technology more than the name on the temple. If sunglasses are something you wear for five minutes between the car and the door, a simpler polarized pair may be all you need, and we'll tell you so.

Yes. Maui Jim makes prescription lenses in its own PolarizedPlus2 technology, in single vision and progressive designs, so you don't give up the lens quality that makes the brand worth buying. Prescription range varies by frame — the more wrapped the style, the tighter the limit — and our opticians will confirm which frames suit your prescription. Maui Jim also makes optical (clear-lens) frames; ask what's currently available. Bring a current prescription, or schedule an exam with Dr. Michele L. Domiano, O.D., at either office.

Maui Jim's range covers everything from small metal aviators to full-wrap sport frames, and stock rotates, so the current selection is best seen in the cases. Visit Domiano Eye Care at 189 North Main Street in Old Forge (570-451-2020) or in the Abington Shopping Center at 1000 South State Street in Clarks Summit (570-585-0000). Both boutiques are minutes from Scranton and serve outdoor-minded patients from across Northeastern Pennsylvania. Call ahead if you're after a specific frame or lens color.