Maui Jim was founded in 1980 by Jim Richards, the original “Maui Jim”, who sold his sunglasses at hotel pools and from his car. Richards invented the first polarized lens, the copyright for which he sold to Walter Hester, who remains the CEO of the Hawaii division.
Today, Maui Jim is the third largest sunglass and prescription sunglass manufacturer in the world. The company offers more than 100 styles of glasses, with more being introduced every year, in 100 countries, with an average price of $240 a pair. All Maui Jim sunglasses block 99% of the sun’s glare and 100% of the harmful UV rays. Forbes Magazine listed Maui Jim sunglasses on their list of “100 Things Worth Every Single Penny.”
The company has its main headquarters in Peoria, Illinois, but maintains its “home base” in Hawaii. Sunglasses are manufactured in Illinois for shipment around the world. All repairs are done at the Illinois plant as well. Maui Jim glasses are marketed to those who want the best in life and care about their vision.
In August 2022, a federal grand jury indicted a former employee with mail and wire fraud involving the theft of sunglass parts.
Maui Jim maintains a corporate office in Peoria, Illinois.
Maui Jim was founded in 1980 by Jim Richards, the original “Maui Jim”, who sold his sunglasses at hotel pools and from his car. Richards invented the first polarized lens, the copyright for which he sold to Walter Hester, who remains the CEO of the Hawaii division.
History
Today, Maui Jim is the third largest sunglass and prescription sunglass manufacturer in the world. The company offers more than 100 styles of glasses, with more being introduced every year, in 100 countries, with an average price of $240 a pair. All Maui Jim sunglasses block 99% of the sun’s glare and 100% of the harmful UV rays. Forbes Magazine listed Maui Jim sunglasses on their list of “100 Things Worth Every Single Penny.”
The company has its main headquarters in Peoria, Illinois, but maintains its “home base” in Hawaii. Sunglasses are manufactured in Illinois for shipment around the world. All repairs are done at the Illinois plant as well. Maui Jim glasses are marketed to those who want the best in life and care about their vision.
In August 2022, a federal grand jury indicted a former employee with mail and wire fraud involving the theft of sunglass parts.
Maui Jim maintains a corporate office in Peoria, Illinois.
Defective sunglasses-TERRIBLE customer service if you want to call it that-company not the same as it was several years ago!
I noticed a few people here posting that when they broke their glasses they got replacements sent even after 3 years. I emailed customer service asking for just options and was given poor robotic answers from Bailee. I wonder if Mike Dalton reads these?
I have 2 pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses. Both are exceptional. The temple broke on my HCL MALA glasses after 3 years of constant usage.. Maui Jim replaced both temples and the nose guard. for no charge. I did not expect that. These glasses were a retirement present from the employees who worked with me and I love them. I would have paid to have them fixed.
Thank you for your outstanding customer service.
I purchased a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses that are RX able. The problem is that I have got a prescription but hate to lose the original lens if taken to my optometrist. Could I possibly send my new sunglasses for prescription?
I am a recovering cancer patient, I fell in the parking lot at the hospital three days ago and broke my Maui Jim sunglasses, one of three pairs I own. The fall broke one of the lenses in my glasses. The chemo damaged my eyes so when the sun is out I can not see and must have sunglasses to see ( Maui Jim’s are the best for my problem). Went to eyes Maui Jim retailer and they called Maui Jim. We were told their policy was not to send one lens. Now I can not drive if the sun is out, not good policy. Read article about founder who said ” give the customer what they want” he needs to live up to that statement.
Ihavehad a pair of Guardrails for several years. The nose pieces are worn and I contacted your customer service department to ask about replacements.
Your representative, Jessica Lowder identified the glasses by photo and said that she would send me replacements at no charge.
Whilst they have yet to arrive, I cannot be happier with the service that I received.
Neil Nicholson
Adelaide, Australia
While vacationing in Mexico in Los Cabos at Hyatt Ziva Resort I saw a Maui vendor table. I was unaware that it was a Maui event for only a few people. Since it was located in the lobby & since I have always been interested in purchasing Maui glasses I approached the table to inquire! The Maui represent was extremely rude, & told me it was only for people in there event. She seemed to be bothered. Horrible Maui Representative!!! She embarrassed me! This occurred the week of October 12 through October 15, 2017. Please address this matter! Thank you
I want to first off thank you for your generous arm replacement at no charge except for the $10 service fee for shipping. I want to explain I have never written to any company asking for assistance, but I feel I was NOT treated fairly. I have a medical condition called Reiter’s Syndrom which is very rare, less than 20,000 US cases per year. It is an arthritic condition that affects the eyes which causes Iritis and uveitis which affects me 4 to 6 times per year. The iritis and uveitis last from 2 to 4 weeks each time. The only way to treat it is dilating the affected eye and prednisone drops to help with inflammation. Mine was acquired genetically as my dad had it as well. I am a nurse, and a single mother to two kids and if I don’t wear the best sunglass protection I risk right now burns and blindness. With my eyes dilated the Iris will not constrict in the sunlight. My ophthalmologist thinks
Maui Jim glasses are the best on the market for UV protection and told me I needed a pair to save my eyesight. In August 2016 I went to Sunglass Hut and they sales associate directed me to a frameless pair of sunglasses called Sugar Beach with the lens color was root beer. Five months later the arm broke and I was not informed y Sunglass Hut in Allen Texas about your generous replacement arms at no cost. I literally was crying when I threw them away as I needed them and it was money I really didn’t have to spend on them in the first place. After saving and not being able to do anything extra for my kids I purchased a replacement pair in March of this year 2017, I had saved enough money and went and bought the same pair as that is what the sales associate insisted I needed. Once again they broke in the exact same place but I couldn’t bear to throw them away I was trying to have tape around them. I’m currently right in the middle of an Iritis attack.
I went to see my doctor on Friday for him to monitor my Iritis and showed him my broken frames and ask if he had any way to help me repair them. He was extremely upset because the unframed glasses have a habit breaking. He also said the root beer colored lens it’s not what I needed maximum production, it should have been the dark gray. While currently he is still a huge fan of Maui Jim, he was extremely disappointed with the sunglass hut for not helping me with the correct glasses I needed. He said I needed a blue lens for maximum protection because it was actually ever laid on the gray lens. I do not know anything about sunglasses and simply relied on the sales associate who acted like they knew exactly what I needed and so I trusted them. I spoke with the sunglass hut here in Allen Texas and they refused to do anything to help me. Because I purchased two of these sunglasses I have almost $400 tied up in a model and lens color that is not what I even need it in the first place. He said I either needed aviator or rectangle glasses for better stability so they are not constantly breaking, and I needed a blue lens.
Since he believes in your eye where he took the time to go through and show me the models that would help protect my eyes when it is fully dilated and that I can wear indoors to protect from the bright fluorescent lighting and still see very well. These are the sunglasses he recommended from your company as long as they have blue lenses: KANAIO COAST, COOK PINES, SEA HOUSE, KAUPO GAP, STINGRAY, BREEZEWAY, KANAIO COAST, SOUTH SWELL, PEAHI, BABY BEACH, KAWIKA, RED SANDS, KAUPO GAP, TAIL SLIDE, or WAKEA.
Again I am very appreciative of your company so I can get the current ones I have and try to fix them, but my doctor does not agree they are the pair I need to maintain my eye vision. So I have $400 tied up in Maui Jim sunglasses in less than 12 months, even with the pair I have repaired I still can’t use them.I am upset that the sunglass hut will do nothing to help me especially since they are the ones that referred me to the wrong pair to begin with. I can’t afford to spend anymore money on Maui Jim sunglasses since I had purchased two pair in the past 12 months. As I said I have never asked for anything in my life, but I am asking if there is anyway that one of these models with blue lenses could be sent to help compensate me for the $400 that I have lost because even if I fix the glasses I have they are not protecting my vision as well as the above-mentioned models. My doctor suggested that I write to Maui Jim and explain what had happened with 2 broken glasses in the wrong recommendation from the beginning. He believes strongly in your company and things that you could help me so I reluctantly ask if there’s anyway you could consider in sending me his recommended pair with the blue lens. When I asked the customer to service department they told me there’s nothing they could do for me except fix the ones I have.
The $400 I have already spent on your sunglasses over the last 12 months has been a complete wasted investment. I am asking to be sent the model of your choosing the doctor recommended from the above list as long as they have the blue lenses. I promised him I would write to you this weekend and he would like me to call him and let him know what Maui Jim’s is willing to do to help me under the cirXXXXstances. I don’t care what model it is if that makes any difference to your company, I will wear anything as long as the blue lense and will hold up and last me several years.
I am grateful that your company makes sunglasses that help protect people like me that have rare eye diseases. I was asked extremely disappointed that the customer care department I originally wrote to said there was nothing they could do that fix my current glasses. I am hoping someone can speak to someone higher and the company and come up with a different way to help me.
Thank You,
Donna Hatch BSN, RN
I purchased my 1st pr of Maui Jim glasses
# mj-160-02 in ’95 Sep.
I was extremely satisfied with the quality of fit,
grey lens(G15) and more than satisfied with the
metal construction and detail work,nose pads
& etc. The fit is superb and their strength is
unmatched by any other glasses I’ve worn
ever! I’ve worn a few ! I’m 73 yrs young.
I purchased my first pair of Maui Jims approx 5 weeks ago from Bass Pro Shop. I normally purchase Oakleys, however I loved the frame of these glasses. They are flexible, hold to my head well, extremely thin and I can wear them comfortably with my hat and Bluetooth which is very convient. There is a major dissatisfaction however. The lenses are horrible. I have a film that basically makes everything blurry when I put them on. I have cleansed them with warm water and mild soap as told and so went out and purchased a lens cleaning kit with cloth to try, and still nothing. I would like info on how to get my money back or how to get corrected lenses bc I paid over $300 for glasses I can’t wear.