Perhaps it’s hard to imagine at this time of year that you will ever see the sun again, let alone need sunglasses, but I have heard rumours that it will return next year and what better way to prepare than treating yourself to a new pair of sunglasses. The Sand Island from Maui Jim combine a Matte Black frame and Neutral Grey Lens made from Maui Jim’s Maui Evolution material, they are also available in Gloss Dark Brown. Starting with the frame they feature an 63mm eye width, 46mm eye height and 15mm bridge length with a temple length of 120mm.

They are constructed from a monel metal, which is an extremely strong, corrosion-resistant alloy, with injected temple tips. The hinges are made from an anti-corrosive spring that provides flexibility whilst at the same time offering a secure, comfortable fit for various face shapes and sizes, this is all finished with a matte coating on frame front and high-gloss on temples. Adjustable silicone nose pads on the bridge aim to help the glasses rest comfortably on the face, the shape of the frame is a modified aviator teardrop frame with a double bridge, which produces a classic, dear I say, vintage style. The lenses are made from Maui Evolution which is a light weight, scratch, and shatter resistance polycarbonate. The Neutral Grey colour is best suited for bright and direct sunlight and provides rich colour with sharp contrast. The Sand Island comes with the usual brightly coloured cloth case that doubles as a lens wipe and the large hard case.

I had the issue that the hard case is too big for my glove compartment, but I understand not everyone owns a crummy little car. These frames are not as comfortable as some of the other models we have tried, mainly due to their weight which creates a sense of quality and durability, but feels heavy on the face and they became uncomfortable after a long period of wear, especially on the nose. The lenses provide beautiful optics, so it was disappointing to not be able to wear them longer, however, every face is different, and others may succeed where we failed. At this price, it is definitely worth trying them on before you buy. RRP £299

4 out of 5

Buy now

Pros

Crisp optics

Classic design

Flexible but solid construction

Hard and soft case

Cons

Heavy