Maui Jim is known for making amazing lenses that are right at home in full sun, managing glare easily while boosting colors and contrast as well as any sunglass lenses you can buy. This is what Category 3 lenses (8-20% VLT) are geared towards.
They also make an excellent lower-light lens called the HT (High Transmission) Lens, a light green polarized lens that is excellent in bright mornings or on bright, overcast days.
What they don’t tell you anywhere on their website or marketing is that many, but not all, of their single gradient lenses are category 2, with a VLT (Visible Light Transmission) of 18-45%. This makes them considerably lighter than the full tint or bi-gradient tints that are in the 9-15% VLT range, and not well suited to full bright sun conditions.
Maui Jim confirmed this information to me, and they do communicate it - on the box. On the label it will say either 3P, meaning category 3 polarized, or 2P, category 2 polarized.
But they do not mention this at all on their website. The website would lead you to believe that when you are buying a lens of any particular color it will be the same the standard tint, but that isn’t the case. It is a little bewildering that you would only find out this information once the product has arrived in your hands.
Maui Jim has confirmed to me that the following lenses are Category 2:
Polycarbonate - MauiHT
MauiEvolution - MauiHT
MauiPure - MauiHT
MauiBrilliant - MauiHT
Super Thin Glass - Neutral Grey, HCL Bronze, MauiHT, and MauiRose all in a single gradient (mirrored on top of the lens only)
This means all Maui Jim gradient lenses in the prized SuperThin Glass are category 2.
That being said, my wife has the SuperThin glass in gradient for the Neutral Grey, HCL Bronze, and MauiRose lenses and they are not all standard category 2 lenses. The Bronze lens feels like a category 3 lens, and the Rose isn’t that far behind. The Grey, however, is a surprisingly light tint and she won’t wear it when it’s even moderately bright outside.
The good news is that most of the MauiBrilliant gradient lenses are Category 3 lenses. This is important because that is the material all Maui Jim prescription lenses are made in.
It is disappointing that Maui Jim, who is usually very good at communication and customer service, is not clear about this. Many people buy Maui Jim’s thinking they will be perfect for bright, full sun conditions, but clearly, some of these lenses are not. This is especially important to note for many of their styles for women which often feature gradient lenses. Many of their new higher fashion styles are also gradient.
This may be surprisingly good news for people who want lighter lenses for overcast days or ease of use indoors.
Regardless, though some of these lenses may be brighter than is advertised, they are still extremely well made and the optics and color enhancement are fantastic. This post is meant to inform readers and consumers, not to disparage Maui Jim or discourage you from buying their sunglasses.
To the contrary, read our reviews on Maui Jim lenses and see why they are most likely right for you.
The Maui Jim reviews on Sunglass Science are of the standard versions, not the gradients, though they may be mentioned as well.
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