Although we are just putting Labor Day weekend in the rearview mirror, there are still a couple of weeks of sunny weather to come, so I figured a review of some $29.95 shades from the newly launched Privé Revaux Eyewear would still be apropos.
If you haven’t heard of this company yet, you will soon enough. They have major celebrities partnering with them to promote this product, including Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Piven on the men’s side and Hailee Steinfeld and Ashley Benson on the women’s side.
As you likely already intuit, due to their low prices they are now being referred to by some as the “Warby Parker” of sunglasses. The question, of course, is whether that low price hurts the quality and stylishness of the product. Our answer: well, you’ll have to read below.
I bought “The Commando” aviator style (just featured in Season 3 of Narcos), since I figured that there’s no better way to give a new brand of sunglasses a try than taking the iconic and timeless aviator style shades for a jaunt.
“The Commando”
If you like aviator-style shades (like every man does on occasion), then these are going to become your best friend. They’re super lightweight and really thin, so you barely feel them on your face when you wear them. That was the first thing that I noticed when I put them on. They are also indistinguishable in look from the classic Ray Ban aviators that have been extremely popular for so long. So, from a style perspective, these glasses nailed it. However, the shades only come in one size, so it may not fit your face. Make sure to check if the size works for you before you buy a pair. This “only one size” negative doesn’t bother me too much since it’s par for the course for e-commerce sunglasses companies, and it seems that their fit would work for most people.
In terms of quality, there’s definitely a difference between these shades and the more expensive brands. The Ray Ban aviators, for example, are heavier, more durable and long-lasting, while “The Commando” pair is less durable and feels like it will last a year or so before it breaks down. Now, these certainly seem like higher quality than the “under $20” brands, like Sunglass Warehouse, so they are exactly what you expect them to be quality-wise at the $29.95 price point. The real added value comes from their stylishness, not their quality.
Conclusion
Is Privé Revaux the “Warby Parker” of sunglasses? Not quite, since Warby Parker literally delivers the exact same high-end quality pair of glasses for a cheaper price. But are they delivering a good deal for $29.95? Most definitely. Privé Revaux is delivering great style and expected quality at a $29.95 price. Moreover, although I can’t put an exact value on the “it” factor of knowing that these shades are cool enough for A-list celebrities to wear, it certainly adds some pizzazz to owning a pair. So, in summary, don’t think of this as getting a $150 pair for $29.95; rather, think of it as getting a $75 pair at $29.95, which is still a great deal!
(Oh, and I almost forgot another really cool part of it all: the glasses case! As you can see in the picture, the case is completely foldable so that you can slide it into your jacket pocket or briefcase with ease.)
Handy Dandy List of Pros and Cons (with some added technicals)
Pros:
• $29.95 price
• On-trend, with celebrities wearing lots of their stuff
• Very lightweight and easy to carry
• 100% UVA/UVB Protection (UV 400) - Polarized Lenses
• Frames and lenses are 100% scratch resistant
• Lenses have anti-glare coating (very helpful when driving (even in the winter)
• Frames are “RX-able”— you can have an optician put in a prescription
• Comes in three colors: black, silver and gold. I only got the black, but the gold looks really nice as well
Cons:
• Not the highest quality, so you need to be careful not to break it
• Currently only comes in one size fit – 60 mm lens width, 14 mm bridge width and 135 mm temple length
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