Maui Jim: a sunglass born on a volcano that gets the Canary Islands perfectly

Maui and the Canary Islands have more in common than people think. Two volcanic archipelagoes sitting in the open ocean. Two big peaks within reach (Mount Teide at 3,715 m, Haleakalā at 3,055 m). The same brutal light — extreme UV from sitting close to the tropics, savage contrast between black lava, turquoise water and open sky, mountain drives where the sun comes at you low and hard. Maui Jim was born in exactly that problem, on a beach in Lahaina in 1980. Forty years later, what they designed for Hawaii is still what people in the Canary Islands need.

From a box on the sand to Formula 1

The story is almost a film. In 1980, on Ka'anapali beach in Lahaina, a local fisherman started selling Japanese polarised sunglasses to tourists whose eyes were getting hammered by Pacific glare. The locals called him "Maui Jim". The first seven frames went out through the Hyatt and Sheraton hotels on the island. It wasn't a brand yet — it was a guy with a box.

The leap came in 1991. Walter Hester, a boat captain, bought the business and stopped reselling. He started developing the company's own lenses around Hawaii's actual problem, which isn't "it's sunny" — it's that the quality of the light is on another level. Over thirty years Maui Jim went from a local outfit to operating in more than 100 countries. In March 2022, Kering Eyewear acquired Maui Jim (joining Gucci, Saint Laurent, Lindberg). The price was never made public; Maui Jim was billing roughly €300–350 million a year at the time. It's Kering Eyewear's largest acquisition since the division was founded.

The latest chapter opens in 2025 with a multi-year deal with Oracle Red Bull Racing: Maui Jim is the team's official eyewear partner, with a special Hawaii Lava edition (orange temples) that Verstappen wears. An unlikely turn for a brand that started on a beach.

PolarizedPlus2 — what's actually inside

The difference vs any standard polarised lens starts in the sandwich. PolarizedPlus2 is nine layers (seven in the SuperThin Glass version) doing four things at once: 99.9 % polarisation (kills horizontal glare off water and asphalt), 100 % UVA/UVB block, HEV reduction (the high-energy visible blue light that causes eye fatigue) without killing all the blues, and colour enhancement through a proprietary blend of rare earth elements integrated into the lens material itself.

That last bit is where Maui Jim separates itself: the rare earths aren't a surface coating that wears off over time. They're injected into the polymer during moulding. Result: the colour contrast your sunglasses have on day one is the same they'll have at year five, and the lens drags fewer external coatings that scatter light. Both lens faces get an anti-reflective treatment (most brands only treat the inner face) — this matters when you're driving from Las Mercedes to Anaga at sunset and light comes from behind.

PolarizedPlus2 vs Costa 580 — the honest take

Both are the world reference. Saying one is objectively better would be dishonest: it depends on the use. Costa 580G is surgically optimised for fishing — it cuts the yellow band at 580 nm and the blues, greens and reds of water pop more than in any other lens. If you sight-fish off Las Galletas or chase tuna out of Mogán, Costa gives you half a notch more. Maui Jim PolarizedPlus2 is optimised for multi-purpose use in extreme light: fishing too, but equally well for sailing, driving, golf, lifestyle. It's more chromatically honest — it enhances without distorting as much. The internal anti-reflective is objectively better resolved.

The practical conclusion: Costa if you fish a lot. Maui Jim if you do a bit of everything and want one pair that works in any scene. The base optics — clarity, distortion, durability — sit at the same level.

Which lens material, if you live in the Canaries

Maui Jim doesn't use a single lens material. Knowing which one you have in front of you is what separates "I read the brochure" from "I understand the product".

MauiBrilliant — next-gen polycarbonate with mineral injection. Pretends to glass-like optics with a third of the weight. If you've never owned a pair of Maui Jim, this is the material that will most surprise you when you pick them up. Best choice for long-wear (all-day, travel).

SuperThin Glass — mineral glass 32 % thinner than standard. The best optics in the catalogue, the cleanest image you'll see in a sunglass, period. One downside: not shatterproof. Drop them on rock and they can break. For driving, lifestyle, whale-watching, golf — unmatched. For impact sports — no.

MauiPure / MauiPure LT — the "everyday" compromise. Lightweight polycarbonate, clarity very close to glass, excellent impact and scratch resistance. If you could only own one pair of Maui Jim, MauiPure is the reasonable answer.

MauiEvolution — Trivex-like, more impact-resistant than SuperThin Glass. The pick for kitesurf, paddleboard, cycling, competitive sailing. Anywhere a rock or a line can hit your face.

The signature tints — a Canaries map

There are four master tints. Here's what works in each island scene:

Neutral Grey — the darkest in the catalogue. Maximum chromatic fidelity: reality as it is, just darker. Vertical August-midday sun, sensitive eyes, offshore sailing, midday drives with road glare. It works very well coming out of Mogán at 2 pm.

HCL Bronze (High Contrast Lens) — Maui Jim's all-time bestseller, for a reason. Warm bronze tint that lifts contrast without distorting much. Works in full sun, partial shade, overcast, sand, asphalt. If you're not sure, this is the tint that's going to sell 80 % of people. For daily Canaries use, lifestyle, mixed driving — the workhorse.

Maui Rose — pink mirror with a reddish base. Higher contrast than HCL Bronze but with more chromatic bias. Especially good for water sports (kitesurf at Pozo Izquierdo, surf at El Quemao, light sailing) because it highlights water texture and lets you read swell and current. Also good for driving in shifting light.

Maui HT (High Transmission) — green-yellow high-transmission (~28 % VLT). For low light: sunrise, sunset, overcast, forest shade (Anaga, Garajonay). If you fish at dawn in La Restinga, this tint lets light in while keeping the polarisation. The least-sold and the one that converts hardest once someone tries it in the right context.

What we carry at Gafas Canarias

We have 136 Maui Jim styles in active stock. This is the selection with the most mileage for how the sea and the light are lived here:

Alika — titanium rimless flagship

The Alika (€369.60) is the "now I have what I should have" pick. Pure titanium, light profile, premium lens. The piece in the catalogue that lifts the outfit the most, and the only one daring that price in Maui Jim Europe.

Maluhia — premium lifestyle

The Maluhia (€240) is a modern cat-eye in premium material. The pair for the woman who wants Hawaiian lifestyle without going over the top.

Onipaa and Piha — the SuperThin Glass premium line

The Onipaa (€292) and the Piha (€292) are the optical heavyweights in the catalogue. Real glass, maximum definition. For long drives, observation, premium lifestyle. Not for contact sports.

Pu'u Kukui and Tiger Lily — the €285 segment

The Pu'u Kukui (€285.60) — named after the highest peak in West Maui — and the Tiger Lily (€285.60) are premium acetate/metal frames with a more expressive look. For people who want their Maui Jim to show.

Cliff House — the classic aviator

The Cliff House (€220) is the most conservative metal aviator. For someone who wants a discreet, urban, timeless Maui Jim. Works at any age.

Honi — the women's bestseller

The Honi (€194.40) is the soft cat-eye, contained profile. The pair we sell most often to women in lifestyle mode — vacation, terrace, travel.

Banyans — the big acetate aviator

The Banyans (€164) is the entry into the larger-size universe. 70 mm acetate aviator, retro '70s Hawaii vibe. For bigger fits or anyone who wants real presence.

Waiwai and Anemone — the €240 segment

The Waiwai (€240) and the Anemone (€240) are more casual lifestyle frames in premium materials. Comfortable all day.

SEE THE FULL MAUI JIM COLLECTION →

Lahaina, August 8, 2023

We have to talk about Lahaina. On August 8, 2023, a wildfire destroyed the historic centre — the symbolic founding site of Maui Jim. More than a hundred people died, 2,200 structures were destroyed. The corporate headquarters in Peoria (Illinois) was never affected operationally, but the emotional impact for the brand was massive. Maui Jim activated internal employee support programs and donated to relief organisations on the island. We're not going to invent numbers — the exact corporate donation isn't public, and respecting that is part of telling the story well.

The brand has been tied for decades to the Pacific Whale Foundation (also founded in 1980, in Maui) and to the Marine Mammal Center on humpback and Hawaiian monk seal protection programs. On product sustainability, there's slow but real progress in plastic-free packaging and exploration of bio-based frames. It's not Stella McCartney; the bulk of the catalogue is still conventional acetate and polycarbonate. Honest take: they're improving, they're not a sustainability benchmark.

How to choose, in one line

If your life happens between the boat and the car, MauiPure with HCL Bronze in a Stingray, a Cliff House or a Honi. Sailing, kitesurf or serious surf, MauiEvolution with Maui Rose in a Peahi or a Palulu. Best optics possible and you won't drop them, SuperThin Glass with Neutral Grey in an Onipaa or a Piha. Fourteen hours a day at work, MauiBrilliant with HCL Bronze in any lifestyle model. And if you're after the ultimate titanium piece, Alika.

The advice hasn't changed in forty years: try them on. Maui Jim changes a lot between models — the Alika rimless doesn't sit the same on a narrow face vs a wide one, the Banyans is a 70 mm beast, and the Honi cat-eye can sit low if you have high cheekbones. Every model is in store to try. If you walk in knowing what you want them for, in five minutes we'll have them on the table for you to pick.

SHOP MAUI JIM AT GAFAS CANARIAS →

Maui Jim is a registered trademark of Maui Jim, Inc. (Kering Eyewear). Catalogue imagery from Gafas Canarias.