As someone who spends most Sundays riding doubles on my motorcycle and weekends hiking in the California desert, I demand a lot from my sunglasses. They need to be fashionable for post-adventure beers yet tough enough to handle harsh environments without breaking. Oh, and making my face look five years younger doesn‘t hurt either!
Over the past three years and dozens of lens and frame options tried, I can confidently say Quay Australia checks all those boxes and more. Yes, you pay a bit of premium versus no name brands, but the style flexibility, lens technologies and durable build quality prove worth it long term.
This detailed review sums up my experiences testing Quay Australia sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses against daily use case torture tests and leading alternatives on the market. Let‘s dig in!
An Overview of Quay Eyewear Products
Founded in 2004 by Linda and Allen Hammond, Quay Australia makes prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses and blue light blocking computer glasses. They offer an extensive range of men’s and women‘s frames spanning classic styles like aviators and wayfarers to on-trend transparent and thin metal designs.
While manufacturing takes place in China, Quay’s Australian roots shine through in the durability and rigorous standards applied to materials and process quality control. This shows in attention to details like adjustable rubber nose pads that prevent slipping and sturdy hinges tested to over 20,000 open/close motions.
They may not be the cheapest, but competitive pricing from $50 – $100 positions Quay Australia as an affordable fashion brand relative to the big boys like Oakley and Ray-Ban. Value gets boosted further with regular sales, student discounts and exclusive promo codes.
Product Line Depth
Let‘s analyze the breadth and depth across Quay‘s sunglasses, optical frames and blue light blocking glasses lineups.
Sunglasses:
- 170+ Women‘s Styles
- 120+ Men‘s Styles
- Kids Size Options
- Non-Polarized & Polarized Lenses
Prescription Eyeglasses
- 40+ Frame Styles
- Single Vision Lenses
- Computer/Reading Glasses
That‘s over 300+ SKUs covering a wide spectrum of fit, function and fashion preferences across age groups. Impressively, Quay releases 100+ new styles annually through limited edition collections and influencer collaborations keeping their catalog on trend.
Materials & Lens Technology
Durability starts with picking the right core materials engineered to withstand sun, sweat and adventure.
Quay frames use military-grade stainless steel alloy (also used in aircraft construction) known for strength, corrosion resistance and hypoallergenic properties. Their TR90 nylon frames offer extreme flexibility almost bouncing back to original form even after overextending.
On the lens side, optometrist Dr. Marta Powell notes "Quay lenses provide 100% UV ray protection using polycarbonate material that is 10x more impact resistant than plastic or glass." Polycarbonate has great optical clarity and thin profile that doesn‘t add distracting bulk.
Special treatments like anti-reflective, oleophobic (oil/water-resistant), hydrophobic (moisture-wicking) and anti-scratch coatings further boost visual acuity and durability. Options like polarized films and blue light filters optimize vision health.
Celebrity Partnerships
Collaborations with superstars like Millie Bobby Brown, Ashley Graham and recent team up with Kylie Jenner expand style variety. Quay can tap into their unique aesthetics more effectively catering both male and female preferences.
Quay Eyewear Review Based on First-Hand Testing
I‘ve purchased 5 pairs of Quay Australia sunglasses over the past 3 years including cat eye, aviator and round frames along with blue light prescription eyeglasses. Testing context has ranged from daily wear commuting by motorcycle in sunny California to intense dust/sweat scenarios rock climbing and camping in Joshua Tree National Park.
Here‘s my evaluation across important purchasing criteria:
Styling & Design Variety ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I change up my frames as often as I do hairstyles, so having options is a must. I‘m continually impressed by Quay‘s breadth across classic looks suited for my round face along with on-trend shield styles that would overwhelm most.
Lenses that fade from black to translucent look sick on motorcycle rides. While blue light frames in a transparent pink perfectly compliment zoom calls (yes, guys can rock pink too!).
There‘s an aesthetic for every age group, face shape and personality type imaginable. Hat tip to their design team. My LA friends constantly compliment and ask where I buy Quays from.
Fit, Comfort & Wearability ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I‘ve struggled to find glasses that fit my wide nose bridge properly leading to frequent slipping issues. enter Quay rubber nose pads. Absolute game changer keeping frames firmly planted even as I sweat through high intensity tennis matches and bike rides.
The durable propionate frames stay featherlight and flexible. I forget I‘m wearing them. Prescription lenses AR coating also reduces eyelash smudges I battled with other brands.
Some frames do run large keeping peripheral vision outside lenses. If you have a narrow face, suggest trying in store first.
Lens Quality & Vision Protection ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I took a leap getting prescription eyeglasses under $100 after paying $400+ for my last pair. But reviews seemed consistently positive. Verdict = I‘m seeing crisper and experiencing less strain than ever before thanks to quality polycarbonate lenses and blue light treatments.
Vista Green mirrored lenses make muted nature colors literally pop on hikes. While polarization reduces painful squinting in harsh overhead sunlight. If I notice any vision impairment, immediate replacement policy gives peace of mind.
Durability & Damage Resistance ⭐⭐⭐
This is the one area Quay Australia still has room for improvement. While frames hold up well despite getting tossed in bags daily, a few plastic lenses have chipped or scratched requiring replacement.
The optical shop said more frequent cases of lens damage have been seen with Quay vs other premium players. Perhaps an option for sapphire crystal protection like on watches could help.
That said, Quay‘s tune up program discounts lens replacements. So with proper care should still last 2 years+.
Value for Money ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I‘d pay $50 just for aesthetics and compliments received after wowing friends with the latest color shift Quays. The fact these also pass vision and performance tests with flying colors makes each purchase a high value accessory.
Even premium eyewear brands using equivalent lens materials cost 2-3X for largely the same feature set. While Quay promotions like 30% off as healthcare worker stacked on existing affordable sticker price.
How Quay Australia Compares to Alternatives
I benchmarked Quay across 5 attributes against 4 competitors to determine relative strengths and weaknesses. Here were results:
Key takeaways:
Price – Quay wins on affordability by large margin
Style – Middle of pack in terms of variety and fashion-forward looks
Lens Technology – Fall slightly behind premium players on visual acuity but still very capable
Durability – On par with most inexpensive brands but lags category leaders
Vision Protection – Top notch filtering of harmful rays across all eyewear lines
So while Quay Australia may not beat category leaders optimizing for peak performance sunglasses (Oakley) or maximum style status (Ray-Ban), they bridge the gap nicely between both worlds.
Ultimately I believe Quay delivers best VALUE among consumer fashion brands – combining solid aesthetics, lens quality and durability at very reasonable prices.
Quay Australia Buying Guidance
Based on extensive testing and comparisons my overall rating is 9.2/10 for Quay Australia Eyewear.
I break that down into sub-scores across key factors below:
Style Variety – 10/10
Fit and Comfort – 9/10
Lens Quality – 9/10
Frame Durability – 8/10
Value for Money 10/10
I confidently recommend Quay Australia to ANYONE in the marker for new sunglasses or eyeglasses that cares about aesthetics. With over 300 frame options starting at just $50 you‘ll find something complimenting your look.
While Quays may not stand toe-to-toe with performance brands used in extreme environments, their lenses still offer fantastic eye protection for daily use. Material and coating upgrades continue pushing vision quality and durability forward each year.
For shoppers wanting big brand style without painful designer pricing, Quay Australia looks damn good. Your bank account and eyes will thank you!
