There are only a handful of accessories that are considered by many to be year-round essentials. Sunglasses tend to be pretty high up on this list for most people. Come to think of it, it’s usually this idea that we will be wearing them all year that helps us justify dropping serious cash on a pair.
I don’t know if some kind of corporate Stockholm syndrome occurs when we buy name brand glasses, but we seem to block out all those times we’ve lost or broken previous $200 pairs of glasses when checking out at the register of some marked up retailer. We should also note that most of us get to said checkout line because we’ve bought a pair of $5 sunglasses that look terrible and don’t actually offer any protection.
Chase Jones and Charlie Wilson, two recent college grads, decided to break this cycle. They came up with a way to offer quality shades at an affordable price to younger consumers. Their company Far Out Sunglasses sells nice looking sunglasses made from quality materials that won’t wreck your bank account or your corneas.
Sick of losing and breaking their own Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses, the duo came out with a line of glasses that keeps within that esthetic but at a fraction of the price. Unlike most retailers offering products at similar price points though, the lenses are made from FDA approved, high-impact, resistant material and offer UV400 protection. At around 14 bucks a pair (or $55 for 5 pairs) their prices are almost as attractive as their frames.
Not content to ride on their initial success, Jones and Wilson set out to come up with something new to offer their customers. After some tinkering and brainstorming, their line of Polarized Snap Series sunglasses was born. The new line of polarized sunglasses has frames with super durable arms that can be snapped in and out of place. This lets customers customize their style, while also making it really easy to rebound from loss or damage.
The line was launched February 9th on Indiegogo and has been chipping away at it’s $4,500 goal by offering contributors early access to their sunglasses at very enticing price points. Starting at a $25 contribution for one pair (with choice of color)and running up to $115 for 6 pairs, the campaign has obviously been designed to be a success. Far Out Sunglasses provides further incentive by guaranteeing delivery of the product regardless of whether the campaign reaches its goal – though at those price points there doesn’t seem to be much to worry about on that front.
The right balance of product design and business strategy is almost as hard to come by as a good pair of sunglasses. Looks like Charlie Wilson and Chase Jones are 2 for 2.
