FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Lani Shades
Q1. Why wear bamboo or wood sunglasses?
A1. Because bamboo and wood sunglasses are awesome! :) Why not? Not only do they look cool, they're lightweight, durable and float if you drop them in the water. If they float away, that's less plastic in the ocean and plastic trash in the ocean sucks. Even if you don't care about the environment, wood and bamboo sunglasses are stylish and have character. Even if you don't like wood or bamboo, when they're dyed brown, black or blue they kinda look like regular plastic sunglasses if you're into that? They're actually very comfortable and stay on your face perfectly with stainless steel spring hinges that adjust for comfort and fit. Give them a try! If you don't like them, we offer a 60 day money back guarantee.
Q2. Why are Lani Shades lenses special?
Q2. Lani Shades Lani TAC lenses are made of a 9 layer process of Tri- Acetate Cellulose (TAC) optical film which produces remarkably clear optics, provides excellent impact resistance and finished off with a double layer of scratch resistance. We didn't invent TAC lenses, they're actually in most other high end sunglasses as well. We call ours "Lani" TAC lenses because well, we're "Lani" Shades and also we work closely with the manufacturer to ensure that the ones we use are the best TAC lenses that are actually specifically made with a special sea water resistant coating for extra scratch resistance. The manufacturer doesn't have a particular name for that extra process so we're trying to get them to call them Lani TAC. Not only do Lani TAC lenses provide the best optical characteristics, they're also more eco- friendly than nylon and polycarbonate lenses. Tri-Acetate Cellulose... you read that correctly. The primary component of TAC lenses is actually made of cotton. They're also significantly more impact resistant than glass. Compare Lani TAC lenses to your favorite high end brand, seeing is believing!
Q3. Do you offer different styles and sizes for male, female, child or different face shapes?
A3. Two of the main styles of Lani Shades, the Eddie and Moana styles are considered unisex for adults and based on other popular frame styles to fit the average man or woman. The Waimea and Kahala styles could be considered more feminine but honestly who are we to say? The models we have on our website are a good guide for how they look on different people. Unfortunately it's not practical for us to offer a wide variety of sizes and shapes. But if you're concerned that you'll order them and they wont fit or look good, don't worry- just send them back to us for a refund within 60 days no problem!
Q4. Do all Lani Shades wood sunglasses float?
A4. As water people this is important to us. Wood naturally floats, right? Actually some wood floats better than other types and it also depends on the wood grain of certain types of wood and how long it stays in the water. Lani Shades wood frames are finished with a light wax to protect the wood and keep the moisture out. The stainless steel spring hinges also weigh the frames down a bit. We've float tested all models of Lani Shades and we can say that the Lani Ohe bamboo collection floats the best- buy these if you're specifically looking for sunglasses that always float. The Lanikai skateboard wood collection floats pretty well too but might sit a little lower in the water. The Lani Nui kosso wood collection (discontinued as of 2023) all generally float but if you have a particularly unique wood grain it might not float as well especially if it's been in the water for awhile. If you float test your Lanis and they don't float the way you want them to and this is important to you, no problem- send them back and we'll replace them or refund you.
Q5. Why should I buy wood sunglasses from Lani Shades?
A5. You might find cheaper wood sunglasses on the internet, but you won't find better. Lani Shades was started out of Sail Hawaii by sailors in Hawaii looking for the best sunglasses to wear on the water: Highest quality polarized scratch resistant lenses in stylish comfortable frames that naturally float because they're made of wood. As ocean lovers, we're concerned that floating plastic sunglasses marketed to boaters are still a problem if they float away. We're trying to get all our boating friends to wear wood sunglasses. We take pride in our product and strive to provide the best value and innovate with new designs. While other brands might entice you with a lower price, our advertised price includes a nice bamboo case, cloth, pouch and always free shipping. Lani Shades also gives back to the community, committed to planting a tree for each unit sold with One Tree Planted and also supporting other local charities because we believe that's important and why we should be in business. Lani Shades are tested daily in the Hawaiian sun and each carefully shipped with Aloha from our little office near Waikiki beach, not from some giant corporate warehouse. Lani Shades does not sell on one particular big website because we're not interested in racing our competitors to the bottom while making the guy at the top any richer. You get what you pay for.
Q6. Why does Lani Shades use Hawaiian words and names? Are you culturally appropriating Hawaii and why don't you always spell Hawaii as Hawai'i and other words without the 'okina (like an apostrophe) between the last two i's?
A6. Lani Shades was born and is based in Honolulu, Hawai'i. We are a Hawaii registered LLC and pay GE tax in Hawaii. We are all about honoring and promoting Hawaiian culture and the modern Hawaiian lifestyle, because... we love Hawai'i. The language that describes the cultural values that we believe in here are universal and we believe the whole world would be a better place with more Aloha. We hope that by talking about Hawaii through our brand's story we can promote Hawaiian values throughout the world and maybe inspire you to visit as a responsible visitor to our magical yet fragile islands and also become aware of local causes and things that are on our minds.
Another thing to know about Hawai'i is it's a diverse place and part of living in Hawai'i, like it or not is the haole (non-native Hawaiian) influence here, going back to the Hawaiian Statehood Act of 1959 that officially made "Hawaii" the official spelling of the 50th state of the USA. Not without controversy and ever since then there's been tension and confusion about how things should be spelled, with more Hawaiian words spelled with an 'okina representing the proper Hawaiian pronunciation of the word. Now in the age of the Internet it's become even more of an issue because of URLs, SEO and computer fonts, so in modern Hawaii (Hawai'i) you'll see things spelled both ways. If we leave out the 'okina, please don't be offended. We get it, it's just annoying to see the red squiggly under the word when we're typing this up and we want you to be able to find us on the internet! :)
Q7. Can I buy Lani Shades in a store?
A7. Good question! Currently we sell mostly online and at craft fairs on the island of Oahu. You can also buy them from a select and growing ohana of retail partners at this link. If you own a shop and would like to offer Lani Shades, please get in touch - we would love to hear from you!