Costa Del Mar

Costa Del Mar sunglasses enjoy strong community appreciation for their optical quality, particularly the polarized glass lenses, but the brand has a clear dividing line in community sentiment: pre- and post-Luxottica acquisition. Long-time fans report excellent durability and customer service from older pairs, while newer owners flag declining quality, degrading rubber components, and a gutted warranty program.

Costa Del Mar's glass-lens models have genuine BIFL potential based on real multi-year ownership stories, but the Luxottica acquisition, rubber component failure, and weakened warranty make them a conditional buy — best evaluated on current models and current warranty terms before purchasing.

The community consistently praises Costa's polarized glass lenses as among the best available, especially for on-water use, and many owners report multi-year or even decade-long ownership with minimal wear.

• Glass lenses resist scratching far better than plastic alternatives
• Polarization quality is exceptional for fishing and on-water visibility
• Multiple owners report 6–10+ years of daily use without lens degradation
• Frames can withstand repeated drops and rough outdoor conditions
• Reduces eye fatigue significantly during full-day sun exposure
• Historically strong customer service and warranty before Luxottica acquisition

The most consistent criticism is that rubber components on the frames degrade and detach within a year or two, and that this is explicitly excluded from warranty coverage. The Luxottica acquisition is repeatedly cited as a turning point after which quality and warranty support declined sharply.

• Rubber frame components degrade and separate, often within 1–2 years
• Warranty explicitly excludes rubber degradation, frustrating owners
• Post-Luxottica quality and customer service widely seen as diminished
• High price hard to justify given durability concerns for some users
• At least one report of frame cracking from an 18-inch drop onto carpet

One user drove 50 miles back to retrieve a misplaced pair of Reefton Pros, noting they felt the sting of leaving $300 sunglasses behind in a way they never would with cheap glasses.

A longtime Costa fan who wore them for about 14 years noted the lenses make bright days dramatically more manageable and they fit closely to the face — but acknowledged they're now looking at alternatives like Smith.

One owner reported their glass-lens Costas survived 10 years of hard daily work use outdoors, including exposure to metal sparks from cutting equipment, and still rated them as BIFL-worthy.

A commenter pointed to Bajio sunglasses as what Costas used to be, noting the brand was founded by Costa's original designers who left after the Luxottica sale.