Sunglasses Review: Kaenon Georgia C-12

I admit, up until this summer, I had never heard of Kaenon. I was searching for a new pair of polarized sunglasses for fishing, boating, surfing, athletics, driving, just an all-around great pair of shades. I had been looking at blue 580 lens Costa del Mar since almost everyone on the Gulf Coast raves about them so much, but after a sales associate offered a comparison trial between Costa and Kaenon's, I was hooked on Kaenon's! They are awesome!

Back in 2001, Steve and Darren Rosenberg (brothers) sought a better polarized lens than what was currently on the market. That is how this Newport Beach, California company got its start. The SR-91 lens they developed is "the only polarized lens that offers razor-sharp clarity, impact-protection, superior scratch-resistance and glare-reduction all in one ultra-lightweight lens." You can see the comparison between SR-91 lens and others here.

So my experience with Kaenon begins on a sunny, hot Florida summer day. My husband and I are walking around Pier Park in Panama City Beach. We passed a sunglasses store and I walked in to browse their line of Costa del Mars. The associate nicely asked what I was looking for. That's when he introduced me to Kaenon, saying they were the best polarized lens out there right now.

The associate let me take a pair of gray lens Kaenons and a pair of blue 580 Costas and compare them outside the door of the store. Keep in mind Pier Park is right along the bright white beaches of the Panhandle. I tried on the Costas first. Now, I had already been briefly wearing my husband's blue 580s when he wasn't at home to wear them, so I already knew what to expect from that Costa del Mar's lens. Next I tried on the Kaenons. The first word out of my mouth was "wow"! These lens cut the glare out and the sun all but disappeared behind these lens. The clarity was so crisp and clean, and everything around me had a true color representation, not a blue or green or yellow hue to it. I knew then Kaenon was at the top of my wanted list.

After that I began browsing stores, online and in the malls, for the right Kaenon frame and lens color combination with the best price. Again, I wanted a lightweight, stylish frame with a lens color suitable for water, sports, and driving.

Kaenon lens come in copper or grey, abbreviated C-12, G-12, C-28, G-28. The 12 stands for the amount light transmission, so the lens is letting in 12% of light and blocking 88%. Likewise, a C-28 lets in 28% of visible light.

Kaenon frames come in a variety of shapes and colors that are sleek and stylish for both men and women. Prices range from $100 to $300 a pair.

I ultimately chose the copper lens-12% with Georgia frames.

I have been nothing but happy with these Kaenons. I wear them fishing, both inshore and offshore, and their performance against the harsh Florida elements is flawless. It's important to be able to sight fish and scan the water for bait, these polarized Kaenon lens are outstanding at allowing my eyes to do that. At the end of the day, my eyes, ears, and nose aren't tired from having worn these for 13-14 hours either.

These sunglasses feel like a great investment for my overall eye health. Another thing I like about these Kaenon frames is in their construction - they don't "stretch" out of shape like some other brands. They keep a true, snug fit to my face and I don't worry that a year from now the arms will be stretched or loose so much that they don't fit comfortably. In addition, there are no nose pads in the Georgia frame to worry about falling off, and yet the glasses fit on my nose comfortably just fine without them.

I am a very satisfied customer who will be wearing Kaenon sunglasses for a very long time to come!