Ray-Ban vs. VALLON
We have a clear winner
by Jonathan Rier
Editor
19.07.2024
What matters most to you when buying a new pair of sunglasses? Sourcing a recognised brand, or perhaps finding a style that you thought had gone out of production years back? Whether it’s maximum UV protection, high quality production, or something else – we pitted Ray-Ban against VALLON to find out who comes out on top for each.
And we found a clear winner…
Best optics: VALLON
Ray-Ban’s most popular styles come with average lenses these days. Their famous ‘G-15’ lens refers to the green color, but the visual acuity (measured by an ABBE value) is rarely mentioned. It’s worth saying that Ray-Ban used to make all their sunglasses with super high quality mineral lenses, but they seem to have shifted to more mass-produced (and lower priced) lens options over the past few decades.
Expert note: A higher ABBE value means better visual acuity, which means clear vision for your everyday pair of shades.
VALLON’s most popular and bestselling sunglasses commonly feature high-quality, nylon polyamide lenses with a proprietary V52® (ABBE value 52) acuity. VALLON has the highest quality sports performance lens you will find on the market (beating the likes of Oakley’s PRIZM lenses).
Best product selection: Ray-Ban
As the bigger company, Ray-Ban is the clear winner here. Their website has styles to boot, ranging from icons to wild cards - anyone fancy a camera in their frames, or a solid gold frame RRP at $3,600? From their product selection it’s hard not to find a pair that will fit your face and fashion style.
While VALLON has a more limited product range, their focus on active and outdoorsy customers means they have a great selection of sunglasses for all kinds of pursuits, merging premium and stylish frames with functional features and performance optics.
Best frame quality: VALLON
Coming from specialist opticians with over 10 years experience in the market, Ray-Ban are not famed for quality frames as their sunglasses are made for a wide audience reach. They have some frames marketed as Bio-based that are created from 67% bio-based carbon content, but considering their clout in the market, they are a little too satisfied to rely on standard materials.
VALLON pride themselves on using premium quality acetate, Swiss-invented and highly durable TR90, and a new leading nylon-6 material for their frames, which is made from 85% recycled fishing nets. Considering their smaller range of sunglasses, they punch well above their weight in terms of performance materials.
Where Ray-Ban is leading on putting cameras in their sunglasses, VALLON is winning at doing the basics best. For quality, durability and bonus eco-credentials, we choose VALLON.
Best sun protection: It’s a draw
For everyday sunglasses, both companies offer lenses that give 100% UVA/B protection. This should be a standard for all sunglasses that you buy (and a very good reason not to buy the cheap knock-offs you see on Amazon).
Best value: VALLON
Ray-Bans are known for sitting at the higher end of the price range for lifestyle sunglasses. They ride off a strong brand name that goes back decades, but this also entitles them to inflating prices (the entry point is $125, and climbs to $570).
Although not cheap, VALLON’s price range is exceptional for the quality of product they deliver. Varying from USD$130 to USD$170, they offer great eyewear at better prices and unsurprisingly win this category.
Best brand recognition: Ray-Ban
Most people have seen ‘Top Gun’ and will recognise the classic Ray-Ban Aviator silhouette. Ray-Ban are widely known for their distinctive brand colors, widespread marketing, and for facing up nearly every sunglasses shop in airport terminals worldwide. If it’s brand recognition you’re searching for then Ray-Ban are leagues above the rest.
By comparison, VALLON remains the more sporty little brother. The brand has become increasingly well known in ski resorts across the Alps and west coast of the US, as well as having recognised ambassadors in the mountaineering, sailing and outdoor community. For those in the know, VALLON is the one to watch.
Best BIFL (Buy It For Life): VALLON
VALLON really comes into its own when it comes to selling you on their products for life. Let’s be honest, most sunglasses are not going to last you a lifetime - because, life happens. But in the instance that something does happen to your favorite shades, it’s nice to know you have some protection against defects and breakages.
Ray-Ban, as part of Luxottica offers a limited 2-year Warranty Policy. It is, by definition, limited.
By comparison, VALLON has a dedicated customer care team that helps process queries related to their Lifetime Warranty. Will it protect against your dogs eating your sunglasses? No. But it does cover a lot - and that’s something that bigger brands should be aspiring to.
Best company values: VALLON
As consumers become more discerning about where they shop, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to have a value proposition to share.
VALLON has this by the bucket load. An independent and family-owned business to this day, they focus on making products that you will love, and that will last. Alongside this, for every pair of eyewear sold by VALLON, they pledge that 1kg of plastic waste is cleaned up and recycled from our ocean shores. It’s their way of carbon offsetting that just makes sense. Post-purchase, every customer receives an email update a few months on detailing the location and quantity of plastic waste that their purchase contributed to. Nice.
Ray-Ban by comparison is a monolith. Part of the Luxottica group, they account for a huge proportion of the sunglasses market, but it’s hard to say exactly what Ray-Ban stands for, or to learn more about what they do for their customer community. Ray-Ban has iconic styles dating back to 1937, but the history seems to have been somewhat diluted by a new ‘viral decade’ coined by individualism, and a little less soul.
Overall Winner? VALLON
The scores on the doors have it! VALLON is the winner, taking top prize for most categories listed above. Their product range may be more limited, but they have got the basics of manufacturing, style, sun protection, individuality, soul, and customer service right. If you want a brand name, go ahead and choose Ray-Ban, but if you want a more technical and versatile pair of sunglasses that retains an old school aesthetic, reach for VALLON.
Looking to upgrade your shades? Check out VALLON’s collection.
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