FREE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

Reptile Sun has found an innovative, consumer-friendly way to appeal to buyers of its high-end sunwear: a free replacement policy in case of loss or theft. Through the program, the company will replace for free any registered pair of lost or stolen non-Rx Reptile sunglasses for one year after purchase. To take advantage of this policy, customers need to register their sunwear within the first 30 days after purchase and pay for shipping to replace their lost or stolen pair. Reptile Sun polarized sunwear retails for $229-$249.

“This new consumer policy is the first of its kind. One of the historic objections from the consumer is that they fear investing in a quality pair of polarized sunwear because they always wind up losing their sunglasses. This new Reptile policy takes fear out of the equation,” says Gary Adelman, president and CEO of Reptile Sun.

INFO: 877-744-3516, REPTILESUN.COM

BLUETOOTH TO THE RESCUE

With the release of the FindMe eyewear collection, iHuman from Mad Vision has combined Bluetooth technology with a smartphone app that can lead an absent-minded consumer to his eyewear—or vice versa.

The two unisex FindMe styles incorporate a miniaturized communication system into each frame. The app can tell the frame to emit a signal that leads the smartphone to the glasses. Users can reverse the function by pressing a button on the frame that will trigger a ringtone to help locate a misplaced phone.

Retail prices start at $225.

INFO: 888-961-4675, MADVISION.COM

FROM BEACH TO STREET CHIC

SPY Optic has teamed up with professional surfer and model Alana Blanchard to introduce new colors and a new style to the Alana Collection—taking tortoise to a new level. The Quinn, the Bowie, and the all-new Cameo feature SPY’s color contrast-enhancing technology called the Happy Lens, a six-base polycarbonate AR lens with 100% UV protection.

All three styles are available in either dark tortoise/black or red tortoise/black. The Quinn and Bowie are made from SPY’s Grilamid material; the Cameo is made from high-quality propionate. They are retail priced from $100.

INFO: SPYOPTIC.COM

LIGHTWEIGHT AND LUXE

Morel Eyewear unveils 12 new drill mount Lightec frames for both men and women—rimless styles are available in 12 interchangeable bridge and temple colors, for 144 possible color combinations. The collection is sold into optical retailers as a kit, and the frames retail for $300.

This 100% stainless steel collection features an extremely lightweight design, with 2.8mm-wide temples and a total weight of 6 grams. Color variations for the temples include both vivid and neutral tones, such as fuchsia, purple, red, blue, brown, and gunmetal. Eye sizes range from 49 through 55. Morel is working with preferred labs to offer a guarantee on drill mount Lightec: Vision Craft, Ocular Lab, Cherry Optical, and CSC Labs.

INFO: 800-526-8838, MOREL-FRANCE.COM

NEW EYEWEAR EVERY DAY

Carrera Eyewear from Safilo Group has extended its line of interchangeable sunwear into optical by releasing two ophthalmic styles, the 5022/V (round) and the 5023/V (square). Like the previously released sunglass styles, the Rx styles have a metal base that can be customized with interchangeable “covers”—similar to a smartphone case. Each model (MSRP: $129) comes with one frame front cover, in either blue or Havana. From there, the customer can choose from many color fronts (MSRP: $19 each).

Carrera interchangeables are sold “by the kit” into optical retailers, and the kits may include Rx only, sunwear only, or a combination of Rx and sunwear. Each kit comes with two each of the two styles plus several frame fronts and a countertop display.

INFO: 800-631-1188, MYSAFILO.COM, CARRERAWORLD.COM