Most Notable Frames: Ecru, Black, Havana, Tre, Pace, Tortoise

I purchased my Chimi Sunglasses on the 2nd of July 2023. The checkout process was simple and I was also able to get an additional 10% off my order for signing up to their emailing list (you can find this sign-up in the Footer of their website). I decided to go with the Chimi 04 LAB Black Blue. To me, these are beautiful frames with a classic style (similar to the Wayfarers) but with a modern twist with thicker rims and a more angular look (not to mention the stark and contrasting blue lenses). These are also available in red and green lenses. In total the sunglasses were £130.00, but with the discount, they came in at £117.00. 

One of the main reasons I choose these sunglasses was mainly due to the large proportion of the glasses made from Acetate. Acetate is a notoriously difficult material to work with and very easy to tell and see the difference between good and bad quality. In the case of Chimi, I was curious as to how good of quality it would be as they claim to be made from Italian acetate made using natural polymers from renewable sources. Having used the likes of Gast Eyewear in the past, I knew that affordable frames can be quality and if Chimi can produce frames anywhere near this quality I’d be happy. 

The first thing that concerned me was the lack of email confirmation once I placed my order. There’s always a slight dread when the confirmation doesn’t come through as you have no idea if your order has been received or not. I placed my order at 16:57 pm and nearly 24 hours later I still hadn’t received any sort of confirmation that my order was placed. I decided it best to drop their support an email to get help with this, as it was also a great test to see how quick and prompt their support is – this email was sent at 10:23 am the day after my order was placed. Less than an hour later I received my friendly and fast confirmation. An hour after that support got back to me confirming it had been placed – friendly and quick if you ask me! 

I’m based in the UK and Chimi offers free shipping which was scheduled to take around 5 working days. I’m not entirely sure if shipping is free internationally but I have heard people have had issues with import fees – especially within the UK (thanks to Brexit). The delivery was with UPS and I was provided with a tracking number – fantastic, especially since it was free postage and packaging. My package arrived in good time and was sent by DPD. There was a slight delay (not Chimi’s fault) as there seemed to be some issue at the French Euro tunnel border. In total, it took 4 days to arrive and I was very impressed with the speed of service. I also wasn’t charged any import fees which was a nice surprise. 

Chimi makes the unboxing experience very good and with attractive and quality packaging I was excited to get my frames out. All sunglasses come with a very stylish glasses case, cleaning cloth, and pouch. The only thing that disappointed me regarding the sunglasses was the huge ‘Made in China’ printed on the inside side of the arms. Now I’m actually one of the few people who understand that Chinese-made goods can be high quality and one of my favorite budget brands is made in China. That being said, Chimi fails to mention this on its website and uses misleading ad copy on its website ‘such as hand-made in Italian Acetate’ to make you think it’s not manufactured in China. Just be transparent about where your products are made or in a specific country or not. Saying your eyewear is designed in Stockholm, made from Italian Acetate but ends up being plastered with ‘made in China’ etched into my frames really annoyed me. 

With all that being said, The Chimi Sunglasses I received were of fantastic quality, and for the price tag, far exceeds others in their price bracket. The Black Acetate of the Chimi 04 LAB Black Blue Sunglasses was of exceptional quality with a brilliant shine and sturdy construction. The glasses do feel a little tight around the face but I think that’s more down to my poor measurement skills than an actual sunglasses problem. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. Chimi is clearly a reputable brand I feel these glasses are great value for money for the price you pay. With an exceptional array of modern and unique frames, Chimi is excelling in an overcrowded marketplace and is a fantastic brand for the value you get.