JINS is “Made in China” and “Designed in Tokyo,” and from my experience over the last 6-months, JINS lacks consistent quality design. An example, their 263 frames which I wore less than 10x’s, got knocked off a counter, and the flimsy plastic hinge snapped like Christian Bale on a movie set (also for the record, I side with Christian).
Where do most eyeglasses break? My guess would be the bridge and the hinges, so you would want a sturdy material or a thick bridge. For the hinges, you would want and expect them to be metal, but unfortunately, JINS, and their design team in Tokyo decided that to produce their JINS switch polarized 263 frames out of mostly plastic – not the girthy and thick type, like the type of female you would expect to win in a cat fight. What I got was frail and hides in a bathroom stall.
The short answer, NO. JINS has a poor quality designed product because who produces a pair of eyeglasses with flimsy plastic hinges and only a metal pin? JINS does, and they will not sell, repair, or provide you with a replacement temple piece either (that is poor service, and my old Transformer toys had better joints) – UPDATE (12/24/21) at the bottom.
The temple hinge is a measly H/4mm x W/3mm, that is a 1/3rd of the size of a 9mm round (even the outer casing of a round is made of metal/brass. Not JINS, just plastic).
My previous blog post of my initial impressions of JINS: “$60+ JINS Eyeglasses, Everything You to Need to Know About the Japanese Eyewear Company Before You Buy, Plus First Time Buyers Discount“
I Broke a $400 Pair of Masunaga Sunglasses and It Was Clearly My Fault
Except, unlike JINS, I have dropped my Masunaga’s, almost sat on them, and a number of other abuses. Although where it all came to an end was at a Starbucks because at some point, I had unfortuantely dropped my glasses, and when I put my foot down, I heard a snap. That sound was the bridge of my Masunaga’s snapping in half like when I am breaking chicken wings into two as I devoured them. Unlike the instance with my JINS, the Masunaga’s have been and are resilient as hell. Except this post is all about JINS glasses and their pathetic design.
JINS Response if You Broke Your Glasses
Question: “I broke my glasses, what should I do?”
– JINS, Tokyo Japan
JINS: “We’re very sorry to hear that!,” “Buy the same or similar frame.”
Since JINS will do nothing, I am doing this post to warn others of JINS inconsistent product design/quality, and potentially censored review on JINS.com (at the time of this post, over 12hrs, the reivew has not appeared on their website (I guess they only allow 5-star reviews). So I went ahead and wrote this post, along with registering JINSglasses.com and JINSeyeglasses.com to help get the word out and to help others avoid this issue.
Buyer Beware or Does JINS Disclose Which Products Utilize Plastic Hinges? Also WTF is Airframe?
I contacted JINS with this question: “You do not have my answer in your knowledge center, and I want to know which frames have plastic hinges. Also, why do you not specify that on your website?” Well, this is what JINS discloses on their website under “specs.”
- Frame size: extra-narrow, narrow, medium. wide, extra-wide, and custom.
- Nose bridge type: adjustable, standard, and alternative fit.
- Lens type & usage: single vision, progressive, readers, to non-prescription.
- Lens option: clear, anti-fog, JINS screen, and a million other options.
- Case: no charge colors are black or red.
- Under details: SKU, frame shape, nose bridge, frame type, category, frame size, face shape, material, nose pad type, frame dimensions.
- Filters: Yea, they do not disclose the type of hinge, but you can search by materials which goes by Airframe (who knows), Acetate, Titanium, and Metal (what kind of metal, who knows).
This was provided with by their customer service agent who I had some communication issues with (I assume they are out of the Philippines because of the names used).
“TR-90 is a very lightweight, flexible plastic material that is durable and safe. Our original Airframes are made from TR-90 and have rapidly gained popularity in Japan, as they tend to bend well before they break.”
JINS.com | Customer Care Agent
As for their additional responses when asked about which products come with plastic hinges, they could not respond, and they tossed in all the cut’n’paste condescending formalities.
“We’ll make sure to take this into consideration to improve the quality of our products and services.”
– JINS.com, Tokyo, Japan
Yea, like a customer service center has any impact on product development or that anything makes it up the chain (laughable).
The 263’s product description is claimed to be an Airframe/TR-90, but regardless of the material or hinge-style, this product is far from durable (if you have also had the same problem, please message me). Oh, and if you think price dictates it, it does not because some $80 glasses come with metal hinges. Whatever the details, I hope this brings attention to the issue of JINS inconsistent product quality and potential product misrepresentation.
So How Moronic is JINS Design? I Researched All the Different Types of Hinges and FramesDirect.com Has the Answer
According to FramesDirect.com and their article “what are the different types of eyeglass hinges?”, they say:
“Eyeglass hinges are not just a critical component of eyewear, they are the most important part of any pair of glasses.”
– FramesDirect.com
So you will have to go over to FramesDirect.com to read about all the details although I will tell you that they only mention a bunch of metal hinges or solutions using metals:
- Standard or Barrel Hinges
- Five-Barrel vs Seven-Barrel Hinges
- Spring/Flex Hinges
- Hingeless Eyeglasses
The best part of their article is “can I replace broken hinges?” Their answer “the short answer is yes!” Unfortunately, if you purchase a pair of JINS frames, you cannot, and you are SOL.
So why in the world is JINS producing plastic glasses/sunglasses hinges and charging $150? If this is an Airframe, how is this durable? (especially when 3M can be durable for $18.56).
3M Safety Glasses
Varying types of plastics can be very resilient, so I went to the kings of material science and safety glasses that are designed to be durable, 3M. The pair I decided to focus on are the Virtua Spot CCS (Cord Control System). Not only do they look cool, but they only cost $18.56. So let’s see what these things are made of, and how durable they are:
- 99.9% UV protection.
- Out of 1,842 reviews on Amazon, they have only a 4% (1-star rating) with 66% (5-star). Almost all the 4% reviews were in regards to issues with the anti-fog feature.
- Material: polycarbonate.
Out of all those reviews, there was only 1 review with the word “break” in it.
“I have been using these glass’s for years and couldn’t find them at home depot. worried I would loose or break the two pair i have had, I looked on amazon and had the new pairs the next day.”
– Ta-cole, Febrary 5th, 2021 via Amazon.com
JINS vs. Warby Parker vs. Luxottica Service/Repair Policy
| Luxottica | If you want to know if you can get your broken glasses repaired, or if you can purchase spare parts, the FAQ just refers you to contact the retailer. Although, it does not appear that they flat out do not do it, unlike JINS. |
| JINS | Nope foo, you SOL homie (I paraphrased). |
| Warby Parker | We have a 30-day hassle-free return or exchange policy. If your frames are damaged within 30 days of receipt, we can exchange your glasses for a new pair. Chat us to get started. Adjustments are offered at most of our retail locations. If your frames are loose or uncomfortably fitting, our opticians may be able to help with a quick adjustment. If you’re looking for replacement screws or nose pads, we’ve got you covered. Drop by a store or email us at help@warbyparker.comto request new screws or nose pads. |
JINS Has Bad Online Service Because if You Buy From JINS.com, You Cannot Test Fit or Return Products You Do Not Like
If you go to the WarbyParker.com website, you are able to try on FREE OF CHARGE up to 5 pairs of glasses. They will send it out to you, let you try them on, inspect them, etc. That is not the case with JINS, and if you buy online, they do not offer the service. You are SOL if you end up with a pair of frames that do not fit, you do not like, or eventually get a feel for the quality of the frame (like the 263’s squeaky and frail plastic hinges).
“Pick 5 frames to try on at home (it’s free!)”
– WarbyParker.com
Are There Third Party Services to Repair Glasses?
Yes there is, and the service is by a company called WorldOptic.com. They tout they can fix almost anything, but I would not even bother with these JINS glasses because inherently, it is a poor design. I will illustrate that by shooting a pic of the thin wall of the hinge in their 263’s (I don’t have my $20k worth of Canon gear, so no macro shots).
I Bought JINS in the Hope of Quality Design and Service to Match
I bought JINS products for only two reasons which was in the hopes of:
- DESIGN: They clearly tout on every frame you purchase “Made in China,” “Designed in Tokyo,” but do they live up to their claims as a brand?
- Alternative Fit Design: (Asian fit), did these glasses fit my Asian face better than any other I have owned, yes. Well, this should not be a shocker since JINS major market is throughout Asia, just like UNIQLO is relegated also to Asia due to their products/clothing being better suited for the Asian physique/market (X, XL, and XXL are like an alien language).
- Quality Materials and Design: did JINS design a pair of glasses utilizing the appropriate materials for the specified design, NO. This is the point of this entire post, is that if you are going to use a thin walled hinge, they should have utilized a more resilient material (they claim TR-90, but if you are going to design a 4mmx3mm hinge, it better be out of sintered carbon, carbon reinforced-plastic, or unicorn horn for the 263 design).
- SERVICE: what sort of service is JINS providing to support and substantiate the brand value of “Designed in Tokyo” (good design, is functional design)?
- Fitment/Adjustments: your goal is to make sure your product fits properly, so you have to have a service in place to allow for adjustments even if you purchased online. JINS does that, but when it comes to pupillary distance, your PD, they provide you with a template/measuring tool which I found awkward to determine the correct measurement.
- Improperly Designed products: from my Mophie battery pack, Apple and “bendgate,” and a million and one other examples, every manufacturer has to take into consideration that they will not always design a properly designed product each and every time. Except, how they handle it after the fact through their policies is what truly exemplifies the type of company/brand they are.
JINS is made in China, just like Apple is. Both are designed respectively by the brand, yet one meets my expectations of having the “DESIGNED IN X” mean something, the other does not. This is how simple branding is, and how you can epically fail at branding (yea, I am talking about JINS, a fail).
UPDATE 12/24/21: Good News, My Faith in JINS Has Been Restored
I was so disappointed with the online experience I decided to give one last-ditch attempt to address my problem through their brick-and-mortar.
From my initial experience, I realized this company is primarily a brick-and-mortar because the Japanese are oblivious to digital marketing/web development. Also, I was not going to drop this issue so quickly, so I decided to finally call their flagship store in San Francisco’s Union Square.
When I called in, I spoke to a rep that I have nicknamed “E,” and he was EXTREMELY HELPFUL. Within minutes, he had responded to my questions about the type of available hinges to frame type I had purchased, along with their policy regarding broken frames. My short but quick call had resolved a lot of my frustration that had been building from trying to converse with the JINS online customer service center. That frustration was partially due to the written comprehension of their call center, which I assume is in the Philippines. On the flipside, through my phone conversation, I was able to pick up on E’s demeanor and how forthright he was in trying to help. This short conversation only reinforced in my head that their online experience is severely lacking.
From my experience, JINS has failed as a brand on DESIGN,
SERVICE, and marketing (they failed their brand promise). Also, that DP on the set of Terminator Salvation have since made up with Bale, and they are all good now (Update: I can also say the same for me and JINS).
That is how I came into contact with “WY,” and I have got to say he exemplifies the JINS brand. I say that because I had expected a competent level of service from a Japanese-based company, especially from one that does not manufacture their product. Service is all they have to set themselves apart, and fortunately for me, that is what I got from WY.
During all of WY’s correspondence, he had come through with a listening, addressing, responding, and later with follow-up of some time-consuming deliverables (links to suggested frame styles). He did not have to do any of this based on “their policies,” but regardless of what was stated on their website or by their online reps, we both came to a mutual resolution with my broken frames that was more than satisfactory. So I am once again hyping JINS under some CONDITIONS.
The first condition is that you try to make any attempt to do an in-store visit. Two, if that is not possible, buying online will probably be more than a satisfactory experience for 65% of online purchases. Although, if you have an issue, the bulk of issues can be addressed online or by their online customer service reps who can be extremely quick to respond. Except, there will be the 5-10% of you who may have that issue or questions that fall through the cracks, and I suggest you make a last-ditch attempt to rely on the pros at their retail locations. They live and breathe each and every aspect of the JINS brand, and they are the JINS last line of defense from you whining on Yelp with a 1-star (or writing a lengthy blog post like a blathering idiot).
