Honest Otra Eyewear Review: Are These $65 Sunglasses Worth the Hype?

I Have a Confession to Make About Sunglasses

I’ve lost 14 pairs of sunglasses in the last five years. I counted. They’ve slipped off beach towels, gotten crushed in tote bags, and one pair — a $280 mistake I refuse to discuss — fell out of a convertible on the 101.

So I made a rule: no more designer sunglasses. But fast-fashion frames give me a headache by hour three and start looking sad after two weeks. There had to be a middle ground.

That’s how I ended up on the Otra Eyewear site at 11pm on a Tuesday, three glasses of wine in, with a tab open that said “Quay Australia founders launched a new brand??” Reader, I added three pairs to cart.

This is my honest Otra Eyewear review after three months of actually wearing them — to the beach, the airport, a wedding, and approximately 47 coffee runs. No PR gifting, no scripted talking points. Just what I learned.

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Wait, Who Is Otra Eyewear?

If you’ve ever owned a pair of Quay Australia sunglasses, you already know Linda and Zak Hammond’s work — you just didn’t know their names. They’re the husband-and-wife duo behind Quay’s rise from a Byron Bay side project to a global eyewear empire worn by basically every It-girl of the 2010s.

In 2022, they stepped away from Quay and started Otra. The name means “another” in Spanish — as in, another chapter. The brand is still designed in Byron Bay, Australia, but it pulls aesthetic cues from Spanish craftsmanship and culture. Premium acetate, sculptural metal work, and the kind of silhouettes that look like they cost three times what they do.

Here’s the part that sold me: Otra intentionally doesn’t over-produce. Their drops are limited runs, which is why you’ll see styles disappear and never return. It’s also why Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Beyoncé have all been spotted in them — these things have a quiet cult status without the marketing budget of bigger brands.

Most styles sit between $60 and $90. Designer-adjacent quality, not designer pricing. The kind of brand I wish I’d known about before pair number 9.

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How I Picked These 3 Pairs

I wanted a real test, not a haul video. So I gave myself three buckets:

1. The everyday pair — something I’d grab without thinking
2. The statement pair — something for outfits I actually try
3. The minimal pair — something delicate enough for a dinner, polished enough for travel

I’ll walk through each one below.

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Stevie — Trans Olive / Brown Fade ($65)

The aviator that converted me.

The look: A classic oversized aviator silhouette, but Otra did something clever with it. The frame is a transparent olive acetate — sort of a smoky champagne-meets-army-green that catches the light in this really specific way. The lenses are a brown gradient that fades from deep at the top to nearly clear at the bottom. From across a room, they read as quiet luxury. Up close, you notice the keyhole bridge and the satisfying weight of the acetate.

My honest take: These are the pair I reach for 4 out of 7 days. The transparent frame is more versatile than I expected — I thought it would only work with neutrals, but it somehow plays nicely with black, white, and even a rust-colored sweater I bought specifically because of them. The brown fade lens is also softer on bright days than full-tint sunglasses, which means I actually keep them on indoors at restaurants without looking like I’m hiding from someone.

The one nitpick: the nose pads are integrated into the frame (no adjustable metal pieces), so if you have a low nose bridge, you might want to try the try-on tool on the site first. They sit a little higher on my face than my Ray-Bans do.

Best for: Oval, heart, and square face shapes. Outfits with any kind of texture — knits, denim, linen. Vacation photos where you want to look effortless and be lying about it.

Styling tip: Try them with a cream-colored sweater and gold hoops. The transparent olive picks up the warm tones and the whole look shifts from “running errands” to “people are looking at me, but politely.”

Shop the Stevie in Trans Olive →

Some sunglasses make you look like you tried. The Stevie makes you look like you didn’t have to.

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Cameron — Black / Smoke ($65)

For when you want to be seen.

The look: This is the statement pair. The Cameron is a bold, oversized shield-aviator hybrid in a glossy black acetate with smoky tonal lenses that are nearly opaque. The frame has presence — thick top bar, sculpted brow line, and a slight wraparound shape that hugs the temples. It’s giving ’70s rockstar but tailored. It’s giving Bianca Jagger if she had a TikTok.

My honest take: I’m going to be straight with you — these are not subtle. I owned them for two weeks before I worked up the courage to wear them outside. But the first time I did, three separate strangers asked where they were from. Cameron is the pair I put on when I want my outfit to feel finished without doing more work. Black jeans + white tee + Cameron = an outfit. Done.

The nitpick: because they’re so substantial, they’re not the pair I’d take on a long flight. The acetate is comfortable, but my temples notice them after a few hours. These are for going-out hours, not airport hours.

Best for: Anyone who wants to commit. Larger or angular faces wear these best (they balance strong jawlines beautifully), but I’ve also seen them work on smaller faces as a deliberate oversized look. Pair with simple outfits — let the sunglasses do the talking.

Styling tip: All-black with a slick low ponytail and a red lip. Or — and this is my personal favorite — a vintage silk slip dress at golden hour. The Cameron makes simple feel intentional.

Shop the Cameron in Black →

You don’t wear the Cameron. You arrive in it.

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Hannah — Gold / Brown ($70)

The dinner-and-airport multi-tasker.

The look: A delicate hexagonal metal frame in polished gold, with warm brown rose-tinted lenses. These are the opposite of the Cameron in every way — narrow, lightweight, minimalist. The lens shape has just enough geometric edge to feel current without screaming “I bought these in 2024 and they’ll be dated by Tuesday.” The metal feels substantial, not flimsy, and the rose-brown lens tint is genuinely flattering — it gives everything a slightly warmer cast, including your own skin in selfies.

My honest take: These were the surprise of the three. I almost didn’t order them because I assumed “delicate metal frames” meant “uncomfortable and forgettable.” Wrong. The Hannah weighs almost nothing — I forget I’m wearing them, which is exactly what you want on a 6am flight. The warm brown lens is also less harsh than gray or black tints, so my eyes feel less tired at the end of a day in the sun.

The nitpick: the slim metal arms mean I’m a little more careful about where I put them down. I wouldn’t toss these in a beach tote without the pouch (which Otra includes — soft vegan microfiber, doubles as a lens cloth).

Best for: Most face shapes, especially rounder or softer features that benefit from a bit of angular geometry. Perfect for travel, dinners, anywhere you want to look pulled-together without trying too hard.

Styling tip: Slip dress, gold jewelry, sandals, the Hannah pushed up on your head while you read the menu. It’s a vibe. The hexagonal shape adds just enough interest to a simple outfit.

Shop the Hannah in Gold →

The kind of sunglasses you wear to feel like the most polished version of yourself.

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Are Otra Sunglasses Actually Worth It? My Honest Verdict

Let’s talk money. At $65–$70 a pair, Otra sits in a really interesting price spot. They’re more than fast-fashion sunglasses ($15–$30, but you can feel it) and less than Ray-Ban ($170+) or true luxury ($400+). The closest comparison is probably Quay itself — which makes sense, given the shared DNA — but I think Otra feels a touch more elevated, both in the materials and the silhouettes.

What you’re paying for: premium acetate construction, 100% UV protection, polycarbonate lenses, and shapes that don’t look like everyone else’s. What you’re not paying for: the inflated brand tax of a luxury logo, polarized lenses on every model (some are, some aren’t — check before you buy), or aggressive marketing.

The downside? The limited-run thing is real. The exact colorway you want might sell out, and there’s no guarantee of a restock. If you find a pair you love, my advice is: don’t wait three weeks.

Would I buy more? I already have. There’s a tortoiseshell cat-eye I’ve been eyeing for a month.

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Otra Eyewear FAQ

Is Otra Eyewear the same as Quay Australia?

No — but they share creators. Linda and Zak Hammond founded Quay Australia in 2004 and launched Otra Eyewear as a separate, more elevated brand after departing Quay. Same design pedigree, different aesthetic and price positioning.

Where are Otra sunglasses made?

Otra is designed in Byron Bay, Australia, with manufacturing handled overseas. The brand uses premium acetate and bio-acetate (a more eco-friendly material) for many of its frames.

Do Otra sunglasses have UV protection?

Yes — every pair offers 100% UV protection. Lens categories vary by style (most are Category 2 or 3), so check the individual product page for specifics. Not all styles are polarized, so if that’s important to you, filter for it.

How do Otra sunglasses fit — are they true to size?

Most styles run slightly oversized in the trend-forward direction, which is intentional. The site has a “Click to Try On” virtual tool on most product pages, which I’d genuinely recommend before buying — it saved me from ordering one pair I would’ve returned.

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The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for sunglasses that feel intentional without requiring a small loan, Otra Eyewear is the brand to know about right now. The Quay pedigree shows up in the quality. The Spanish-Australian design language shows up in the shapes. And the limited-run philosophy means you’ll have something most people don’t.

Of my three, the Stevie is the daily driver, the Cameron is the showstopper, and the Hannah is the one I keep packing for trips. You probably only need one of them. But if you’ve made it this far in the review, you and I both know you’re going to buy at least two.

Just remember — when they’re gone, they’re gone. Don’t @ me when your size sells out.

Browse the latest Otra Eyewear collection →

Have you tried Otra? Or are you eyeing a different pair? Drop a comment and tell me what’s catching your eye — I love a sunglasses rabbit hole.