I-SEA
I-SEA is a family-owned San Clemente-based eyewear brand selling polarized, UV-protected sunglasses ($28–$49), readers, and snow goggles through DTC e-commerce across the US, Australia/NZ, and Europe, plus wholesale and WSL Championship Tour event sales to active lifestyle consumers and surf enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Clemente, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What I-SEA does
I-SEA is a family-owned premium eyewear company headquartered in San Clemente, California, operating under parent entity JSS LLC. The company designs and sells polarized sunglasses with 100% UV protection for men and women, with most products priced between $28 and $49. Core technical differentiators include CSPL (Crystal Scratch Polymer Lens) technology for scratch resistance and clarity, Tritan Renew frames made from Eastman recycled-content materials certified by ISCC, and heavy-duty 2-barrel stainless steel hinges. Beyond sunglasses, the catalog extends to blue-light-filtering reading glasses, snow goggles, and accessories (cases, trucker hats, drinkware), as well as digital gift cards ranging from $25 to $150.
The go-to-market is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model anchored at i-sea.com, complemented by regional storefronts for Australia/New Zealand (i-sea.com.au) and Europe (i-sea.eu), with shipping available to more than 80 countries. Distribution is supplemented by a wholesale channel for retailers, onsite sales at World Surf League Championship Tour events, and an athlete Signature Series program featuring professional surfers Cole Houshmand, Ivan Florence, Blair Conklin, and Greyson Fletcher. I-SEA's primary customer segments are active lifestyle consumers in the surf and coastal category and professional or aspirational surfers, served through an event-driven marketing mix that emphasizes the brand's Official Global Eyewear designation for the WSL Championship Tour (2026–2027) and its sustainability-focused C.P.R. (Circular, Polarized, Renew) sub-line. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time product sales with no subscription component.
I-SEA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- I-SEA
- Legal name
- JSS LLC
- Website
- https://i-sea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- I-SEA is a family-owned San Clemente-based eyewear brand selling polarized, UV-protected sunglasses ($28–$49), readers, and snow goggles through DTC e-commerce across the US, Australia/NZ, and Europe, plus wholesale and WSL Championship Tour event sales to active lifestyle consumers and surf enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
I-SEA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Polarized Sunglasses and Eyewear
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sport & Performance Eyewear (CRAAAKAC)
Keywords
Where I-SEA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Clemente
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
I-SEA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: I-SEA generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of polarized sunglasses, snow goggles, and readers. Products are sold at fixed price points ranging from $28 to $49 for sunglasses, with accessories like cases ($14.99) and trucker hats ($19.99). Gift cards are also available in denominations from $25 to $150. All sales are one-time purchases with no subscription component.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Men's and Women's Sunglasses - $28 to $49 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
I-SEA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
I-SEA designs, produces, and sells premium polarized sunglasses with 100% UV protection for men and women at accessible price points ($28–$49), complemented by reading glasses, snow goggles, and lifestyle accessories. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its e-commerce platform and regional sites, with supplementary wholesale accounts to retailers and event-based sales at World Surf League competitions.
Product overview
I-SEA is a family-owned and operated premium eyewear brand headquartered in San Clemente, California. The company offers a unified product portfolio centered around polarized and UV-protected sunglasses for men and women, complemented by reading glasses and snow goggles. Their core sunglass collection spans multiple styles (rectangle, round, aviator, cat-eye, oval, wayfarer) across men's and women's categories. I-SEA differentiates through their Signature Series collaborations with professional surfers (Cole Houshmand, Ivan Florence, Blair Conklin, Greyson Fletcher), their sustainable C.P.R. Series using Eastman Tritan Renew recycled materials, and their Official Global Eyewear partnership with the World Surf League. The portfolio also includes accessories (sunglass cases, trucker hats, drinkware) and digital gift cards. The company emphasizes quality, sustainability through recycled materials, and surf culture branding at accessible price points.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- C.P.R. Series: Sustainable eyewear line using Eastman's Renew Circular Solutions containing ISCC certified recycled content
- Signature Series
Products and services
- I-SEA Men's Sunglasses Polarized and UV-protected men's sunglasses in multiple frame shapes (rectangle, round, aviator) made with polycarbonate, acetate, and Tritan Renew sustainable materials.
- I-SEA Women's Sunglasses Polarized and UV-protected women's sunglasses in fashion-forward frame shapes (cat-eye, oval, wayfarer, rectangle, round) with coastal-inspired aesthetics.
- I-SEA Readers Reading glasses with blue-light filtering lenses and UV protection designed for everyday near-vision tasks.
- I-SEA Snow Goggles Polarized, UV-protected goggles designed for snow sports and winter outdoor activities.
- Cole Houshmand Signature Series Exclusive signature-collection sunglasses co-designed with WSL Championship Tour surfer Cole Houshmand, featuring CSPL lenses, polarized UV protection, and Eastman Tritan Renew frames with ISCC-certified recycled content.
- Ivan Florence Signature Series Signature-collection sunglasses co-designed with WSL surfer Ivan Florence in bold round frame styles, with polarized UV-protected lenses and Eastman Renew Circular Solutions recycled materials.
- Blair Conklin Signature Series Signature-collection sunglasses co-designed with professional surfer Blair Conklin (BLAIR 2.0), featuring personal style colorways.
- Greyson Fletcher Signature Series Signature-collection sunglasses co-designed with professional surfer Greyson Fletcher (GREYSON 2.0), featuring signature colorways and sport-focused design.
- Sunglass Cases Protective eyewear cases including neoprene cases, hard cases, and WSL-branded rose gold cases in various colors.
- I-SEA Trucker Hat Branded I-SEA trucker hats priced at $19.99 in multiple colors (burgundy, tan, captain, chocolate, kelly green, navy).
- Sunshine Sipper Drinkware Branded drinkware accessories available in navy, peach, kiwi, cream, sky, and lavender colors.
- I-SEA Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable on any I-SEA products, available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, and $150 USD.
- C.P.R. Series (Circular, Polarized, Renew) Sustainable eyewear sub-line using Eastman Renew Circular Solutions containing ISCC-certified recycled content, combining 100% polarized lenses with 100% UV protection and eco-friendly frames.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free shipping on all orders $75+ within continental US
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use I-SEA
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
I-SEA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
I-SEA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- World Surf League (WSL)coreI-SEA renewed multi-year partnership as Official Global Eyewear of the WSL Championship Tour for 2026 and 2027. This marks a significant return of an eyewear category partner at the global Championship Tour level. I-SEA is also the Presenting Partner of the Lexus Tahiti Pro (titled Lexus Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA) and official sponsor of WSL Rising Tides youth program for 2026 and 2027. The partnership includes activations at select events, onsite sales, and fan engagement opportunities.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
I-SEA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Goodr: Goodr is a fast-growing DTC running and active-lifestyle sunglasses brand at ultra-affordable price points (~$25) with strong social media marketing. It competes for the same value-conscious active-lifestyle consumer as I-SEA, with overlapping channel mix (DTC, social, email-driven acquisition).
- Knockaround: Knockaround is a San Diego-based affordable polarized sunglasses brand operating through DTC and wholesale, with surf and beach culture roots similar to I-SEA. It targets a comparable accessible price tier and customer segment, though with broader fashion rather than surf-athlete positioning.
Direct peers
- Sunski: Sunski is a sustainable, DTC-native sunglasses brand using recycled materials at accessible price points, with a surf and outdoor lifestyle positioning. It directly competes with I-SEA's C.P.R. Series on sustainability, polarized tech, and the under-$50 price segment.
- Costa Del Mar: Costa Del Mar is a polarized performance sunglasses brand focused on fishing, boating, and surf lifestyles, now owned by Marcolin. It is highly comparable to I-SEA through its polarized lens tech emphasis, surf/ocean brand identity, and reliance on professional athlete ambassadors and water-sports sponsorship.
- Pit Viper: Pit Viper is a DTC-first retro-style performance sunglasses brand that has scaled rapidly via viral social media and a similar irreverent action-sports identity. It competes head-on with I-SEA for the same surf/outdoor lifestyle consumer at accessible price points and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
- Dragon Alliance: Dragon Alliance is a California-based sunglasses and goggles brand born from surf and snow culture, with athlete-driven marketing and a similar price-to-mid-premium positioning. It overlaps I-SEA in target customer (action sports), category (polarized sunglasses + goggles), and go-to-market (athlete sponsorships).
- Maui Jim: Maui Jim is a premium polarized sunglasses brand headquartered in Hawaii with deep roots in beach/coastal lifestyle and a global DTC + wholesale footprint. It is directly comparable to I-SEA in polarized lens technology positioning, coastal lifestyle brand identity, and premium price-point strategy (though at a much higher ASP).
- Spy Optic: Spy Optic is a California-based action sports sunglasses and goggles brand with deep surf, snow, and motocross heritage and an extensive athlete program. It is comparable to I-SEA across polarized sunglasses, snow goggles, action-sports athlete marketing, and accessible-mid premium price positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Smith Optics: Smith Optics is an established outdoor and snow sports eyewear brand (part of Safilo group) producing polarized sunglasses, goggles, and helmets. It overlaps I-SEA in snow goggles and action-sports sunglasses, and serves a comparable outdoor lifestyle consumer at a higher price tier.
- Oakley: Oakley (owned by EssilorLuxottica) is the dominant global sports performance sunglasses brand with deep surf and action-sports heritage and elite athlete sponsorships. It is comparable to I-SEA in product category and target consumer, but operates at vastly larger scale, price points, and distribution breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
I-SEA social profiles
Digital presenceI-SEA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
I-SEA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
I-SEA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
I-SEA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about I-SEA
What does I-SEA do?
I-SEA designs, produces, and sells premium polarized sunglasses with 100% UV protection for men and women at accessible price points ($28–$49), complemented by reading glasses, snow goggles, and lifestyle accessories. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its e-commerce platform and regional sites, with supplementary wholesale accounts to retailers and event-based sales at World Surf League competitions.
Is I-SEA a public or private company?
I-SEA is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was I-SEA founded?
I-SEA was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is I-SEA based?
I-SEA is headquartered in San Clemente, United States, in the North America region.
How does I-SEA make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct Product Sales.
Who are I-SEA's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Goodr and Knockaround. Direct peers are Sunski, Costa Del Mar, Pit Viper, Dragon Alliance, Maui Jim and Spy Optic. Broad incumbents are Smith Optics and Oakley.
Does I-SEA have an API?
No public API is recorded for I-SEA.
What industry is I-SEA in?
I-SEA's product category is Premium Polarized Sunglasses and Eyewear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAKAB, Sunglasses (Non-Prescription), with a secondary code of CRAAAKAC, Sport & Performance Eyewear. Its NAICS code is 45613 and its SIC code is 3851.