Compare two Meller sunglasses: square Tana at 144 × 40 mm and oval Oba at 140 × 38 mm, with different lens categories, TAC polarised lenses and specific care advice.
Two models with more than a colour difference
Tana All Black and Oba Tigris Brown are separate Meller sunglasses with different frame silhouettes and lens categories. Tana uses a square shape with a flat top and black lenses; Oba has a finely edged oval frame, tortoiseshell colouring and brown lenses. The complete name identifies both model and reviewed colour combination.
The distinction is worth making before comparing photographs. A dark all-black rectangular look and a narrower oval tortoiseshell frame create different visual outlines. This guide uses the product specifications to explain those differences rather than declaring a universal best shape for a face or claiming personal optical tests.
Tana: square shape and a 144 mm front
The Tana page lists a width of 144 mm, height of 40 mm and temple length of 145 mm. Its description highlights the flat top and prominent temple fronts. The frame and lenses are both black, making the model’s shape and proportions the main visible design features rather than a contrast between different colours.
These are overall product measurements. They should not be rewritten as individual lens width or bridge width, which the reviewed specification does not supply. Comparing the front width and height with a pair you already wear is more useful than assuming that every square frame has the same fit or coverage.
Oba: oval shape and a 140 mm front
Oba Tigris Brown is listed at 140 mm wide and 38 mm high, with 145 mm temples. Its product characteristics call the shape oval and identify a tortoiseshell frame with brown lenses. Compared with Tana, the listed front is 4 mm narrower and 2 mm lower, while the temple length is the same.
Those small numerical differences accompany a visibly different outline. The oval model should not be described as square simply because it appears beside Tana in a bestseller list. As with Tana, the overall front measurement does not supply bridge width, hinge spacing or an individual prescription-lens specification.
Lens category, polarisation and coatings
Both pages list UV400 protection and polarised TAC lenses with anti-scratch and superhydrophobic coatings. Tana All Black is listed as Category 3, whereas Oba Tigris Brown is Category 2. These category labels belong to the exact reviewed versions; a shared model family does not justify assigning them unchanged to every other lens colour.
Meller describes polarisation as reducing reflections and presents Category 3 for brighter conditions and Category 2 for medium light. These are manufacturer descriptions, not independent measurements performed for this article. The coating names also do not mean that a lens is impossible to scratch or that care instructions can be ignored.
The frame material and the bio-based claim
The material entry for both models is bio-based G850 with cellulose propionate temples. Elsewhere on the pages, Meller states that these sunglasses use 45% bio-based materials and references castor seeds as a source. This is the brand’s material claim and should remain attributed rather than expanded into an unverified environmental comparison.
A 45% bio-based claim does not mean fully plant-made, plastic-free or biodegradable. The temple material is listed separately, and the description does not provide a complete mass breakdown by component. Do not replace the named materials with metal or acetate simply because other Meller ranges use different frame constructions.
Care instructions that are unusually specific
The official care section says not to use soap or water, to clean with a soft cloth rather than a shirt and to use the Meller carrying case. It also advises against placing the glasses lens-down or dragging them over hard surfaces. These are the maker’s stated directions for its glasses, not a general rule borrowed from another brand.
That guidance matters alongside the anti-scratch and hydrophobic descriptions: a coating is not permission to treat the surface as indestructible. Keep the instructions with the product and check any updated leaflet supplied with it. No cleaning liquid or washing method absent from the official advice has been added here.
A practical comparison without a shopping shortcut
Compare Tana if you want the flat-top square outline, 144 × 40 mm front, black lenses and listed Category 3. Compare Oba if you want an oval tortoiseshell frame, 140 × 38 mm front, brown lenses and Category 2. Both give 145 mm temples and the same named frame-material pairing.
The remaining check is fit on the actual wearer, not a promise based solely on face-shape categories. Overall dimensions, shape, lens version and care provide concrete information without copying prices, discounts or unverifiable certification language. This introduction contains no external shopping button and does not pretend to be an independent lens-performance test.
