Buying Branded Sunglasses Online

ACCESSORIES · UNITED KINGDOM

Buying Branded Sunglasses Online

Checking authenticity, lens categories, prescription options and fit

Designer frames are widely counterfeited and widely discounted legitimately, which makes telling the two apart the main skill in buying online.

Checking authenticity

Genuine frames carry a model number, colour code and lens size etched or printed on the inside of a temple arm, along with the CE or UKCA marking and country of manufacture.

Check that code against the manufacturer's own listing. Look at the case, the cloth, the hinges and the weight, and be suspicious of a new-season model at a fraction of retail.

Buy from authorised retailers or established opticians, and use a payment method offering protection.

Ultraviolet protection is separate from darkness

A dark lens without ultraviolet filtering is worse than no sunglasses, since the darkness dilates the pupil and lets more ultraviolet in. Look for UV400 or a stated 100 percent UVA and UVB protection.

Lens categories

Rated 0 to 4 for how much light they block. Category 3 suits bright sunshine. Category 4 is for high mountain and glacier use and is not legal for driving in many countries.

Polarisation cuts glare from water and roads and can make some dashboard and phone screens hard to read. It is separate from ultraviolet protection, so check both.

Prescription lenses

Most frames can be glazed to prescription, and photochromic lenses darken poorly inside a car because windscreens filter the ultraviolet that triggers them.

You need a current prescription including the pupillary distance, which an optician can supply.

Fit

Check the lens width, bridge and temple length against a pair you already wear. A frame that sits close to the face blocks more light from the sides.

Children and sport

Children's eyes transmit more ultraviolet than adults', so proper sunglasses matter more for them rather than less. For sport, look for impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses and a retaining strap.

Cheap novelty sunglasses carrying no ultraviolet marking should not be given to children under any circumstances.

Returns

Check the returns window and whether prescription glazing is excluded, since glazed frames are usually non-returnable.

Lens tints

Grey preserves colour accuracy and suits general use and driving. Brown and amber increase contrast, which helps in variable light. Yellow and rose distort colour and are unsuitable for driving.

Mirror coatings reduce glare further and do scratch more easily than plain lenses.

Replacement lenses

Many branded frames can be reglazed rather than replaced when lenses are scratched, which costs considerably less than buying a whole new pair.

Care

Rinse them before wiping, store in a hard case, and never leave them on a car dashboard.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop Vistaexpert? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop Vistaexpert — official site

Visit this site