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Sunglasses and Prescription Sunglasses

"Eyeglasses.com: A Better Place To Buy"

How To Buy Prescription Sunglasses

Step 1: Get your prescription and pupil distance measurement.
Step 2: Pick out a pair of prescription sunglasses, and add lenses to frame.
Step 3: Choose your lenses and options, and check out.

Designer Sunglasses

The Essential Accessory

Sunglasses have come a long way from being just a coveted accessory to being a must have in every fashion fanatic's collection. The sunglasses style mavens or "fashionistas" know exactly what we're talking about. Sunglasses offer protection against excessive exposure to light, including its visible and invisible components, but most people wear them as an accessory. Numerous well-known fashion houses design sunglass lifestyle appealing not only to the fashion conscious, but also who are into all sorts of sports.

Eyeglasses.com offers the iconic brands of sunglasses that never go out of style such as Ray Ban and Oakley with its updated classic American style, Lacoste with its highly recognized green crocodile logo, and Giorgio Armani to the world of high-fashion brands with the iconic Prada brand, Versace, or contemporary Jimmy Choo sunglasses, to young hipster sunglasses shapes from Tiffany, Kate Spade, Maui Jim, and Burberry.

Calvin Klein Sunglasses

Eyeglasses.com also carries brands that appeal to the more sports oriented wearer such as Nike sunglasses styles with their technology that provides lenses that eliminate glare, premium UV protection, blue light glasses and superior scratch resistance or Ray Ban or Oakley sunglasses for the radical types among our buyers! The depth of our inventory is enormous, as you will see from the Eyeglasses.com lengthy brands' list of sunglasses. 

Most folks want to find a perfect pair of Ray Ban sunglasses that defines his / her persona; making them stand out in the crowd. Shopping online provides an immense selection of frame shapes and styles, you can do just that at Eyeglasses.com whether you are looking for particular designer styles that are in vogue at the moment, or a similar pair of sunnies of your favorite celebrity, or some special offers. In our celebrity driven culture it's not surprising that we want to join in the popularity of a particular sunglasses design. But let's face it, Ray Ban is the most popular sunglasses brand of all time, and Ray Ban styles are worn by the most number of celebrities and regular people.

Ray Ban Aviator SunglassesFor instance, remember Tom Cruise sporting the mirrored Ray Ban Aviators in Top Gun, or Katy Perry hiding away the hangover effect behind huge sunglasses, or the aviator styles of sunglasses Jon Hamm wore in season 4 of in Mad Men. It is no wonder that the sales of a particular designer brand of sunglasses just shoots up the moment a celeb is spotted wearing it, either in the movies or in any public appearance. The designers promise an air of sophistication. Don't you feel like a million bucks as you slip on a pair? Some of the top notch designer brands include Calvin Klein sunglassesGucci sunglasses, and of course, Tom Ford sunglasses. As style experts would have it, these sunglasses have a persona attached to them, and consequently, not every tom, dick and harry can carry them off the right way.

Tory Burch Sunglasses

If you consider the Gucci for instance; these are lightweight sunglasses from Kering,  known for its creativity, its state-of-the-art technology and the excellence of its craftsmen.  Manufactured straight from the heart of Italy, these lightweight plastic beauties with stoned trim are here to steal your heart. For an American take on sunglasses, take a look at Ray-Ban sunglasses, with a line that includes a wide variety of styles, ranging from full plastic to metal frames: full, half and rimless. They have some really eye-catching products for all you men out there. A high end line of sunglasses with a subtle flair of sophistication is the John Varvatos sunglasses Collection. 

Cat Eye Sunglasses

Cat eye sunglasses styles became popular in the 50's and have retained allure since then. In the new product introductions by the major brands every year, they always include some cat eye sunglasses and some lightweight round sunglasses styles. Even Ray Ban has some cat eye pairs, but few are polarized.

Gucci Sunglasses

Round Sunglasses

Round sunglasses styles are another important style trend, and every major fashion brand includes round sunglasses in their collection. Round sunglasses are iconic, and they are worn by noted celebrities like John Lennon, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Samuel Jackson, Mary Kate Olsen, and through the years, many, many other celebrities. The Ray Ban sunglasses collection has many round and almost round sunglasses in it.

Remember Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained and his round sunglasses? How about Johnny Depp in almost round sunglasses? Even Morgan Freeman wore round sunglasses sunglasses in the cult-classic movie Oblivion. John Lennon (of course) but what about Vin Diesel in his round sunglasses in Riddick? Even Selena Gomez sports round sunglasses.
Selena Gomez in Round Sunglasses

Choosing Sunglasses Frames

Begin making sunglasses or prescription glasses by selecting a pair of eyeglass frames or sunglass frames. Lower quality sunglass frames are not designed to hold a prescription lens, and are called non-"Rx-able". Prescription eyeglasses can be turned into sunglasses just by adding tint to them. Sunglasses frames with an excessive wrap design can only accommodate an Rx up to a power of approximately +/-5.00 sphere. You cannot put a prescription in sunglasses with a shield design. Some sunglass manufacturers have facilities to maker prescription lenses for their own frames, like Oakley, Bolle, and Maui Jim.

Burberry SunglassesSunglasses Types

There are many types of sunglasses. Sport sunglasses tend to cover more of the eye and often "wrap" to cover side glare. Most luxury designer sunglasses are not also sport sunglasses, because sport sunglasses are designed for sweat and action, not just sitting around like other sunglasses. Large collections like Ray Ban offer luxury sunglasses and sport sunglasses and sometimes its not easy to see the difference. Solstice sunglasses and other stores provide curated collections, but you can only shop a limited selection of Solstice sunglasses. Whatever you choose, think about whether you need polarized lenses.

Jamie Foxx in Round Sunglasses

Sunglasses Lens Materials

You can customize and adjust sunglasses styles to your exact needs, including a polarized lens. They can be made with in any type (single vision, bifocal, or progressive) lenses, and in a variety of lens materials and colors. Most sunglasses use the high index polycarbonate lens material, and for high performance sunglasses, we recommend using the polarized Trivex material. All of our polarized sunglasses lenses block harmful uv rays.  Once you have chosen your type, and material, then you can move on to the tinting options.

Trivex Sunglasses

Trivex is a great substitute for polycarbonate in rx sunglasses, because Trivex can be easily tinted but polycarbonate cannot. Trivex is much better suited for tinting and is an excellent choice for rimless drill mounted frames. The suggested rx range is Plano (0, no Rx) to +/-8.00 sphere. Ray Ban does not use Trivex in their sunglasses, but we can install Trivex custom lenses into a Ray Ban frame.

While Trivex has a slightly lower refractive index than polycarbonate, its specific gravity makes it the lightest of any lens material available today. This means it may be a little thicker than polycarbonate lenses but similar in weight. Like polycarbonate, Trivex also has inherent 100% UV protection. However it is optically superior to polycarbonate, meaning it is much less distortive. When you shop for Ray Ban, they have a timeless style but they do not use Trivex in any pairs, round or otherwise.

Varilux Progressive Lenses for Sunglasses

Lens Tinting

After choosing the frame, and lens type and material, you can now choose the lens tint. For tinting, you must first choose the tint type among these three: custom tint, polarized, or Transitions. Polarized and Transitions have a very limited choice of tint colors and tint densities (tint strength), mostly limited to brown and grey. If you want a custom tint, we can tint any shade in the rainbow. After choosing your lens color, you can move on to lens coatings.

Custom Lens Colors and Tinting

A custom color is created by dipping into a "tint tank", and the tint is then infused into the material. We can tint any color in the rainbow, but if you want a specific color, we will ask you to send us a swatch for us to replicate. The next consideration is tint density, or strength. For example, 80% brown or grey tint is typical for dark sunglasses, and 50% for regular sunglasses. Fashion tinted sunglasses have a 20% tint density. 
Prada Sunglasses

Brown and Grey Tints

Brown and gray are the most popular colors for sunglasses, from Ray Ban to luxury sunglasses brands. Brown is the best color overall because it offers the best contrast and the best depth perception. Brown lenses provide the wearer the widest light spectrum through to the eye, while blocking blue light and offering optimum contrast. Brown is great for applications where distances need to be constantly judged, like tennis or golf or skiing or other sports requiring acute visual perception and contrast differentiation. Brown is also best for lower light situations, like fishing in the late afternoon or early morning. Grey tint is best for bright light situations like water sports because it blocks out the brightest of the suns rays.

Other Tint Colors For Sunglasses

Other colors like green and blue are used more for style purposes than for utility. Blue is the overall worst color of all for the wearer because it enhances blue light which creates more glare. If you like blue as a style choice, consider a custom-made lens tinted brown but with a blue flash mirror coating. Yellow is used to heighten contrast without blocking too much light, and it is commonly used for shooting and skiing on cloudy days. Bolle makes a special green tint that is designed specifically for tennis (the Competivision lens); the green tint helps to accentuate the yellow color of the tennis balls and make the white lines stand out. Some of these are polarized, some not.

Tiffany Sunglasses

Lens Tint Density

Sunglasses are tinted by leaving them in a bath of tint solution. The longer they are left in the solution, the darker the tint becomes. Material bathed in tint colors can assume just about any color shade or color density. The material actually absorbs the tint color into it. Tint density is defined as a percentage, where 0% is completely clear, and 100% permits no light to pass through (solid).

A 10% to 20% tint is used for a fashion tint, and a 50% to 80% tint is used for outdoor protection from the sun. For protection, you would use a 50% tint for all around use, both during midday and during morning and evening hours when there is less available light. A 50% tint is a better all-around lens. For bright light situations, like midday on the water, an 80% tint provides maximum protection from the bright sun. For low light conditions you could use a transitions lens or a lens with a lighter tint density.

Tom Ford Sunglasses

Gradient Tints

Gradient tint pairs have a full tint at the top, fading gradually to no tint at all at the bottom. A double gradient tint has a full tint at the top and bottom, and a medium tint in the center. Double gradient tints are popular with skiers, because the lenses block glare coming from above (sun) and below (snow), while allowing for a clearer viewing area in the middle.

Iconic Green Color

The Ray Ban green G15 pairs are iconic. That shade of green has informed the "British racing car green" and the classic color that all green lenses emulate. Ray Ban is now not the only sunglasses brand that uses that shade, but it is certainly the most popular. Ray Ban shiny gold rimmed aviators come in green and other lens colors and the green looks fabulous with the gold. Green also works well in tortoise color frames, round sunglasses and other classic sunglasses pairs. Some polarized pairs are green, although brown and grey are much more common.

Other Lens Features

Custom sunglasses can be constructed with common features like anti scratch coating for protection, UV protection to protect your eyes which is standard on all sunglasses including Ray Ban, and buy them at a web site to protect your wallet. All sunglasses are designed to reduce glare, but may use different methods to reduce glare. For example, a high wrap frame shape positions the lens around the side of the eye and effectively cuts glare there. These frames fit snugly and are the right pair for people who are in the sun all day, and also the right pair for people in high light conditions. In these cases, face shape does not affect the frame shape, because if you shop for frame styles based on your face shape, that is more of a cosmetic style decision than a practical one.

Versace Sunglasses

Sun-Sensitive Transitions Lenses

Sun-sensitive lenses are also known by the brand name Transitions, and the technical name "photochromic". Sun-sensitive pairs automatically darken to a moderate shade when they are exposed to the ultra-violet rays of direct sunlight. When the direct sunlight is removed, they lighten again. Sun-sensitive lenses are typically only available in brown and grey. Sun-sensitive lenses are available in the normal range of vision correction for sunglasses, and in Ray Ban you can only get them with custom lenses. 

Oakley Sunglasses

A photochromic lens has some limitations. First, it needs ultra-violet light to darken, and it will darken more slowly or incompletely if the lens is not in direct sunlight. For example, if you are wearing a hat, or if it is cloudy, or if you are inside an automobile, they may darken slowly or not completely. Second, it could take up to eight minutes for lenses to transition from dark back to clear. So if you are in-and-out of the sun, the pairs may not be dark or clear when you want them to be. Third, photochromic lenses do not become completely clear indoors, but retain a light tint that may not appeal to people who want completely clear lenses indoors.


Stella McCartney Sunglasses
 

Polarized Lenses

Polarized sunglasses are essential to wear if you will be on or near the water. They are tinted in a special way block vertical light from hitting your eye and causing eye strain. Hunters, boaters and fishermen, golfers, and drivers are the most common users of polarized lenses. Any surface can create glare in sunlight, including water, sand, snow, windows, vehicles, and buildings. They ease eye stress and fatigue in the sun, and lenses are available in several color and density options. They have a technology that is similar to a venetian blind, which is great for blocking glare, especially the glare that comes off of water and ice. However, in some situations, glare can be beneficial. Many Ray Ban styles include polarization.ECO Sunglasses

When To Use Polarized Sunglasses

For example, lenses with polarization could make it difficult for a driver to see ice on the road, or for a skier to see ice on the ski slope, or for a seaplane pilot to see the water when landing. These lenses function similar to window blinds with horizontal slats when open. You view the slats on the edge so they are very thin, and these edges hold the tint color. They block the vertical light that tries to enter your eye from down below or up above, and it only allow the horizontal light to pass through the lens. Polarized lenses are available in the normal range of vision correction for sunglasses.Salvatore Ferragamo Sunglasses

Lens Coatings

After you have chosen your lens tint, you can now choose coatings, which are applied to the surface of the lenses. For sunglasses, the most important coating is Anti-Reflective coating, which we strongly recommend for all sunglasses. Ray Ban styles include all of the leading lens coatings. Anti scratch coating is standard on most lenses, and especially needed at a job site.
Pomellato Sunglasses

Anti-Reflective Coating For Sunglasses

Anti-Reflective coating goes on the backside (side closest to your face) of sunglasses. Backside AR prevents light and glare from coming in to either side and from behind you, bouncing off the inside of the lens and into your eye. This kind of glare is very common in sunny situations, it is extremely disruptive and it is very valuable to eliminate this glare from your vision. Without AR coating on your sunglasses, your eyes are subject to much more strain, and your vision is appreciably impaired. Most Ray Ban styles include AR coating.

Paradigm Sunglasses

Mirror Lens Coatings

Sunglasses lenses can receive a coating on the outside that has looks to others like a mirror. It reflects light back away from the wearer. This is one of the accessories that reduces the amount of reflected light or glare that makes it harder to see especially in bright light conditions. For example, when skiing on a sunny day, there is a lot of reflected light and glare coming off the snow.

Brioni Sunglasses

Mirror coatings are applied on the surface of the lens, which changes the color that other people see, but they do not change the color that the wearer sees. For example, let's say you make lenses with a brown tint and a red mirror coating. In this case, you will see brown through the lenses, but other people will see red mirror lenses. For example, if the lenses had a brown tint with a blue mirror, the wearer would see only brown, and other people would see only the blue mirror. This is a useful combination because, optically speaking, blue is the worst tint for seeing objects clearly (brown is best), but blue is fashionable; so the wearer gets the benefit of seeing through a brown tint as well as the benefit of having other people see only the blue mirror coating. You can shop many Ray Ban styles with mirror coatings.

Mirror coatings are a good alternative to polarized lenses, and can be used together for added protection in extreme conditions. However, using both together will have the effect of darkening the lens and reducing the amount of information your eye receives, which could make it difficult to see is situations where visual acuity is needed (like flying an airplane). 

Pure Mirror And Flash Mirror 

Mirror coatings are available in two ways, as a flash mirror and as a pure mirror. With a pure mirror, other people will not be able to see your eyes; with a flash mirror lens, other people will be able to see your eyes. The pure mirror is a more intense mirror and the flash mirror is less intense. In both types of mirrors, the wearer does not see the flash color, the color is only seen by other people. For example, if the lenses had a brown tint with a blue flash mirror, the wearer would see only brown, and other people would see only the blue flash mirror. You can shop in this site for many Ray Ban styles with flash mirror coatings.

Rx Sunglasses

Getting a prescription into your pair of sunglasses involves eye exams. The good news is that almost any pair of sunglasses can be made with the features you want - round, stylish, polarized, cool shapes and styles, tortoise, stylish for smaller faces, special purpose shades, themed style, whatever. However, eye exams are a necessary precursor, and are then followed by an online optical shop.

To shop for a pair with the perfect fit can take time and experience, and actually there is no "perfect fit" because your face and style needs will change through time. You may need to shop more than once if you are hard on your shades through regular use, or lose them, or life gets in the way, or your dog chews your favorite pair of polarized tortoise aviators. The good news is that whether you discover that you prefer round shades styles or aviator shades styles or lightweight tortoise shell shades styles, your shades can have your own prescription in them if you do a bit of work. Oakley and Ray Ban have introduced their own prescription program, so you can get your rx into the many styles they offer.

Bottega Veneta Sunglasses

Clip on Sunglasses

Clip-on sunglasses lenses are tinted lenses that clip on to regular glasses, effectively turning them into sunglasses. The clip-ons usually match the eyeglasses frame in shape and color, and attach either by clips or with magnets. Regular clip-ons require two hands to add and remove the clips, but magnetic clip-ons (they hold to the frame with magnets instead of clips) can be added or removed with just one hand. Clip ons also have a "look" to them, and it is one of the accessories that has life advantages, and also a styles advantage.

Clip-ons have advantages and disadvantages. It is convenient to be able to convert your eyeglasses into sunglasses and back again. However, wearing a clip on means adding a significant amount of reflected glare. Light passes through the clip, reflects off the front of the frame, reflects off the back of the clip, and bounces around in there, causing significant additional glare and eyestrain. Flip up styles have never really taken off, and you will not find Ray Ban making this style today - but who knows, maybe in the future..?

Fitover Sunglasses

Fitover sunglasses "fit-over" your eyeglasses, to create the effect of rx sunglasses. This style is designed to fit over your eyeglasses, covering them completely. Fit-over styles are useful for eyeglasses that do not have matching clip-ons, and they also serve to block out light from entering around the sides of your glasses. Side-glare is extremely annoying, especially on the water, so fit-overs may be a better solution that sunglass clip-ons. Ray Ban does not make any fitover styles.


Puma Sunglasses

How To Buy Sunglasses Online

Eyeglasses.com has a huge selection, the largest selection of sunglasses styles on the planet. You can virtual try on a complete pair here, and you will have no trouble finding the frame styles, lenses, and anything you need, except contact lenses. We offer free shipping, frames only or as plano sunglasses. One great feature of our website is that you can use the virtual try on to easily narrow down the right size of glasses by eye size and bridge width, search for aunique style, or if unique styles is not what your want, then maybe smart glasses?

We also offer the largest lens selection online, including blue blocking, with every possible variation of options, coatings and features. In fact, we offer so many different sunglasses lenses and services that customers often call us to help them decide, and then we do the checkout for them.

All you need to do is call us by phone, or by email, or even by live chat. Tortoise, polarized, aviators, tortoise polarized aviators - you can find or create just about any combination of styles on our site.

Whether you shop online or by phone, we have a full refund policy - if you want a refund, just send them back in original condition within 30 days. We offer many different payment options, and we are looking to add our partner Affirm loan services so you can finance your shop as well, possibly with interest free installments, but your payment method is up to you.

We offer free shipping to most places in the continental United States, and also to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Italy and some other countries. For further information, check our shipping page. We are one of the few authorized retailers of the full Ray Ban glasses and sunglasses line, where you can shop for the newest glasses styles, get the best service, and even shop at our store located in Westport, CT with a gift card.

Sign up for our emailing list and you will receive offers of affordable sunglasses, Black Friday deals, fashion advice.  You won't find cheap sunglasses at our store; we focus on the essential elements for perfect vision at a great price compared to your eye doctor.  We provide the best sunglasses that all block uv light, light from reflective surfaces, and a few items from Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith.  We never share your personal information..

McQ Sunglasses

Vision Insurance Companies

For rx eyewear and accessories, we accept vision plans from many of the leading providers such as Eyemed, United Health Care, VSP, Blue Shield Cross, and many more.

The same goes for your HSA/FSA dollars, which you can use to shop all and reduce the costs of your glasses. Your personal benefits information can be determined by calling your insurer; California residents can meet additional eligibility criteria.

While using vision insurance can be useful in some cases, there are many, many instances where it does not work well. Brand exclusions (Ray Ban), interest free installments, smart glasses, previous purchases, lens upgrades, offer valid dates, eligibility check, a virtual try on, late fees, lack of a huge selection of frame styles, last purchase date, and more can affect your benefits.

Regular visits to your eye docter are important for all people, but especially for people with a vision impaired profile including degrading eyesight, cognitive disabilities, tunnel vision, blind users, and other forms of visual impairment.

How to Use Your Vision Insurance Benefits

Insurance providers for glasses offer vision benefits that range from supplemental plans offered by your employer, to independent plans that you can purchase outside of your employer's plan. In most cases, you can get your eye exam in a network store, and your insurance provider will offer an out of network benefit. This vision benefit can cover a complete pair, whether it includes sunglasses, contacts, blue light filtering lenses, and sometimes smart glasses.

Insurance eligibility is key: once you have confirmed your insurance eligibility, you can submit the claim form directly to your insurance provider. To obtain insurance benefits after your eye exam, the store will require a valid rx required, your birth date, and a valid zip code required.

Unfortunately, when you try to use your vision insurance at most optical stores, you will never have zero hidden fees, because eyewear is how they make their profit. If your last purchase of eyeglasses was made too recently, you will fail the eligibility check. If the offer valid incurs late fees, or if you want too many lens upgrades, or free shipping, or home try on for your frames, your benefit may suffer.

Many people focus on using their vision benefits first, but this can actually lead to paying too much for your glasses frames for men. Tradition retailers do not have virtual try on, and with virtual try on you get access to a huge catalog to find the best match for you.

If you apply insurance as a "payment method" for your glasses, you are locked into the savings applied by that eye doctor and that insurer. You are required to purchase only the frame styles for men that doctor has in inventory. For example, if he/she/they does not carry Ray Ban frames, then you lost that option. If that vendor cannot get you Ray Ban Authentic eyewear, then you lose out on that.

What if you have trouble finding the right frame styles because of limited payment options? When you apply insurance for eyeglasses for men at an optical store, you start with the tag price, and then get a discount. But if the tag price is very high, after the discount you are paying more than you would online.

You can do a bit of work and research find the perfect styles online and end up paying a lot less for your glasses - and zero hidden fees. Also we offer Affirm loan services, and most doctors do not offer Affirm loan services.

Out of Network Benefits

Call your insurance company to find out how to use your out of network benefit for your eyeglasses purchase. Most vision insurance plans offered by insurance company have an out of network benefit. Eyeglasses.com does not have a California finance lender license; we are not lenders and the California finance lender license is only for financial lenders. Also we do not sell contacts, because contacts are a completely different type of vision aid.

There are many contacts stores online, and there is often an out of network policy covering contact lenses, whether you buy contact lenses from your eye health professional or from an online contact lenses company.

We do however offer a free shipping service on all our orders to most places in the United States. If you have special needs, just contact our customer service team for help. Sometimes you will be required to meet additional eligibility criteria to gain insurance eligibility. Be aware that these benefits cannot be used for plano (non-Rx) solstice sunglasses or Ray Bans.

For example if the valid date has expired, or, not kicked in yet, or the cash value of the policy is less than what you want to buy, or, if Ray Ban shapes are excluded from the plan. Sometimes Ray Bans are intentionally omitted from in-network benefits, but are included in out of network benefits. But fortunately lens upgrades are included, smart glasses are included (for everyone including California residents), and you can use OON benefits to gain exclusive savings: very often we offer exclusive savings and deals.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What brand sunglasses are best?

There is no "best" brand of sunglasses. But the most popular brands are Ray Ban, Oakley, Gucci, and Maui Jim.

How much do average sunglasses cost?

Branded sunglasses start at $50 and go over $1000. "Average" brands range in cost from $50 to $150 per pair of sunglasses.

What sunglasses look good on my face?

Sunglasses look good "when you love them". It is really a personal choice.

Are sunglass glasses worth it?

Rx sunglass lenses are worth it if you can afford them. They are more comfortable for many people than contact lenses.



Author of this article: 

Mark Agnew, AuthorMark Agnew
CEO of Eyeglasses.com, which he founded in 1999.  For over twenty years, he has educated consumers, improved their vision choices, and reduced costs in eyewear.  Mark authored The Eyeglasses Buying Guide, the most comprehensive and best-selling glasses buying guide in the world.

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