When it comes to purchasing sunglasses, it’s crucial to ensure that they are genuine. Counterfeit sunnies may not only fail to provide adequate protection for your eyes but can also pose various risks to your eye health.
To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of seven key factors to consider when determining the authenticity of sunglasses and lenses. By familiarizing yourself with these factors, you can confidently purchase sunnies that offer superior durability, and protection.
Choosing genuine sunglasses is essential for several reasons.
Firstly, authentic sunnies provide superior lenses that offer optimal protection against harmful UV rays, safeguarding your eyes from potential damage. The lenses in cheap or fake sunglasses often lack proper UV protection, putting your eyes at risk.
Secondly, genuine sunglasses are crafted with premium materials and superior construction, ensuring their durability and longevity. By investing in the real thing, you support ethical business practices and help combat the production and distribution of counterfeit goods.
Ultimately, choosing genuine sunglasses not only protects your eyes but also upholds the integrity of the eyewear industry, ensuring you receive a product that is worth your hard-earned money.
Spotting a fake pair just takes paying attention to the details. If you are planning to purchase or already purchased sunnies that you suspect may not be real, check out the following features.
One of the primary indicators of genuine glasses is branding. Genuine sunglasses, such as those from American Optical, prominently display their logo, brand name, and other identifiable marks on their frames, lenses, and cases.
Counterfeit or fake sunglasses often attempt to mimic these branding elements but may fall short in terms of accuracy.
Carefully examine the logo, font, and placement of the branding elements on designer sunglasses. Also check that the model number and frame size is consistent with the brand’s website or catalog.
Additionally, genuine frames often come with accompanying documentation, such as care guides or warranties, further reinforcing their legitimacy.
This can be an easy way to spot a fake. Genuine sunglasses are typically accompanied by well-designed packaging. This should include details such as the brand name, logo, and product information.
Counterfeit pairs may have a case that appears similar but lacks attention to detail. Look for signs of subpar printing, misspellings, or inconsistencies in model number, frame size measurements, color and design.
Genuine designer eyewear may also include accessories like branded microfiber cleaning cloths, protective cases, and product literature.
The clarity and durability of lenses are essential factors in determining the authenticity of sunglasses.
A genuine pair of sunglasses, like those from American Optical, utilizes lenses made from premium materials that offer excellent optical clarity and UV protection. American Optical lenses carry the etched AO logo on the left lens, and if they are polarized, that is etched on the right lens. AO offers glass and nylon lenses for the best clarity.
Genuine lenses often feature precise tinting, consistent color, and scratch-resistant coatings. To assess the caliber of lenses, examine them under different lighting conditions, double check for any distortions or imperfections, and verify the presence of a UV protection label or etching.
A durable pair of frames with proper construction is a crucial indicator of authenticity.
Designer brands prioritize the use of durable materials such as acetate and precious metals. These materials not only ensure longevity but also provide a comfortable fit.
Fake sunnies may employ inferior materials that can break easily or cause discomfort. Inspect the frames and lenses for sturdy construction, smooth finishes, and precise alignment.
Genuine or designer pairs often exhibit meticulous attention to detail in terms of design, symmetry, and overall craftsmanship.
The details in hinges, screws, and nose pads can reveal a lot about the authenticity of sunglasses.
A genuine pair features premium hardware with well-functioning hinges that allow smooth opening and closing without any squeaks or resistance. Genuine eyewear also use properly tightened screws that do not feel loose or wobbly and allow the frames to close effortlessly.
Nose pads in designer pairs are often made from soft and comfortable materials that provide a secure fit without causing irritation.
In contrast, counterfeit sunnies may have hinges that feel flimsy, screws loose or screws that are poorly fitted, or nose pads that are uncomfortable or substandard or of poor quality themselves.
Pricing or cost can be a valuable indicator of imitations when determining the authenticity of sunnies. While it’s tempting to purchase discounted sunnies, especially from unauthorized retailers or online marketplaces, it’s essential to exercise caution.
Significant price disparities compared to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) can be a red flag. Unrealistically low prices may indicate counterfeit products.
When purchasing eyewear, especially from reputable brands like American Optical, opt for authorized sellers and be mindful of deals that seem too good to be true.
Authentic shades often showcase a high level of attention to detail, which sets them apart from counterfeit counterparts.
Look for small yet significant details such as precise engravings, consistent coloration, and clean finishing. Genuine shades from reputable brands invest time and effort into ensuring every aspect of the product meets their quality standards.
By paying attention to these details, you can distinguish the real thing from counterfeit alternatives.
In conclusion, selecting authentic sunnies is paramount to protect your eyes and invest in a quality product.
Genuine shades, like the ones offered by American Optical, provide superior lens quality, durability, and UV protection. By considering factors such as branding, lens quality, materials, hardware, pricing, and attention to detail, you can confidently determine the authenticity of sunglasses.
Contact us if you have any questions or doubts about the authenticity of your AO sunglasses.
Are you importing sunglasses or eyewear into the European Union? Sunglasses and eyewear are considered to be personal protective equipment, and therefore are subject to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation.
Besides this, sunglasses and eyewear are subject to different regulations and standards to ensure the safety of the wearer, such as the REACH regulation.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) RegulationSunglasses and eyewear are categorized as personal protective equipment. As such, before placing these products on the EU market, it is mandatory to ensure compliance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation.
The Personal Protective Equipment Regulation covers many types of PPE, including eyewear.
We list below several types of sunglasses and eyewear covered by the regulation:
PPE products are divided into three categories.
Category I:
It includes PPE products that are intended to protect users from minimal risks, such as:
Category II
It includes risks other than those listed in Categories I and III.
Category III
It includes PPE products that protect from risks that may cause serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health. For example
Harmonised standards provide a presumption of conformity with the technical requirements of the regulations. Here are some standards relevant for sunglasses and other protective eyewear that are harmonised under the PPE Regulation:
a. EN ISO 12312 -1 – Eye and face protection – Sunglasses and related eyewear – Part 1: Sunglasses for general use
b. EN ISO 12312-2 – Eye and face protection – Sunglasses and related eyewear – Part 2: Filters for direct observation of the sun
c. EN 172 – Personal eye protection – Sunglare filters for industrial use
d. EN 174 – Personal eye-protection – Ski goggles for downhill skiing
e. EN 175 – Personal protection – Equipment for eye and face protection during welding and allied processes
You can learn more about harmonised standards in this guide.
Importers and manufacturers of PPE products are responsible for drafting the EU Declaration of Conformity, to declare that the eyewear product complies with the PPE Regulation. The following information should be included:
The technical documentation should be included, in addition to the DoC. It should include information such as:
a. A complete description of the PPE and of its intended use
b. Design drawings and schemes of the PPE
c. Inspection and examinations report that were carried out to verify the conformity of the PPE
d. Copy of the user instructions
Notices that it is not necessary to provide the technical documentation to the buyers. Importers and manufacturers are only responsible to share the technical file if requested by the relevant authorities.
By affixing the CE marking to a product, the manufacturer implies that the product complies with the requirements of all applicable CE marking directives and regulations.
The importer or manufacturer should affix the CE marking on the product (e.g. the internal part of the sunglasses frame) and the packaging.
Importers and manufacturers are required to ensure that their products can be traced by consumers and relevant authorities.
According to Article 8 “Obligations of manufacturers” of the PPE Regulation, you are required to place the following information onto your products (or onto their packaging, or accompanying document):
The above information must be clearly printed in a language that end-users, as well as market surveillance authorities, can easily understand.
PPE that is classified as Category II and III has to undergo a conformity assessment performed by a notified body.
A notified body is an organization designated by a country in the EU to assess whether certain products conform to relevant technical requirements and are safe to use, before they are placed on the market.
In particular, the notified body performs an EU type-examination by assessing the technical design of the product and verifying that it conforms to the requirements of the regulation.
The EU type-examination procedure is summarized as follows:
1. The importer or manufacturer applies for an EU type-examination
2. The notified body conducts the EU type-examination
3. The notified body produces an evaluation report and an EU type-examination certificate
Notified body identification number
Additionally, for products that are classified under category III, the CE marking should be followed by the identification number of the notified body that performed the procedure set in Annex VII or Annex VIII of the directive.
The CE marking might also be followed by a pictogram that represents the risks for which the PPE is designed to protect the user.
Lab testing is often the only way to ensure that your product complies with relevant requirements. The tests depend on the product and might concern:
Here we listed several laboratories that can help with the PPE testing:
REACH is a regulation that prevents excessive amounts of harmful chemicals from entering the environment and causing health issues. Chemicals restricted under REACH can be found in many everyday items, such as plastic eyewear frames and lenses.
The REACH regulation was put in place to prevent chemicals and articles containing chemicals from causing health and environment-related risks as much as possible.
REACH applies to most consumer products, such as:
Eyewear, including sunglasses, may contain plastic, coatings, and other materials that may contain several REACH-restricted substances. They include:
For example, under Annex XVII of REACH, the amount of certain phthalates should not exceed 0.1% in total weight. This includes the following:
Importers and manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products, including eyewear, can be sold and safely used by consumers. As such, it is important that they send their products for testing to make sure that their products do not contain any REACH-restricted substances above the prescribed limits.
Packaging & Packaging Waste DirectiveThe Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive aims at enforcing rules on managing not just packaging design but also packaging waste. Their overarching idea is to cut down on packaging waste as much as possible, and when unavoidable, help implement ways to collect and recycle it. The directive also sets restrictions on the amount of heavy metals that might be contained in packaging materials.
The directive aims to:
a. Harmonize national measures related to packaging and managing packaging waste
b. Provide protection of the environment on as high a level as possible, including setting limits for heavy metals
c. Prevent packaging waste from being produced
d. Promote recycling, reusing, and recovering of packaging waste instead of letting it be simply thrown away.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste directive covers all kinds of packaging, including packaging for eyewear made on:
Article 11 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive states that members of the EU have to make sure that heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium) in the packaging or its components do not exceed specified levels.
We list the levels to which the aforementioned heavy metals are restricted, below:
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive also aims to meet recycling targets of various recyclable materials by 2025 and 2030, respectively. We list them below.
2025 Targets 2030 Targets All packaging 65% 70% Plastic 50% 55% Wood 25% 30% Ferrous metals 70% 80% Aluminum 50% 60% Glass 70% 75% Paper and cardboard 75% 85%The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive has set EPR requirements that EU members have to comply with before December 2024.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a type of policy that makes importers and manufacturers responsible for what happens to a product after it reaches the consumers.
For example, if a consumer decides to discard the packaging of his or her sunglasses, under the EPR framework importers and manufacturers are responsible for collecting and recycling it.
In order to do so, companies can sign an agreement with an EPR organization (e.g. Der Grüne Punkt in Germany), and pay a fee to the organization, which will then collect, dispose and recycle the packaging on behalf of the company.
FAQWhile the PPE directive often refers to the manufacturer, the importer is considered the ‘legal manufacturer’ if the goods are imported from outside the EU. For example, if you import sunglasses or other eyewear from China, it’s up to you to implement the compliance process:
1. Book lab testing
2. Create label files
3. Create the Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
4. Create the technical file
Importing and selling non-compliant sunglasses and other eyewear is illegal, and can result in the goods being confiscated by the customs authorities, or subject to a recall by national market surveillance authorities.
We recommend that you purchase PPE compliant lenses from established brands, such as Carl Zeiss. European and American lens brands are widely available in China and other manufacturing countries – making it easy for you or your supplier to procure compliant lenses.
The other alternative is to procure Noname lenses from smaller OEM factories. That said, such suppliers can rarely provide test reports, which therefore requires that you book and pay for the necessary lab tests.
Further, far from all lenses are made to comply with the PPE directive.
Yes, the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation is a CE Marking Regulation.