When it comes to designer sunglasses, many people opt for cheaper sunglasses, thinking it’s better to buy several pairs of cheap frames, rather than shelling out potentially hundreds on big-name designer shades.
But does this make financial sense? Are expensive brands really worth the money, or should you opt for the much cheaper, non-branded frames available at most shops and pharmacies?
It’s easy to understand why people opt for the less expensive option, take Chanel, Tom Ford or Ray Ban sunglasses for example, they can cost well in excess of the 100 pound mark, whereas you can get 8-10 pairs of non-branded frames for that amount of money. So while the cheaper options seem to make much more sense initially, inexpensive glasses and sunglasses usually have lenses without appropriate scratch-resistant coatings, meaning they’re quickly scratched and become difficult to see through in no time. The expensive frames however have suitable coatings that mean the lenses last much, much longer (years in most cases). So over the course of 3 or 4 years, assuming you don’t lose them, the expensive sunglasses become much more cost effective than cheaper alternatives that constantly need to be replaced.
Similarly, many cheap frames will break or shatter easily, whereas the branded alternatives have much stronger frames, or specially designed materials that can stand up to the pressure of everyday wear.
It’s not just the quality of the frames however, as there are also serious health implications associated with cheap sunglasses that are not an issue with the more expensive, branded shades. Take any pair of sunglasses from one of the big names, and they will offer 100% UV protection, provide protection from intense light, offer glare reduction and eliminate specific frequencies of light that can blur or obscure your vision. This means you can rest assured that your eyes are being properly protected, whereas this guarantee simply can’t be attributed to most non-branded, inexpensive frames. Many will claim to offer UV protection, but they are not put through the same rigorous testing protocols as the more expensive pairs, meaning you can never be 100% sure that your vision is being protected effectively.
So next time you’re trying to decide between those expensive designer sunglasses and a pair of drug-store frames, put some thought into the long-term, and you may realise it makes more financial sense to opt for the seemingly expensive option.