Ray-Ban Glasses Review: Everything You Need to Know

Ray-Ban is an iconic brand that’s been a favorite of people like John F. Kennedy, Tom Cruise, and Michael Jackson. At the height of the brand’s popularity, you could buy Ray-Ban sunglasses everywhere, including in grocery stores. A lot has changed since then.

Ray-Ban still provides sunglasses, including some of the shapes you’ve seen on the faces of famous people. You’re likely familiar with many of their famous frames. But the brand has also expanded into traditional eyeglasses. You can pop prescription lenses into their sunglasses too.

Here’s everything you need to know.

All About the Ray Ban Brand

The Ray-Ban brand has its roots in the 1930s. Pilots climbing to new heights with their sophisticated machines couldn’t see the controls in the bright sun with their old-fashioned goggles. Bausch + Lomb in New York came through with aviation sunglasses, and a brand was born.

Those sunglasses became fashion accessories in the 1950s when people like James Dean started wearing them in films and on the red carpet. As the demand for the products increased, the company responded by mass-producing them. Popularity declined.

In 1999, the Luxottica Group, an Italian eyewear brand, bought the brand. The company reengineered the products and pulled them from gas station kiosks and other low-tier spaces. Now, the glasses are more expensive, but they’re made of higher-quality materials too.

Ray-Ban partners with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to support vision products for people in third-world countries. If you buy Ray-Ban products, you’ll be encouraged to donate to this fund and make a difference for people in need.

Ray-Ban Eyeglasses

While many people are aware that the company provides sunglasses, they may not know that standard eyeglasses are available too. The Ray-Ban website has more than 250 frame options, and many come in multiple colors.

Consumers can buy the frames alone and fill them with lenses at their local optometrist. People hoping for blue light protection only can choose clear lenses.

Lens Choices

If you do have a prescription, multiple lens types are available, including the following:

Blue light filtering: With this lens type, you can protect your eyes from strain during screen use.
Transition: Lenses gradually change from light to dark, depending on ambient light. Complete UVA and UVB protection keeps your eyes protected from the sun’s harmful rays with these lenses as well. Blue light filters are included with these lenses too.
Superior: For an added fee, the parameters of the lens are specifically optimized to match your frames.
Thinning technology: People with higher prescriptions can choose from three different lens thicknesses, ensuring their glasses don’t get too heavy.
Smudging: All lenses come with anti-reflective treatments, but an added fee gives you protection from water and oil smudges too. This can be convenient, so you won’t have to worry about cleaning your lenses as often.

A case and cleaning cloth are provided with every purchase. Using them can ensure that you protect your investment and keep the glasses for long periods.

Ray-Ban Sunglasses

The Ray-Ban sunglasses you know and love are available online. The Ray-Ban website has more than 480 options available for both men and women. Many of them are available with a prescription. The same lens types available in eyeglasses are available here.

All sunglass lenses, whether they’re filled with prescription lenses or not, come with customization options. Your five options include the following:

Classic: Tint your lenses in green, brown, blue, or dark gray.
Gradient: Choose from 10 colors ranging from yellow to dark gray. Your lenses will be darker up top than they are at the bottom.
Mirrored and flash: Make your lenses really shine with metallic coatings in candy colors or rainbow stripes.
Evolve: Choose brightly colored lenses that darken or lighten automatically based on ambient light.
Polarized: A coating reduces reflection from water, metal, and other shiny surfaces. This is a good option if you’re often on the water or in the snow.

Some frames come with customized temple tips (the bit that curves around your ears to keep the glasses on) for an added bit of flair.

All sunglasses come with standard engraving, but for added fees, you can personalize the color and font of the message and add it to the included glasses case.

Where to Get Ray-Ban Products

While you can’t get Ray-Ban sunglasses in gas stations and supermarkets anymore, they are relatively easy to get from a range of sources.

The Ray-Ban website allows for easy ordering. Submit a prescription, make your lens and customization choices, enter your payment information, and the glasses are headed your way. Visit a Ray-Ban store or partner company (like LensCrafters) for a free fitting to ensure that they are working and fitting properly.

If you’re not 100% satisfied with your purchase within 45 days, you can send the eyeglasses back for a full refund.

If you’d like to see the glasses on your face before you buy them, you can use the store locator tool to find shops that sell only Ray-Ban products or that sell them alongside other brands for side-by-side comparisons.

Many ophthalmologists also sell Ray-Ban products. You could work with your eye doctor and fill the frames with the right lenses for your prescription. But return policies and procedures can vary according to specific offices.

Average Cost of Ray Ban Glasses

On the Ray-Ban website, frames range between $100 to $200. Sales are often available, so they can lower your costs. But know that Ray-Ban will encourage you to spend more.

At every stage of the online sales process, you’re encouraged to spend a little more money. The more you add coatings to your lenses, beef up your personalization, or attach snazzy cases, the more your final cost will rise.

You can use your insurance coverage to pay for your glasses, but examine your policy carefully. Some plans won’t cover things like lens coatings or other personalization options. And there’s usually a limit on the total cost they will cover, so you’ll have to pay the balance out of pocket.

Reviews: What Others Say About Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban has been a popular brand for decades, and there’s good reason for this. The glasses are well-made, and the customization allows you to build your glasses from the ground up, just the way you want them.

Recent reviews on the site Trustpilot are overwhelmingly positive, with customers praising the customer service and exceptionally speedy ordering process. Consumers who write negative reviews on this site are quickly contacted by company representatives who want to correct the mistake.

References

Ray-Ban Behind the Wayfarers: History, Philosophy, and Iconic Products. (November 2017). Heddels.

Getting to Know: Ray-Ban Sunglasses. (2016). Primer.

Onesight. Ray-Ban.

Eyeglasses. Ray-Ban.

Sunglasses. Ray-Ban.

Returns. Ray-Ban.

Store Locator. Ray-Ban.

Ray-Ban. Trustpilot.