I have to admit that I’m probably not the target audience for the sunglass market. I’m among that 40% of those who wear sunglasses for the health benefits and not the 20% who don’t think they’re important. In 2012, the vision care market generated $34.54 billion, and a lot of that cash was spent on fashion glasses that do very little for blocking UV rays. I’m an older guy, and I’ve had the same Ray Bans for 20 years. They’re out of style, but I don’t care. They fit, they work, they protect my eyes, and I like them.
Keeping the same pair of sunglasses for 20 years doesn’t happen by accident. I’ve been through a lot with these silly pieces of plastic, and I’ve repaired them on more than one occasion. Today, I’m going to walk you through that process from how to measure Ray Ban lens size to installing new lenses.
Here’s the problem with Ray Ban lens replacement on 20-year-old glasses. They don’t make these lenses anymore. Early on, I used branded Ray Ban replacement lenses, which was fine, but that’s not an option anymore, so I use another company that sells custom aftermarket lenses. You can send your frames in for new lenses or they can mail the replacement sunglass lenses to you so you can replace them yourself. Now that I know how to replace sunglass lenses, I just do that.
How to Measure Ray Ban Lens Size
Usually when you ask how to measure Ray Ban lens size, they tell you just to look at the model online, but I guess they aren’t usually counting on old men like me who bought their sunglasses before they even had dial-up. Measure across the widest part of your lenses, accounting for the little bit that might be hidden under the frames. Mine are 60 mm wide. It’s long-gone now, but my sunglasses used to have a little text printed inside one of the arms that listed the lens width.
How to Install New Lenses
I’ve heard that it’s much harder to install lenses into plastic frames than into metal ones, and I believe it. Fortunately, I have aviators that are pretty simple to navigate. Just turn your sunglasses over and loosen the screw holding the frames together. I don’t recommend removing it, as I’ve been known to misplace it in the past. Loosening it should be enough to remove the old lens and align the new one. Once it’s properly inserted, just tighten up the screw, and you’re all done.
Maybe I’m crazy for holding onto these sunglasses for so many years, but I’m not too worried about it. I’ve managed to keep them in decent shape, and they’ve managed to keep my eyes in decent shape, so I guess it’s not worth moving on yet.