Designer sunglasses- most people love them. A lot of people own a pair but an unfortunate proportion cannot afford them. Hence the rise in fake and imitation designer sunglasses. Unscrupulous individuals (opportunist's maybe?) saw this gap in the market and exploited it to the full, producing inexpensive alternatives that everybody could afford. And here, you see, lies the problem. Inexpensive, cheap, affordable- unfortunately, this affordability comes at the expense of quality.

Next time you go hunting for a pair of fake or imitation designer sunglasses, with famous company brand names blatantly emblazoned all over them (which, by the way, is illegal), think about the health implications. And by health implications we mean, of course, your eye health.

The main overriding function of a pair of sunglasses is to reduce the amount of bright light or glare and therefore the amounts of harmful ultra violet rays from entering our eyes. UV protection is paramount as these rays have the capability of doing serious damage to the eyes. They can cause a condition known as photokeratitis which can lead to, among other things, cataracts.

Fake sunglasses also have a tendency of falling apart very easily- usually at the most inopportune of times. Not at all what you're looking for when you're out and about acting 'cool' in your 'designer' shades.

Most of these fake sunglasses are sold at prices that suggest they are indeed fake. But how would you spot fake sunglasses that are trying to be passed off as the original version? A big giveaway would be the fact that they are sold unpackaged or in flimsy packaging that is unmarked. The hinges are always a good way of testing as they will be far inferior to the originals. But probably the biggest giveaway of all would be the fact that the names on the fake sunglasses are easily scratched off.

So next time you need to buy a pair of sunglasses, but opt to purchase a fake pair, take a minute to make sure you are aware of the implications, both for your eyes and morally.


For an unbeatable range of authentic designer sunglasses for both adults and kids, visit our website at The Black Rhino. We stock sunglasses from all the major brands including Oakley, D&G, Prada and VZ.

Tags: gap, affordability, tendency, capability, original version, proportion, brand names, uv protection, glare, hinges, eye health, cataracts, unscrupulous individuals, opportunist, ultra violet rays, health implications