About Designer Sunglasses

Oakley, for example, makes their sunglasses with polycarbonate, designed to protect the eye and add strength to the whole product. Other companies produce Oakley knock-offs made with similar products or, in many cases, the same products. For example, Adidas ski goggles use the same polycarbonate material as Oakley.

Oakley sunglasses, for instance, are famous for being as lucrative as possible with their expensive designer sunglasses. This leads to manufacturers around the world making fake Oakley shades and trying to pass them off as real ones. That's an interesting marketing tactic: knock-offs making money. Are the fake Oakleys comparable to the real Oakley sunglasses? Some of the fake Oakleys are made out of inferior products and not the traditional polycarbonate, but they still look like the real thing.

Different sunglasses have different purposes in mind, and that's important to remember when shopping for shades. Some designer sunglasses are intended to block out harmful sun rays, while others -- like Adidas ski goggles -- are designed to prevent harmful rays from bouncing off the ground and coming back through the bottoms of the shades. In some cases, having goggles is more beneficial, as many designer sunglasses cannot provide that protection. Also, knock-off manufacturers don't always put effort into the design and study the best vision protection from sun, wind and dust.

Gucci sunglasses, for example, don't offer much in terms of eye protection, like a pair of goggles or aviator sunglasses would. Gucci sunglasses exist primarily for product name and style -- offering a great-looking pair of sunglasses, without the protection of the less attractive pairs. The fine line between product effectiveness and safety versus fashion comes into question, here.

In terms of designer sunglasses, it is certainly a case of "buyer beware". Consumers must research the various brand-names to find a pair of designer sunglasses that will both appease and protect the eye. With designer sunglasses, various companies make claims that may not always match up to the product's bottom line, so the research can be tricky.