Seams can be anywhere on a fake pair of Ray-Bans, but they’re especially likely to be on the places where the mold used to create the plastic closed — namely, the upper edges of the glasses above the lenses and the tops of the “arms” that rest on your ears.
Real Ray-Bans have metal support struts inside the “arms” that sit on your ears that are responsible for much of their weight. If you have a model with transparent arms (like, for instance, the Clubmaster Squares)[1] X Research source , you should be able to see this metal. If you can’t, you’ll know you’ve been wearing fakes.
If your lenses don’t feel like glass, don’t panic — some models of Ray-Bans have non-glass lenses but are still made from the highest quality materials. To be clear, perfectly clear, glass lenses are a sign that your glasses are probably real, but non-glass lenses don’t necessarily mean they aren’t.
Many — but not all — Ray-Bans have a distinctive metal hinge that contains seven interlocking metal “teeth”.
Seeing this is a good sign, but its absence shouldn’t be cause for concern, as other types of high-quality metal hinges are sometimes used (for instance, for Ray-Ban’s Aviators and Clubmasters).
Note, however, that some pre-2000 models may have a “BL” etching. This stands for “Bausch & Lomb,” the company that originally owned Ray-Ban. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to the Italian company Luxottica. [2] X Research source This new ownership is reflected on the labelling and packaging of modern Ray-Bans (see below).
You may also want to look for small “RB” logos embossed on the metal centers of the nose pads. These are included on many (but not all) Ray-Bans as a sign of quality.
Obviously, for Ray-Ban models with very thin temple “arms”, like Aviators, no logo is present.
If you still have your Ray-Bans’ original packaging, check to make sure the serial numbers on the glasses match the ones on the box’s label. If they don’t, this is a sure sign of foul play. Again, because the “arms” of Aviators are so thin, no text is present inside the arms of these models.
Model number: Starts with “RB” or “0RB”, followed by four numbers. Submodel number: Starts with a letter, followed by four numbers. Lens type code: One letter/one number combination (e. g. “2N”). Lens width (in millimeters): Two-digit number.
A sharp, shiny gold logo on the front left side. The logo should read “100% UV Protection - Ray-Ban - Sunglasses By Luxottica”. A Ray-Ban logo on the snap. Material that is textured (and feels like) real leather. A hard, protective front portion. Clean stitching.
Stains or signs of previous use Thin, coarse, or ratty texture Loose stitching Cheap-looking material
Missing or poorly-spelled text Off-center logo or starburst shape Glue under the sticker (it should attach via static, not like a conventional sticker)
If you live in the U. S. , note that you can use the store locator on the official Ray-Ban site to find licensed sellers near you. [4] X Research source
As an example of the sort of costs you can expect for new Ray-Bans, know that, within the Wayfarer group of models, new glasses can retail from about $60 to as high as $300. [5] X Research source
Fakes may not provide adequate protection from the sun’s UV rays. In fact, wearing sunglasses without UV protection can actually be worse for your eyes than wearing no sunglasses at all. [6] X Research source Fakes almost never come with warranties, so if they break (which is almost always more likely than with real Ray-Bans), you’re completely out of luck. Fakes may be made in factories or sweatshops that exploit their workers. Making a habit of buying fakes can be unwittingly supporting unfair labor practices in other parts of the world.
