Designer Prescription Sunglasses: Setting the Standard for Quality

The FramesDirect.com quality standard begins when we select only the best prescription sunglasses to feature on our site. Our demanding RX sunglass frame evaluation process has several steps. We only consider sun frames that are well designed and that will please the customer with both comfort and style.

In addition, all of our prescription sunwear products follow best practice manufacturing standards. We want to make sure that the products we sell are well made and are durable enough to meet our one-year manufacturer's warranty.

We keep up with advances in lens technology and always strive to offer our customers the best. For this reason, we use only the highest-caliber lens materials and hand select all of the popular lens coatings to ensure they are the best quality.

When you order prescription sunglasses online from FramesDirect.com, one of our expert opticians will personally evaluate and review your prescription before sending your order to the lab for processing. If we notice a potential problem with your order -- such as an incorrectly entered prescription or a frame style on back order -- our certified opticians will personally call you to answer any questions and confirm the details of your sunglass prescription.

Buying prescription sunglasses online is easier than you may think. If you have any questions about your prescription or need help choosing your sunglass frames, please do not hesitate contact us at any time at 1-800-248-9427, and a certified optician will help you with your prescription sunglass order.

FramesDirect.com has some of the highest standards in the eyewear industry. We back up our quality-first philosophy by:

• Inspecting your frames for defects before sending them to our lab
• Making sure the prescription sunglass frames that come from the manufacturer match the frames you ordered
• Double-checking your sunglass prescription again at the lab site
• Confirming that your sunglass lenses are correct at each step of the creation process
• Reviewing your frames one more time once the prescription sunglass lenses are added to check for cleanliness, proper lens fit, and scratches

All of the prescription sunwear we carry come with a 12-month manufacturer warranty. What does this mean to you, the prescription sunglass wearer? If a nasal pad prong breaks or a lens coating peels, FramesDirect.com will repair or replace your prescription sun frames or lenses for free under the warranty.

The History of Prescription Sunglasses

Sunglasses have a long and varied history. According to the site Glasses History, "the earliest historical reference to sunglasses dates back to ancient Rome. The Roman emperor Nero watched gladiator fights through polished gems." All the better to see the brutal action.

We know that people wore dark glasses in China in the 12th century. These early shades simply had flat panes of smoky quartz for the lenses. Their main benefit was to protect the eyes from the sun's glare, though judges in Chinese courts also wore these dark glasses to hide their facial expressions whenever they questioned a witness.

In 1752, James Ayscough started experimenting with tinted lenses. He hypothesized that blue or green tinted glass might help correct some vision problems in his customers.

In the next century, brown and amber tints were prescribed for people with syphilis. (One of the symptoms of syphilis is sensitivity to light.) Still, these weren't proper "sunglasses" as we know them today, because they did nothing to protect eyes from UV rays; nor did they correct refractive errors, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Finally, in 1913, Sir William Crookes of England created the first UV-protective sunglasses. Sir Crookes invented a lens that could absorb ultraviolet and infrared light -- and the modern sunglass was born, although not yet available with prescription lenses.

When World War II began in 1939, there was an increased demand for practical and functional sunglasses for military soldiers and pilots. Because of this upturn in production and the "cool" factor of pilots, manufacturers began to market sunglasses to the everyday consumer.

Eventually, prescription sunglasses with both UV protection and corrective tinted lenses became available to everyone in almost every shape, color, and style imaginable.

Why Do We Need to Wear Prescription Sunglasses?

The sun's rays, though beautiful and warming, can also be harmful to your skin and your eyes. Not only can the rays lead to eye disease, but the sun's glare can also cause distractions while driving, working, and participating in sports. Along with sunscreen, prescription sunglasses are the most vital element for shielding yourself from the sun.

Recently, The Vision Council published a report that examined sunglass and prescription sunglass use in adults and children in the United States. The study found that even though individuals know they should be wearing sunwear to protect their eyes from UV rays, they often don't remember their prescription sunnies, lose or break them, or neglect to wear them for other reasons.

The Vision Council also found that parents were neglecting to put eye protection on their children: "Over half of parents do not utilize sunglasses to protect their children's eyes from UV exposure, opening the door for life-long damage."

Many people do not know what they are risking. While short-term exposure to these UV rays can leave you with swollen or light-sensitive eyes, or even the temporary condition of sun blindness, it's the long-term damage that opticians now worry about.

Although they are invisible to our naked eye, the sun's rays carry UV radiation to the earth in two forms, UVA and UVB. UVA accounts for 95% of the rays, while UVB is more likely to break through the atmosphere on cloudy days.

When the UV rays reach us, they are mostly absorbed by the eye's cornea -- the top, transparent surface of the eye. Repeated exposure to damaging UV rays can result in eye problems such as photokeratitis, pterygium, cataracts, macular degeneration, and cancer of the eye, eyelid, or surrounding skin.

But there is one easy step you can take to fend off potential damage: wear your prescription sunglasses everywhere, every time you go outdoors.

Shopping for Prescription Sunglasses Online

Today, shopping for prescription sunglasses online is easier than ever at FramesDirect.com. The first step is to determine your frame size, which has three components: eye size, bridge size, and temple size. Our Frame Size Guide offers several ways to figure out your frame size, including using your current pair of prescription sunglasses or sending us a picture of your face to have your size measured for you. Poor fit is the number one reason that people return online prescription sunglasses orders, so be sure you know what size you need before you start adding items to your cart.

Once you know your frame size, you can start to consider style. The FramesDirect.com filters on the left-hand side of the prescription sunglasses page let you filter frames by styles, such as classic, cool/trendy, hipster, nerdy, retro/vintage, sporty, stylish designer, or unique. Alternatively, you can sort by use, including sports, driving, or fashion. Narrow down your choices by entering your prescription information so that the page only displays sunglasses that will work with your prescription.

If you need further help narrowing down your choices, we suggest reviewing our Face Shape Guide to determine which style of RX sunglass frames will work best with your face. To help you make your final decision, you can try on sunglasses virtually by uploading a photo of your face to the FramesDirect.com Virtual Try-On tool.

After you've selected the designer style you want, sending us your prescription information is quick and easy. If you don't feel comfortable entering your vision prescription information yourself, you can simply send us a fax, scan, or picture (yes, camera phone pictures are fine) of your sunglasses prescription. From there, our trained customer service representatives -- who are also certified opticians -- will enter your prescription information for you.

Sunglasses Prescriptions & Lens Materials

Different eyes call for different prescriptions, and for either single-vision lenses or multi-focal lenses, which includes bi-focals, tri-focals, and progressive lenses.

The lens material can also vary in prescription sunglasses. Plastic lenses are the most common and the least expensive. These prescription sunglasses lenses can be used by people who need sunglasses with light prescriptions, which range from no correction to +/-1.75.

Polycarbonate is a type of impact-resistant lens material. It is suggested for children, athletes, and people who engage in very active sports, such as skiing or snowboarding. This is the best choice for sunglass prescriptions up to +/- 4.00.

Finally, high-index 1.67 is the thinnest and lightest of all the prescription sunglass lens materials. High index lenses are for people with stronger sunglass prescriptions, and people who want thinner lenses for both style and comfort.

There are also different tints available that can enhance contrast and depth perception while also reducing eye fatigue. The Optician's Handbook wrote about lens tint in its 20/20 Magazine, saying that not one color tint fits all prescription sunglasses wearers. Instead, "different lens filters can be tailored to enhance the visibility for selected activities, such as golf, tennis, clay shooting, or even computer usage." As new research appears documenting the negative effect of the blue light coming from computer screens, there may be an increased call for a yellow lens.

Modern RX Sunglasses Choices

At FramesDirect.com, you can find a wide variety of designer styles for prescription sunglasses, including cat-eye frames, aviators, wayfarers, wrap-arounds, and even prescription goggles. The prescription sunglass frames come in traditional colors such as black, brown, and tortoise shell, but also modern colors like turquoise and cerulean and canary yellow. You can also choose from single- or double-bridge prescription shades and a variety of lens colors and gradients.

Even the frame material for prescription sunglasses is modern at FramesDirect.com. Aside from the traditional metal/titanium and plastic/acetate frame materials, eco-friendly sunglasses frame materials are now available, including plastics made from sustainable sources, like oil from castor beans.

Easy to Order Prescription Sunglasses Online

FramesDirect.com carries the biggest and best selection of corrective designer sunglasses available online. You can search through hundreds of the top designer styles online to find the perfect prescription sunglasses for your face and your personality.

If you are not 100% satisfied with your prescription sunglasses, FramesDirect.com offers a 30-day exchange and return policy from the day you receive your order. Additionally, our price-match guarantee will ease your mind that you are getting the best prescription shades at the best price.

We are an authorized dealer for all of our premium brands, which means we only carry authentic designer frames. Furthermore, as the leading prescription lens experts, we offer a 100% prescription lens accuracy guarantee. Finally, FramesDirect.com offers free domestic shipping on all prescription sunglasses orders.

Still have questions about ordering prescription sunglasses online? Don't hesitate to call 1-800-248-9427 to have one of the FramesDirect.com certified opticians help you with placing your prescription sunglass order.