The Best Wayfarer Sunglasses And 4 Affordable Alternatives

Augmented reality features, which let you overlay digital content on top of the real world, are notably absent. You don’t see anything different when you look through them. I took the glasses for a spin on a nine-mile bike ride in Yosemite National Park where I found them useful for snapping pictures. Riding through the valley, there were moments where the trees would open up and reveal incredible views of the granite cliffs. Without the glasses, trying to shoot photos or videos of the views with my phone would have required that I ride dangerously while pulling out my phone, or that I slow down my entire group and stop to take pics.

Whether you’re spending the day at a music festival or on the back nine, Ray-Ban lenses will give you the clarity and protection your eyes need. Whichever lens you choose, you’ll enjoy 100% UVA and UVB protection in your Wayfarers. Grey shades offer true color perception, while the brown tinted lenses improve contrast and image resolution. For a truly distinctive look, choose lenses with gradient tint or mirrored coating. With so many options to personalize your Wayfarers, today you can find a pair to uniquely complement your face shape, as well as the color and tone of your skin, hair and eyes.

Estimate the monthly payment amount of a purchase using our easy Payment Calculator. Simply enter the purchase amount, select the desired period, then calculate. Over the years Ray-Ban Wayfarers have waxed and waned in popularity. When the oversized glasses of the ’70s came into fashion, the Wayfarer seemed but a quaint relic of the ’50s and ’60s. Make sure the information you entered matched your insurance details. Specially cut and shaped to fit perfectly with your Ray-Ban frames.

You can find the acetate Wolcott sunglasses from your local optician. This is the modern classic, and we say that because unlike the pre-1990 ones, they are made from injection molded plastic and not acetate. You cannot find the original Wayfarers new and in-store any longer unless you shop at a vintage store. They feature the original slanted frames that tilt away from the face for a look worthy of the Blues Brothers. Black was one of the original colors this frame came in, however the adage that black goes with everything simply isn’t true. Black can be a very harsh sunglass color relative to the skin tone, so fair or medium skin tones should avoid it.

The Wayfarer shape has been revisited with lower lenses than the Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer. The nylon frame comes in different shades, including translucent associations for the back and matte for the front. So, while paying homage to an iconic brand that dominated eyewear style for a whole generation, the Ray-Ban New Wayfarer sunglasses adopt the best of the old and add a cool, trendier, forward-looking dimension. If you’re looking for a pair of Ray-Bans with prescription lenses, you may also be able to receive reimbursement from your insurance company. Both Ray-Ban and retailers like GlassesUSA accept several types of insurance plans. Style and beauty editor Ashley Phillips is also a fan of the Round Metal sunglasses.

ray ban wayfarer sunglasses

Wayfarers are very versatile and can be worn at the beach with your swimsuit or for a walk downtown in a pair of chinos and a polo shirt. They can even be worn with business attire when done so properly. The true benefit to a pair of Wayfarers over a pair of wrap-arounds is that they go with far more outfit choices and can easily be an everyday ray ban caravan pair you keep in the car. However, they can look rather rakish if you’re wearing them with business wear outside the office. These glasses were a gift for my niece and she loves them. Barry focuses on conducting research in the eyewear industry and delivering the content you need to make informed decisions regarding your vision.

In line with the mid-century modern movement, they were quite popular in the beginning and appeared to be gaining traction through the 1950s and 1960s. They were quickly adopted by other style icons of the era, which increased their popularity further. At the same time, the frame shape was constantly evolving and different manufacturers picked up the style. Arguably, the Wayfarer is the most popular style of sunglasses sold around the world today. The favorite frames of JFK, Bob Dylan, and Andy Warhol, they cut across professional, style and cultural lines with ease to remain one of the most flattering and versatile sunglass shapes out there.

Snapchat’s Spectacles are now in their third generation, with improvements each time, yet they’ve failed to catch the imagination of the target market. The company took a $40m write-down on the value of unsold inventory in 2017. SmartBuyGlasses™ is a leading independent retailer of the world’s best designer eyewear since 2006 and is not owned by or affiliated with the brands it sells unless stated otherwise. All trademarks and brand names shown on our pages are the property of their respective companies which retain all rights.

In just over half a decade, the sunglasses notably appeared in more than 60 pictures. By 1983, the year in which another iconic Wayfarer film, Risky Business, came out, Ray-Ban had sold 300,000 pairs. However, by the 70s, wayfarers were rapidly fading and sales declined so drastically that Ray-Ban was ready to cease production. Sometime in the following 10 years, Wayfarers began to quietly evolve in shape. Then, in 1981, the film The Blues Brothers came out and featured an ensemble cast that wore the Ray-Ban Wayfarers prominently throughout the film.

“I like how these have a cool retro feel, but at the same time they go with basically everything. And even though the wire frame looks delicate, I’ve owned this pair for years and it’s still in great shape.” Of course, nice lenses need to be complemented by equally nice frames, ray ban caravan and luckily, Ray-Ban has those, too. You can find high-quality metal and acetate options in small, standard, or large sizes to get the perfect fit. A majority of Ray-Ban customers go for the standard size, but if you’re on the fence, you can check out the brand’s size guide.