If you sell sunglasses – either through a brick-and-mortar outlet or online – you might have asked yourself on occasion just how they are made. This is a good question to ask, as it could be the deciding factor between the availability and price of designer sunglasses.
The truth of the matter is that sunglasses are not expensive to make. Even brand name sunglasses, their hefty price tag comes from the sheer prestige of the brand as well as the latest celebs who have been snapped wearing them on the red carpet.
Each part of a pair of sunglasses is made individually and then later assembled. This makes a lot of sense, seeing as sunglasses are composed of various quite different materials. There is glass (or specialized transparent plastic) for the lens, and metal or a different plastic for the frames.
There are bridges and nose pads, screws, hinges, and temples all of which make up a pair of shades. The important thing to remember for those selling sunglasses is that there can be a lot of variety in the materials used, each conferring different properties on the sunglasses.
Brand Name vs Bulk Sunglasses
As mentioned, there is rarely any essential difference between the material composition – metal, glass, and plastic – of a pair of brand name sunglasses compared to a pair of bulk-order designer sunglasses. For those selling sunglasses, the difference lies in their very different appeal.
Olympic Eyewear, a distributor of wholesale sunglasses, say that their pairs are frequently sold by the assorted batch. This means that, even though you are buying a single bulk order, there will be many styles – for both men and women – contained within.
Brand name sunglasses rarely sell well outside of official brand outlets or stores devoted to sunglasses alone. Bulk sunglasses, on the other hand, can be sold anywhere at all. They are often needed in a pinch or bought as an impulse buy.
The Major Parts of a Pair of Sunglasses
So, having established that how sunglasses are made is really not what accounts for the massive price difference between brand name and bulk sunglasses, it’s wise to take a look at the main parts of a typical pair of sunglasses, as how they are made actually has an impact on the price of bulk sunglasses. A pair of sunglasses is comprised of three main parts:
The Frame
The frame accounts for the entire pair of sunglasses besides the temples and the lenses. The frame is what decides the style of a pair of glasses, as the eyepiece shape is normally what defines the style. As well as the eyepiece frame, however, there is also the bridge, nose pad, and hinge as well. All these components are either made of plastic or metal, with plastic being somewhat cheaper. The nose pad, in particular, needs to be made of a soft, shock-absorbing material – this is essential for comfort.
Lenses
The lenses are usually what determines the functionality of a pair of sunglasses. There can be any number of tints, and there can be lenses that cancel out certain wavelengths of light, such as is the case with blue light-canceling glasses for working with screens. The color of the lenses will also have a large bearing on the style.
Temples
The temples are the part of the sunglasses which affix them to the wearer’s head. Generally, style is not so important here (although frames can be adorned with ornaments and the grips can vary in style and color).
And that’s what goes into a pair of sunglasses. It is important to know what you are selling.
