Since introducing their first pair of sunglasses back in 1984, Oakley has pushed the perceived limitations by building some of the most technologically advanced glasses and sunglasses on the globe. But, despite the massive achievement, Oakley sunglasses have continued to face one huge setback—an increase in imitations and counterfeits. What this means is that it’s now easy to get fooled with a pair of offshore Oakley sunglasses. You, therefore, need to understand how to tell if Oakleys are real to avoid being fooled.
Although Oakley manufactures other products, their success in the sunglasses business has made them so popular, considering they’ve pocketed over 600 patents in sunglasses alone. I think the main reason why they’re the best in designing eyewear for sports and fashion is the fact that their initial sunglasses were intended for bikers.
Ever since, Oakley sunglasses have become the choice for celebrities, movie actors, and major athletes in mainstream sports such as tennis, cycling, swimming, and climbing among others. So, have you been facing problems distinguishing fake Oakleys from authentic ones? Well, this short guide is here to tell you everything you need to know.
Why Pick Oakley Sunglasses?
Now, in case you’ve bought a pair of Oakley sunglasses before, then this brand doesn’t need any formal introduction. However, if you’re a beginner hearing about Oakley for the first time, then it can be quite hard to differentiate real Oakleys from counterfeits.
For that reason, we’ve decided to dig a little into Oakley sunglasses to see why they’re the very best. This way, you’ll understand Oakley better and find it much easier to distinguish real Oakleys from fakes.
1. Integration of Smart Technologies
The first reason that will surely convince you to get a pair of Oakley sunglasses is the cutting-edge technology that has been implemented. Here, Oakley has been so precise in their engineering to maximize the performance of these sunglasses depending on the activity. So, two of the technologies Oakley has implemented on its line glasses, sunglasses and goggles include;
- Oakley PRISM Technology
Introduced back in 2014, PRISM lens technology is one of the cutting-edge features that have given Oakley sunglasses an “unfair advantage” over their rivals. Now, this technology wasn’t born overnight but rather took two decades to be fully implemented.
In this technology, Oakley engineers studied and measured different light wavelengths in various environments to see how they affect the human eye. From there, they developed a special dye that was used in the PRISM lenses.
This dye manipulated the light spectrum by filtering certain light wavelengths to make images appear sharper and more detailed for the human eye to see. Success in this technology has allowed Oakley sunglasses to be considered by most athletes across the various sporting categories.
- Oakley Polarized Technology
When it comes to outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, cycling, fishing, jogging, or playing tennis, one thing that’s likely to diminish the quality of your vision is the surface blinding nightmare known as glare.
Now, most brands that manufacture sunglasses for sports have managed to handle this issue quite well by using Polarized Technology in their lenses. Oakley, on their part, has taken this technology a little bit further by designing their lenses with additional powers to block nearly 99% of reflective glare.
2. HDO Lenses
When it comes to lenses, Oakley has not failed its customers at all. Here, they’ve used Plutonite as their proprietary lens material. This High-Grade Polycarbonate material is equipped with advanced features that have allowed these sunglasses to tick all the checkboxes. Some of the things you’ll enjoy with these lenses include;
- Unmatched Clarity
With the aid of High Definition Optics, these lenses can deliver clearer, sharper, and highly accurate images without sacrificing contrast. This makes them the best for cycling, driving, jogging, or playing tennis.
- UV Protection
Other than clarity, the patented Plutonite lenses used in Oakley sunglasses can filter 100% of UVA, UVB, UVC, and Blue light before they can damage your eyes. If left unfiltered, these rays can cause serious eye conditions such as cataracts and snow blindness.
- Impact Resistance
Again, the Plutonite lenses used on these sunglasses have special impact resistance that makes the shades drop-proof. So, in case these sunglasses fall accidentally, it will be extremely hard for them to crack or break.
- Hydrophobic Coating
Although this doesn’t apply to all Oakley sunglasses, some models have a unique hydrophobic coating that prevents dust and rainwater from accumulating on the lenses. In fact, this coating goes as far as preventing oils, lotions, greases, sweat, and fingerprints from building up on the lenses.
3. High-Quality Frame Material
When it comes to the frame, Oakley has invested heavily in a proprietary frame material known as O-Matter. First used on sports sunglasses, this material has now been implemented across all Oakley sunglasses thanks to its perfect blend of flexibility, strength, and lightweight.
In fact, this material has passed all ANSI vigorous tests for high-velocity impact. As a result, this has gifted Oakley frames a crucial safety compliance stamp, which means these sunglasses, can be used for all sporting activities.
How to Detect Fake Oakley Sunglasses
Having discussed everything you need to know about Oakley sunglasses, this guide will now head straight to our main topic, which is detecting fake Oakley sunglasses. So, if you’re ready, let’s begin.
- Step One: Evaluate the Craftsmanship
When it comes to the issue of how to spot fake Oakleys, the first thing you need to do is to evaluate the craftsmanship. In fact, this is what you always do when buying something new from the store right? When it comes to Oakleys, you need to take a closer look at the frame and the lenses to see the quality of the plastics, metals, and rubber used.
Hold the hinges and try to open/close them to see whether they’re buttery smooth. Next, hold the lenses and the temples to see whether they’re flimsy. You see, with most knock-offs, makers use bogus materials, and in most cases, they don’t pay attention to details since they don’t want to spend too much on costs.
- Step Two: Check the Finish
The second step of identifying real Oakleys from “Foakleys” is by inspecting the finish on the frame. Original Oakleys use an O-Matter plastic, which is a pre-dyed nylon material. This makes the color of the entire frame uniform from the temples, hinges, to the edges. In fact, if you happen to snap the frame in half, you’ll realize the color on the inside doesn’t differ from that on the outside.
However, this doesn’t happen to all Oakley sunglasses as some are made from designer materials such as metal. In such a case, you need to inspect the quality of the finish to ensure it’s tough enough to withstand normal wear.
But, when it comes to fake Oakleys, the dye on the frames lack that heavy-duty top coat making them appear cheap. Sometimes if you inspect the hinges and the edges, you might realize color chipping or flake off.
- Step Three: Inspect the Temples
The third step of confirming whether your new pair of Oakleys is real or fake is by inspecting the temples. Here, you’ll start by inspecting the frame very closely. Check the inside of the left temple to see whether it contains an SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) part number.
If you own a pair of sunglasses, the SKU part number will consist of two zeros, a dash followed by four digits then another dash followed by more digits [00-XXXX-XX]. In the case of eyeglasses, the SKU will be the same only that the first numbers will be zero followed by X [OX].
The reason why the SKU is important is to reveal the shades’ frame model, colorway, and size. Now, in case you’ve inspected the SKU number and you’re still not convinced, then you can simply Google the SKU number to see whether it’s authentic.
- Step Four: Inspect the Lens Clarity
Just as we discussed earlier, Oakley sunglasses feature the latest High Definition Optics (HDO) that improves the level of clarity while lowering blurriness and distortion.
So, if you happen to wear these sunglasses, you’ll realize the lenses give you a clearer view of the surrounding without magnifying or diminishing the size of the actual images. This is a clear indication that your Oakleys are made from original Plutonite material and are hence authentic.
- Step Five: Logo Placement
The next step of distinguishing fake Oakleys from real ones is the logo placement. If you happen to inspect real Oakleys, you’ll notice that the “O” logo on the frame is embedded. It’s actually made from a raised separate piece that has been recessed to the frame.
When it comes to fake Oakleys, you’ll realize two things. One, the “O” is actually a printing that gets off when scratched. Two, imitators sometimes fail to pay attention and end up misplacing the “O” logo. Therefore, to trap them, you need to Google images of the specific Oakleys model you’re buying to see where the “O” logo is located.
When it comes to the lenses, the same principle applies. Original Oakleys have words or patterns etched on the lenses depending on the model and the type of shades you’re getting. In the case of sunglasses, you’ll see words such as POLARIZED, PRISM, or PRISM P etched on the lens.
For prescription sunglasses, you’ll see an “O” etched on the lens with a laser. In all cases, these etchings will appear in capital letters on one side of the lens.
- Step Six: Rubber Material
A real pair of Oakleys will have a rubber material on the arms and nosepiece. This rubber material should be buttery soft, spongy, and very comfortable. If yours have rubber pieces that appear, hard and shiny like plastic, then it’s likely it’s a pair of “Foakleys”.
Conclusion
The Englishman once said, “There are many ways of catching a rat”. In today’s discussion, we’ve listed several steps you can use to detect fake Oakleys from original ones. Now, in case you’ve noticed, we’ve not mentioned the country of origin. That’s because Oakleys are no longer strictly made in the USA like they used to be.
Having opened factories around the globe, some Oakley models are assembled in the USA while others are assembled in China and other regions. But, other than that, anything else we’ve discussed is enough to distinguish real Oakleys from fakes.
So, whether you’re a beginner or someone who has bought fake Oakleys before, this guide has showered you with every bit of information regarding Oakleys.