There is usually a pair in a drawer. Scratched, pitted from a beach holiday, or short of a lens entirely after a fall. The frame is normally fine — Ray-Ban frames outlast their lenses by years — and a new pair of lenses puts them back in use for a fraction of what a replacement pair costs.
Here is what is available, what it costs, and how long it takes.
Are lenses still made for my frame?
If your Ray-Bans are under two years old, a like-for-like replacement is very likely. The newer the frame, the better the odds. Older than that and it depends on the model: the long-running shapes — Aviator, Wayfarer, New Wayfarer, Clubmaster, Justin — stay in production for decades and are rarely a problem. The seasonal and limited models are the ones that disappear.
Either way we check before you pay. Give us the model code, the colour code and the frame size at checkout and we order direct from Ray-Ban against those exact numbers. If you cannot find them, our guide to finding your Ray-Ban model number shows you where they are etched.
You are not limited to what your frame came with, either. Most models can be re-glazed in a different tint — plain, polarised, mirrored or light-reactive — so a pair of Aviators that started out green can come back polarised brown if that suits you better.
What you get
A matched pair of genuine Ray-Ban lenses, ordered from Ray-Ban against your frame's own codes. They carry the correct etchings: the white Ray-Ban or Ray-Ban P wordmark in the top corner of one lens, and the smaller engraved RB on the other. A certificate of authenticity from Luxottica comes with them. Everything we order from Ray-Ban is supplied through our authorised dealer account.
Those etchings are the quickest way to tell a genuine lens from a copy. If you are weighing up the alternatives, we have written about genuine against compatible lenses and where each one makes sense.
What they cost
- Non-polarised — £60
- Non-polarised with mirror — £70
- Polarised — £80
- Polarised, graduated — £90
- Polarised with mirror — £100
- Transitions — £100
Add £10 to any of those and we fit them for you.
How long it takes
Typically five to ten working days. We hold stock of the most common lenses — Aviator, Wayfarer and Clubmaster among them — so those often move faster. Anything ordered in from Ray-Ban runs to their lead time, and we will tell you if yours is going to be at the longer end.
Getting them fitted
Three ways, and none of them is wrong.
Fit them yourself. Free, and on an acetate frame it is genuinely straightforward. Metal frames need a precision screwdriver and a bit of patience. Our guide to replacing Ray-Ban lenses at home takes it model by model.
Send the frame to us. Ten pounds on top of the lens price. We fit them on the bench, check the alignment and send the frame back. Worth it if the frame is rimless, wrap-around, or old enough that you would rather not be the one flexing it.
Take them to an optician. A small independent will usually help for very little. We would pick one of those over a high street chain.
If Ray-Ban no longer make your lens
It is not the end of the frame. Where the original lens has been discontinued, a lens can be cut to the frame instead — it will not carry the Ray-Ban etchings, and it is not sold as genuine, but it fits properly and it is a great deal cheaper than giving up on the glasses. Send us the model code and we will tell you what we can do and what it will cost before you commit to anything.
The same goes for frames that are decades old. We have written separately about repairing discontinued and vintage Ray-Bans.
Can I have my prescription in them?
Yes, and that is a different lens with a page of its own: Ray-Ban prescription lenses, from £119.
They are genuine Ray-Ban Authentic single vision lenses, cut and glazed to the frame you already own, with 100% UV protection, a scratch-resistant hard coat and Ray-Ban anti-reflective included. Tell the page which Ray-Ban you have and it shows every lens Ray-Ban make for that exact model and size, then checks your prescription against them before you pay — so you are never sold a lens that cannot be made.
Benjamin Myers, a dispensing optician registered with the General Optical Council, checks the job against the frame itself before it goes to Ray-Ban. Single vision only for now, seven to ten days once the job is placed, and the same choice applies: fit them yourself, or send the frame in and we will fit them for £10.
While the frame is open
If the lenses have gone, the rubbers usually have too. We carry the rest of the frame as well — Ray-Ban replacement parts covers arms, nose pads, screws and temple tips. And if the frame itself needs work rather than just parts, that is our repair service.