If you’re anything like me, you’ve broken a pair of sunglasses or two. I can’t explain why or how. They go into my purse and they come out cracked and scratched. It’s like there’s a small family of vicious porcupines that only appears when my purse is zipped shut. Whoever they are, they’ve certainly caused me a little frustration over the years and cost me a fair bit of money in replacement sunglasses.
Fortunately, I recently discovered that busted up sunglasses don’t necessarily have to be replaced. In fact, they just need a good pair of replacement sunglass lenses. I’m not going to tell you just how many times I’ve had to replace sunglass lenses, but I am going to share a little of my sunglass lenses replacement experience with you. It is without further ado that I present to you, How to Replace Sunglass Lenses, by somebody who knows.
How to Replace Sunglass Lenses in Plastic Frames
Let’s get this one out of the way quickly, because it’s definitely the more difficult of the two processes. I recommend soaking your glasses in warm soapy water for about 30 seconds before you start trying to extricate the old lenses. It seems tempting to soak them longer, but that doesn’t seem to help. After they’ve been soaked, try pushing the lenses out through the front of the frames. If you’re really unable to get them free, try using a small hammer to break the lens.
The tricky part is installing the replacement lenses. Align them on the top first, and then try snapping them in place, working in a circular motion around the outside of the lens. Once you think everything is in place, take a second to confirm that the lens is properly aligned.
How to Replace Sunglass Lenses in Metal Frames
This is seriously lightyears easier than replacing the lenses in plastic frames. Look for the screw on the underside of the joint where your frames and arms connect. Loosen it up so that the frames have a little give to them. I don’t recommend removing it all the way, since those screws are so easy to lose. Loosening it up should make it pretty easy for you to wiggle out the old lenses, anyway, so save yourself the hassle. Once you’ve taken out the old lens, align the new one, squeeze the frame so that it’s also aligned correctly, and tighten the screw back up.
If you’re not sure that you can handle the responsibility of replacing your own lenses, some aftermarket providers will let you send in your glasses so they can install new lenses for you. It does cost more, but some people feel that it’s worth the trouble, especially for plastic frames.
Replacement sunglass lenses have certainly helped me out on more than a few occasions, and I’ve even gotten to a point where I keep a set of polarized lenses around that I can swap in for long drives. I’m always surprised that more people don’t use replacement lenses, but I’m sure the word will get out soon. They’re definitely worth it!