This document provides an overview of important considerations for choosing a fit-over sunglass. It discusses how fit-over eyewear is different from conventional sunglasses in that function is prioritized over fashion. The frame material and design are essential, with malleability and an undercarriage being key characteristics. A soft, flexible material is important for comfort of the "ride" when worn over prescription glasses. The document aims to educate consumers and eyecare professionals on evaluating fit-over sunglasses based on performance characteristics rather than superficial attributes.

1. Skin Deep
Fit-over Eyewear: Flash versus Function
Kieran Hardy, Live Eyewear Inc.
December 2010 | WP-011212
The evaluation process of fit-over eyewear is unlike that for fashion or sport
sunglasses. This document identifies the most common misconceptions consumers
have regarding the fit-over category. Eyecare professionals that have a general
understanding of fit-over eyewear are able to help their patients make decisions that
are dictated by sound reason instead of superficial appeal. Consumers who are
educated as to the differences between conventional and fit-over sunglasses can
often make better purchasing decisions. This document can serve both parties.

2. Fit-over Eyewear: Flash versus Function
The “fit-over” sunglass. It’s a curious combination of
the obvious and the obscure. A straightforward
concept that’s easily grasped. One that needs little or
no explanation. As prevalent today as they were in the
nineteenth century, fit-overs continue to be a practical
sunwear solution for those that wear glasses.
There’s more fit-over sunglasses purchased annually
than photochromic lenses and prescription sunglasses
combined. Despite this, there’s not really that much
information available about the overall category. What
little there is happens to be published by the
companies that make fit-over sunglasses. That type of
information is brand specific. The main purpose of it is
to assure the reader that that particular brand is the
best. It’s the right choice. It’s the finest product of its
sort.
That’s marketing. Hype. Propaganda. Puffery. If you
don’t really know much about the general fit-over
category it’s going to be a challenge discerning fact
from fiction. It’s difficult to isolate what’s absolutely
essential. What’s preferred. What’s trifling.
In 1613, poet Thomas Overbury wrote “All the carnal
beauty of my wife, is but skin deep.” What his wife
thought about this isn’t recorded. Overbury’s intent
was to persuade a friend, who was infatuated with a
“lady of ill-repute”, to look past her physical beauty and
instead examine her character before rushing into
marriage.
This paper has a similar objective. Unlike conventional
sunglasses, fit-over sunwear isn’t purchased as a
fashion accessory. The principal buying motivation for
a fit-over isn’t style or panache. It’s function and
intrinsic worth.
A good fit-over has character. And character is
something that can’t be seen on the outside. You have
Vistana (circ. 2006)
to look a little deeper.
World’s first wrap fit-over
2. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

3. Admission
It should be recognized that although I believe I’m
giving you an unbiased examination of the fit-over
class of eyewear, I’m not an impartial third party.
Having been involved with the fit-over industry since
the 1990’s, I’ve been fortunate enough to have
participated in the product’s progression from a ten
dollar corner drug store item to a professional grade
device customarily dispensed by highly trained
eyecare professionals.
I consider Cocoons (my company’s product) to be the
®
finest fit-over sunglass in the world. That’s my opinion
and it’s subjective. What isn’t debatable is that Live
Eyewear has been responsible for the majority of
innovations in the fit-over arena. We were the first to
produce professional grade fit-overs, we pioneered full
wrap and side shield-less designs and we continue to
obsolete our own market leading product line with new
designs infused with more innovations.
Throughout this paper I’ll use Cocoons fit-over
sunglasses as an example or reference point. It could
be said that’s not objective. The fact is there are facets
of fit-over sunglass design that I know to be important.
There’s are also features of some fit-overs that are
completely contrived. This papers purpose is to
educate you on what to look for when evaluating a fit-
over sunglass. And how to identify aspects that are
nothing more than “creative salesmanship”. Cocoons
are the product I feel most comfortable using as an
example as I know what they can do and how it’s
done. And I know what they don’t do and why.
It would be anomalous of me if I didn't believe
Cocoons are the quintessential product to use as a
case in point. However, I’ll make every effort not do so
as much as possible. I won’t identify or be detrimental
Mike Iaconelli – Cocoons Pro Staff
to any other specific brand. 2001 Bass Master Champion
3. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

4. The Expedition
Recently, I needed to find some material related to fit-over sunglasses from the mid ‘90’s. I was searching for
articles, white papers, medical journals or advertisements that were specifically about fit-over sunglasses. I
wasn’t expecting to find much. Fit-overs may be the center of my universe but for most people they’re not. But I
was pleasantly surprised. Fit-overs were written about quite prolifically throughout the 1990’s. I found countless
articles, reviews and advertisements in newspapers, magazines and every other type of media imaginable.
As I went about gathering the various specimens, I started to come upon materials from the 1980’s. Scientists
were using fit-overs in low vision research. Retailers were advertising them. People who had lost a pair had
placed notices in newspaper ‘lost and found’ sections of their local newspaper. I even found them mentioned in
fictional novels. As I continued to search I found instances from the 1970’s. Then the 60’s. The 50’s. I
eventually found myself reviewing materials from the 1800’s. Not only did the prevalence of fit-over sunglasses
remain constant, the further I went back the more the frequency increased. I assume that there was a time
when a fit-over was one of the few, if not the only solution available to the bespectacled.
I found it intriguing to observe the continual evolution, the arrival of new technologies and the ever increasing
price of a fit-over. One of the things that most struck me was the gradual drifting away from a focus on the
function towards an emphasis on fashion. Nowadays fit-over manufacturers know the best way to increase
their market share is to tout their styling, elegance and colors.
And they’re right. Fit-overs have been around for so long
that most people think a fit-over is a fit-over. They all do
the same thing. So why not buy the one that looks the
best. The most stylish. The coolest coloring.
By diverting attention towards fashion, features and
performance become secondary. There’s virtually no cost
to painting glasses. Updating technology and completely
revising designs to improve performance is expensive.
Eyecare professional are charged with providing
guidance. Patients are expecting the best in care. They
want professional product expertise and opinion. If they
didn’t, they’d be shopping at the closest mass merchant or
drug store.
I hope that this paper helps both the buyer and the seller.
Advertisement for fitovers
Piqua Daily Call – Jun. 28, 1935
4. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

5. The Frame Design
Evaluating a fit-over begins with the frame. There’s two elements of a fit-over chassis that
Think of it as a chassis that everything is built are essential. The frame material must be
upon. If there’s a deficiency, it doesn’t matter malleable. And there must be an undercarriage.
what’s added to it. It’s always going to perform
poorly. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way in
my teenage years. Malleable means that you can twist and bend
the frame. It should be supple yet strong enough
to return to it’s original form. It ought to feel soft.
I was buying my first used car. I didn’t have
much money so my options were limited. I’d
narrowed it down to two candidates. One When a fit-over is worn it makes contact with the
possibility was a Mini. I’m from New Zealand eyeglasses in various places. This is called the
where Mini’s were popular cars. They were ‘ride’. How a fit-over rides is primarily dictated
economical and rarely had mechanical by the fit. If it’s the wrong size or shape, the ride
problems. If they did, repairs were inexpensive. is going to be unpleasant. But assuming the
Mini’s were practical. sunglass fits correctly, the second variable is the
durometer of the material.
The other was an old English car. The Vauxhall
Victor. It was big and looked fast. Victors are A durometer test generates a numerical
normally more expensive than Mini’s but this expression which indicates the hardness of a
one was around the same price. The seller material. The lower the durometer, the softer it
admitted that the engine needed a ‘little work’ is.
and he showed me the trick to turning the heater
on. The interior was trashed but it still was a
Victor. Because of the way it looked, I bought it. TR-90, which is used for most plastic eyewear,
has a higher durometer than Nylon, which is
what many high quality fit-overs are made of. In
The classic muscle car appearance didn’t seem the eyewear industry, TR-90 is often referred to
as important to me when the radiator started as ‘Grilamid’. Since Nylon is softer than TR-90 it
leaking. By the time I’d saved enough to replace has a tendency to better absorb any impact
a defective water pump it blew the head gasket. should the fit-over move or even bounce. Softer
Even when it was operative I wasn’t driving it as material acts much like a microscopic shock
much as I’d like as it gulped gas faster than I absorber. It also mutes audible contact,
could afford to fill it. eliminating the clattering one may experience
with a harder, plastic type frame.
After the starter stopped working I gave up and
left it moored outside of a friends house.
Eventually it was towed away.
I might not have made that mistake if I new
anything about cars. The same is true for a fit-
over. All that glitters is not gold.
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

6. The Frame Design (cont.)
If a fit-over frame is made of TR-90 it has less The second component is the undercarriage. If
flexibility. It’s stiffer. If it’s stepped on for you turn a pair of fit-over sunglasses upside
instance, there’s a good chance it’ll crack. When down, you’ll see that the frame either has a
a malleable fit-over is stepped on, driven over or return underneath each lens or it doesn’t. In
sat on there’s usually no damage. And because other words the eyeglasses are fully enclosed
there’s very little give to TR-90, the slightest inside the fit-over as opposed to the bottom of
movement of the fit-over can begin to rub and the prescription glasses being left exposed.
wear on areas of the prescription frame. The
prescription glasses are subjected to possible The presence of an undercarriage is possibly
paint loss, scratches and abrasions from the the most significant element to look for when
repeated rubbing in the exact same place. We assessing a fit-over. Without one, performance
have a video that demonstrates the resilience of levels are decimated. Actually, decimated is
a nylon frame. We drive a car over a pair of probably too strong a word. Perhaps
Cocoons. Twice. Then we pop the lenses back ‘considerably reduced’ is more fitting.
in that had been forced out of the lens cavity
when it was squashed. Good as new. Not a
scratch. The Nylon material has sufficient Light, often in the form of glare, can be reflected
memory to return to it’s original form. off a myriad of surfaces such as snow, sand or
pavement. Up to 70% of visible light can be
reflected light.
Another side effect from TR-90 is clattering. If
someone’s wearing a fit-over that makes a
sound as it rides a pair of eyeglasses, the A fit-over with an undercarriage entirely
incessancy of it can become deafening. We encapsulate the eyes. Practically all light that
actually enhance the suppleness of Cocoons by enters the field of vision is filtered. It’s travelled
encasing them in a layer of Soft Touch . It’s a ® through the lens system by way of a primary
velvet-like skin that’s only 1/1000th of an inch lens or a side shield. All other light is blocked
thick but behaves much like a microscopic from entering. A calm environment is created.
mattress. The eyes stop continually adjusting to
fluctuating light conditions. Eye strain and
fatigue are reduced. The eyes relax. It’s actually
However, there’s a major disadvantage to using therapeutic.
Soft-Touch encased Nylon. It’s the painting of
the material. Grilamid is translucent. It has
glasslike properties. Creative tinting or painting If there’s no undercarriage, reflected light will
can produce eye-catching artwork. TR-90 enter from below. The untreated light mixes in
frames can be back-sprayed and even have with the virtuous and instantaneously dilutes the
pigment injected. Because of this, it’s one of the ‘cocooning’ effect. Any sense of serenity is
most prevalent materials used by eyewear diminished due to it’s erratic intensity and
manufacturers. behavior. Fortunately for some of our
competitors this shortcoming isn’t noticed by the
customer. It’s impossible for them to know what
I wish I could do that with Cocoons. could have been.
Unfortunately, the properties of Nylon differ from
those of Grilamid. But remember, the stimulus
for buying a fit-over is function. It’s not fashion. To prove to yourself the importance of an
Thanks to my Vauxhall Victor experience I’ve undercarriage, try a pair with and a pair without
learned to never sacrifice one for the other. an undercarriage just for an hour. You’ll see
what I mean.
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

7. Adjustability
Imagine eating your favorite meal. Prepared and Just like your eyeglasses, a fit-over has but one
presented exactly the way you like it. Now correct position. Once properly put over your
imagine that you had to eat that exact same glasses it should stay in that position until it’s
meal every day. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. No taken off. Irrespective of the shape of your
variety of any kind. Eat it or you don’t eat. prescription eyewear, you’re eyeglasses will
come into contact with the fit-over temples. It’s
inescapable. Because neither frame should
However much you love your old favorite, move, those points of contact won’t change.
there’ll come a point when you’ll start skipping
mealtimes. You can try mixing it up a bit by
dyeing the food different colors or creating The most prevalent interaction will be above
visually stunning culinary masterpieces, but your ears. That’s usually where the prescription
nothing’s going to change the taste. You might and fit-over temples crisscross. Naturally, after
eventually reach the point that you stop eating an extended period of time, the region can
altogether. become irritated. Even my Cocoons will do the
same thing. The problem was of no concern
when you were wearing the glasses in short
Wearing a fit-over is the same thing. bursts but now, after a solid hour, it’s become
annoying. Thoroughly irritating.
Assume you’ve recently bought a new fit-over.
You chose it because it was the most attractive What do you do?
to you. You love how it fits and you’re sincerely
appreciative of the improvement to your quality
of life. It’s stylish. You’re wearing it everywhere. Most people raise them to sit on top of your
head or they take them off completely.
Regardless of what they do, the fit-over is no
The majority of the time you’ll be wearing it in longer being used.
bursts of less than 20 minutes. Going to the
store. Walking the dog. Driving home from work.
But there are instances when you’ll wear it for Conversely, it’s a quick fix if the fit-over has
longer periods. At the beach or a long drive for adjustable temples. A slight change to the form
example. These lengthier sessions are referred of the fit-over temple and voila! Points of contact
to as periods of ‘extended wear’. changed. Irritation eliminated.
During extended wear, any drawbacks of Your fit-over is still in the correct position and
wearing a fit-over are magnified. They’ll still look remains comfortable and secure. Nothing has
attractive but the significance of the style and changed except a slight variance to the fit-over
the coloring has worn off a bit. temple’s landing point.
You’re starting to focus more on the actual What’s the point of a fit-over that you can’t
reason you bought them. stand to wear during times that you probably
need them more than ever?
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

8. The Lens System
Unlike conventional glasses, fit-overs have side Stamping is an alternative way of making a side
lenses. They’re necessary because a properly lens. This process is much simpler. It involves
designed chassis will hinder peripheral vision. the use of a press that stamps out thousands of
side lenses from reels of cellulose acetate.
Picture a reel of movie film, but much thicker.
In 2001 I designed a fit-over that didn’t have That’s kind of what cellulose acetate is like.
side lenses. The glasses looked more or less
like regular sunglasses. The fashion conscious
often chose them instead of Cocoons. After This method is quick, easy and inexpensive. I
wearing them for a while they weren’t so call it the six cent method as that’s about what it
enamored. Their satisfaction levels dropped to costs to make a set of this type of side lens. To
an unacceptable level. And they were be fair, the costs of raw materials and labor
dangerous. have increased since the last time I brushed up
on stamping. I’ll start calling it the eight cent
method.
Any reduction in peripheral vision isn’t safe.
Changing lanes on a freeway is a good example
of when your peripheral needs to be unimpeded. The advantage of molding a side lens is that we
control the curvature and prevent the lens from
flexing. This means there’s no distortion. If a
There’s two types of side lenses. Injected and lens is flexible and is held in place by it’s own
stamped. One is an expensive process and one resistance against the lens bevel, there will
costs six cents per pair. usually be some distortion.
Cocoons side lenses are injection molded. This I don’t think I need to explain the hazard of
manufacturing method requires the building of a having distorted peripheral vision.
special mold. Pure, boiling hot liquid
polycarbonate is injected into the mold at
extraordinary pressure. The injection force and
timing are calculated to insure that every cavity
in the mold is filled precisely with the right
amount. As it cools to a solid form,
polycarbonate shrinks. That’s another variable
to the manufacturing equation.
Once the polycarbonate as cooled, the side
lenses are removed from the mold and sent to
tumbling. Tumbling is a process that removes
any burs and polishes up the lenses.
The result is a side lens that follows the contour
of the frame, but varies in thicknesses to deliver
crystal clear vision. No distortion.
Live Eyes (circ. 2001)
World’s first non side shield fit-over
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

9. The Lens System (cont.)
There’s a few more reasons we inject our side We don’t polarize side shields because there is
shields. Acetate can be an unstable lens no benefit to it. It would serve no purpose.
material. After being made, the reels of acetate Touting a polarized side shield as a feature
are supposed to be left to cure. This allows all would be, in my opinion, a gimmick.
the moisture that maybe trapped in the lens to
dissipate. Then the lens becomes stable. It
stops shrinking. Here’s why. Polarized lenses greatly reduce
glare. Glare occurs when you look at an object
that reflects light, such as water for example, at
The problem we find is that there’s such a a particular angle that happens to be equal to
demand for the material it’s often rushed out to the angle that the light is being reflected.
customers before it’s fully cured. There’s the Because the reflective surface of the object is
possibility that it’s still subject to shrinkage. gathering scattered light and then redirecting it
at a specific angle and direction, the light is
more intense, because there’s more of it. Due to
When the side lenses are stamped out of the the intensity, our eyes can’t handle it so we just
material and then inserted into the side lens see glare. Glare can be mild or it can be
cavity they may still be shrinking. Although the completely blinding. It all has to do with the
shrinkage factor is almost infinitesimal, it’s angle and direction the light is being directed. If
sometimes enough to loosen what should be a you look directly into the path of it, at the right
tight fit. If it loosens enough, it will rattle when angle, you’ll be hit by the glare.
the frame is shaken as it moves around in the
cavity. If it shrinks a lot, the lens falls out.
If glare is blinding you from what would normally
be the peripheral it means you must have eyes
One of the first things I do when I pick up a fit- on the side of your head. Like a pigeon. Or a
over made by someone else is flex the frame to goldfish.
determine the frame material. The second thing
I do is shake it. It’s just a habit. But a good one.
Since most of us don’t have eyes positioned in
front of our ears, we can’t look directly at the
Try popping out an injection molded side lens. intense beam light through the side shield.
It’s almost impossible with a well made fit-over. However, if you turn your head towards the
A stamped lens will spring out like it’s been shot source of the glare and do look directly at it, the
out of a cannon polarized front lenses kick in and take care of it.
Last thing about side lenses. Some stamped The real reason that most stamped side lenses
side lenses are polarized but there’s no such are polarized is because they’re stamped out of
thing as a polarized injection molded side lens. the same material the front lenses are. Saves
Not only would such a mechanism be almost the manufacturer money.
impossible to manufacture, it would cost a
fortune. So much so that it would drive the retail
price of a fit-over through the roof. Touting polarized side lenses as a feature that
benefits the wearer and as an advantage over a
non-polarized side shield fit-over, is in my
But that’s not the reason we don’t polarize side opinion, peddling snake oil.
lenses.
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

10. The Lens System (cont.)
The second component of a fit-over lens system
are the primary lenses. Also known as the ‘front’
lenses. These are the lenses you look directly
out of. There is so much I could tell you about
lenses that it would take a week. So I’ll just
summarize what’s critical.
Make sure the lens in the fit-over is 100%
UVA&B. This is often referred to as “UV400”.
That means it blocks out UV rays up to 400
nanometers. That’s all the harmful UV. There
are a lot of brands that don’t block 100%.
They’re using a lens tint that’s less expensive
that only blocks to 380 nanometers. “UV380”.
You need the lenses to be scratch resistant. Fit-
over sunglasses are treated so poorly that if the
lenses aren't somewhat resistant to scratches
they will gradually haze over. Hazing is a
process where tiny little scratches, almost
undetectable, start covering the surface of the
lenses. As the scratches increase, the clarity of
the lens is hazed. It’s not as clear as it was.
Live Eyewear Cocoons
Polarization. Always buy polarized fit-overs. If Tortoise frame with Copper tint
they’re not polarized, you’re just wearing tinted
lenses that reduce light transmission. Glare will
still be present. It will still make you squint.
Polarization prevents this.
Lastly, pick a lens tint that best suits you. Don’t
base your decision purely on what the
manufacturer tells you. Many manufacturers,
Live Eyewear included, state that a specific tint
is best for driving. Another is best for fishing.
That may be the case. But until you try it
yourself, you won’t know if you like it or not. On
average, 65% of people wear a gray lens. That’s
because gray lenses deliver natural color
definition. Other tints may alter colors from what
they actually are but increase contrast for
example. It’s all comes down to personal
preference.
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

11. The Warranty
In general, the eyewear/eyecare business is It’s that we can stand behind Cocoons with a
intense. Just about every designer and fashion lifetime warranty. The materials we use, albeit
brand you can think of also has a line of costly, results in a product so resilient that it’s
prescription frames and sunglasses. There’s almost unbreakable. They’re well made enough
literally thousands of brands. that we know the chance of a pair failing is
remote. The hands on manufacturing process
allows us to catch any slight defect before the
Some of the eyewear and eyecare companies glasses ever make it out of the door.
are multi-national, billion dollar corporations.
They manufacture millions and millions of pairs
every year. And that’s important because fit-over
sunglasses are treated horrifically by their
owners. They’re thrown in purses, sat on, driven
My company Live Eyewear, isn’t a global over (more often than you might think) and even
eyewear conglomerate. We’re referred to as a chewed by dogs. They slide facedown up and
‘boutique’ manufacturer. We specialize in a down dashboards. They’re routinely left in cars
particular niche. We take our time designing and to bake in 100 direct sunlight. Not to mention
°
building Cocoons. There’s actually quite a few the people who like to keep their car keys in the
components and there’s a lot of labor involved in same case as their Cocoons.
putting a pair together.
So our warranty reiterates the durability and
The overwhelming majority of molded glasses overall quality of the glasses. But not all
use two molds. One to make the front frame and warranties are the same.
one to make the temples. On the other hand, it
takes seven molds to make a pair of Cocoons.
And we paint and assemble every pair by hand. Those big multi-nationals and even smaller
Our authenticity emblems are even inserted by competitors of ours wouldn’t dare to dream
hand as are the front and side lenses. It’s an about offering such an assurance. No other fit-
expensive process. It’s time consuming. over brand I know of warrantees the lenses to
be free from scratches for one year. In fact,
almost all make it expressly clear that the lenses
But we choose to do it this way. There are are not covered by a warranty.
alternative ways and shortcuts to doing the
things but we tend to take the long road. The
reason is quality. Nothing else. If there’s a less But at least make sure you buy a fit-over that
expensive way of doing something that delivers warrantees the chassis. At least a one year
the same quality, we’d do it. Unfortunately for guarantee as if a fit-over is made poorly, it
us, to maintain the level of quality we’re known usually breaks at the lower lens groove. I could
for takes a lot of human involvement. A great go into a lengthy explanation as to why that is
deal of quality control. An enormous amount of the most prevalent type of defect, but it’s not
scrap. And that’s not even including the really of any benefit.
accessories and packaging associated with a
finished pair of Cocoons.
So make sure you buy a pair that have some
sort of warranty because it’s a direct reflection of
So what’s the advantage of all that expense? the manufacturers confidence in their product.
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

12. Pricing
Here’s a fact that may shock you. The cost of If you’re spending $5 don’t expect all the bells
making a pair of Cocoons, which retail at about and whistles. Don’t assume the glasses are
$50 is on average, four times as expensive as a made of the same material as a $50 pair.
designer pair of plastic eyeglasses that may Understand that they’re going to be inferior. The
retail for as much as $300. lenses probably aren’t polarized for example.
Still, all things considered, they might be a good
deal for $5.
You can find fit-over sunglasses in many
different market segments. There are $5 models
offered on the boardwalks, $10 models in If you’re considering a $50+ pair you should
souvenir shops. There’s $20 models available in make sure the glasses meet your expectations.
discount department and drug stores. There should be extra features, higher quality
components and a warranty. You should be
getting more bang for your buck. The
In the eyewear market you’ll find models offered fundamentals, such as the undercarriage and
at prices from $35 to $60. So the price you adjustable temples should be a prerequisite.
should expect to pay is directly associated with
the market you intend to buy in. The quality and
features generally increase as the price does. On average, people lose their sunglasses about
every 2½ years. So if you are shelling out big
money, that’s another factor you should
But with a fit-over sunglass your decision consider. It’s likely that you’re going to lose
shouldn’t be based solely on price. Your choice them at some point.
needs to be heavily dependent upon value.
What you’re getting back for your money.
Cocoons (circ. 2008)
MSRP $54.95
6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass

13. In Closing
Unfortunately, the amount of counterfeiting of
popular fit-over sunglasses has risen
dramatically over the past fifteen years.
For example, we have registered patents on all
of our Cocoons models, but we come across
direct copies all the time. We do what we can to
enforce our intellectual property rights, but it’s
like herding cats. We’ll never be able to catch
them all.
The best way to avoid getting duped is to buy
your fit-over from a vendor recommended by the
manufacturer. On our websites, we list online
dealers you can buy Cocoons from and we have
a dealer locator that shows all the accredited Cocoons (circ. 2011)
brick and mortar dealers in any specific region. Model: Mini-Slim (Small)
If you’re still not sure, you can buy directly from
a manufacturer. We don’t support that type of
strategy as it hurts sales that our authorized
dealers could of made. Although you can order
and purchase Cocoons on our website, the
order is actually shipped by an authorized
dealer in your area. We simply process the
transaction on their behalf.
If you ever have a question about fit-over
products we’re only too happy to help. We’re
familiar with every brand and model of fit-over
sunglass, not just our own. We can help you find
retailers in over 30 countries or point you in the
right direction regarding the repairs or
replacements of any brand.
All of our contact details are on our website:
www.cocoonseyewear.com
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6. Skin Deep: Best Practices for Choosing a fit-over Sunglass