Are My Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Real?

If you are anything like us, when you order new sunglasses, you can’t wait for them to come in. But, what happens when you receive them and they are not holding up the way you expected? If your frames and lenses seem to be lower quality than you were anticipating, it may be possible that you got fake ones. 

Running into fake sunglasses is never fun, especially if you spent your hard-earned cash on them. If you’ve ever run into this problem or want to know how to avoid fake sunglasses in the future, we are going to tell you all the tips to make sure you have the real deal.

A Brief History of Costa Del Mar

Costa Del Mar was founded in 1983 by Ray Ferguson. It’s roots were planted in Daytona, Florida and by 1986, Costa was extremely popular among surfers and recreational fishers due to their sun glare protection. 

Through time, Costa only gained more popularity and is now one of the most recognizable sunglasses brands in the industry. Today, on top of selling sunglasses, they also take pride in their social responsibility efforts. Some of these include their charity campaign to help victims of natural disasters and another campaign which helps protect ocean wildlife. 

How to Know if Your Costas Are Real

Finding out if your Costa sunglasses are real can be a challenge, as some of the knock-offs can be really convincing. However, there are a few key factors you can look for to tell if you have the real thing or not.

Cost and Retailer

The first thing you should always think about when purchasing your Costa sunglasses is how much they cost and where you bought them from. 

The most affordable pair of Costa sunglasses are around $150 so, if you find a pair claiming to be $20-30, they probably are not the real thing. While it is possible to find a deal on real Costas from second-hand retailers like Poshmark or Depop, be wary of the price when purchasing, because you could be getting scammed. 

You should also think about where you are purchasing your sunglasses from. Did you buy it directly from Costa or an authorized retailer? Or, did you buy them from a street vendor? Again, it is possible to find Costas outside of their authorized retailers, but you should be cautious when buying them off the street because these vendors are typically trying to sell fakes.

You can also tell if your sunglasses are fakes based on your warranty. Costas from certain vendors will typically not have a warranty that works or is valid. The only way to be certain that you have a valid warranty is purchasing directly from Costa or an authorized Costa retailer. 

Rubber Detailing

One quick way to tell if you have fake Costas or not is by the rubber detailing on the frames. 

Real Costa frames will have rubber details on the arms and nose piece. You should look for this when trying to determine if they are real. These rubber details are meant to keep the frames on your face for longer, so if you notice that your frames are slipping and sliding off of your face or fail to have these rubber pieces, they are not real.

Lenses

This is a big one! Costa is known for having some of the highest quality polarized lenses on the market, so if your lenses do not seem to match this quality, you probably have fake ones. 

There are a few things you can look for when trying to find out if the lenses are not Costa quality. One thing is if your lenses are thin, wavy, or wear down quickly, you likely do not have real Costas. Additionally, these lenses may have a slightly different shape than real Costa lenses.

Another thing you can look for is the etching. Whether you have glass or polycarbonate lenses, they will always have a “580” or “580P” etched into the lens. Lenses that fail to have this etching on them are not real Costa lenses. 

Model Information

This may seem like something small, but noticing the model info on your frames can make all the difference when determining whether they are real or fake. 

Genuine Costas will always have the model information listed on two lines on the inside arm of the frame. Fake Costas will typically have the model info listed on the inside arm in one line. Additionally, with fake Costas, the patent number is missing. 

You should also look for that magic “580” number again, because if you see it on the model information, they are fake. Real Costas will not have “580” or “580P” listed on the inside arm, however, fake ones typically do.

Packaging

Another simple way to figure out if you have the real deal is based solely on the packaging you receive your Costas in. 

Real Costas will come in a branded box with a cloth, warranty card, and case. If you are missing any of these things, you can probably assume that you purchased fakes, especially if it is missing the warranty card.  

Summary

When looking for Costa Del Mar sunglasses, you should always remember to check out things like price, model information, lenses, and rubber details before purchasing if you are looking for the real thing. 

While you are able to find some Costas out in the wild at things like garage sales and on Ebay, the best thing you can do to ensure your Costas are real is purchasing them directly from Costa or an authorized retailer. Even though purchasing the real thing may not be the friendliest thing to your wallet, making sure you have those high-quality Costa polarized lenses will be the friendliest thing to your eyes and eye safety.

If you are searching for lenses for your Costas that are high-quality and offer you a ton of color options, Fuse Lenses is here for you. Our lenses are made of a high-quality polycarbonate with the option to be polarized, especially for all of your favorite outdoor adventures. Whether you are needing a replacement or just want to switch up the color of your lenses, Fuse has all of the options you may be looking for. 

Plus, even if you find yourself with a pair of fake Costas, we offer a custom concierge program where we can custom make lenses for just about any frame. No matter your frame, Fuse Lenses has you covered.