Are My Oakley Holbrooks Real?

Holbrooks is one of the top-selling Oakley frames. Since it’s really popular, that means its counterfeits are really popular as well. In the future, there will be a general article about spotting the difference between a real and fake Oakley. In this post, however, we’ll focus on just Holbrooks. Make sure to protect yourself from scammers to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Read More: Oakley Holbrook Guide

How Much Did I Pay?

Oakley Holbrooks cost $126 on the official Oakley’s website. We do not recommend buying Holbrooks with an unauthorized seller. There is no guarantee that the frames you bought are the real deal. Fake Oakleys can look authentic to the untrained eye and are usually priced between $40 and $70. This price point may leave you thinking that you found a really good discount on the real Oakley sunglasses. Fuse Lenses recommends buying directly through Oakley or an authorized seller like  Viso Sun Shop. A store owned by Fuse Lenses located in Clearwater, Florida.

Are the Details Right?

On the inside of the left arm of the frames, near the hinges, there should be the word Holbrook. An original Holbrook should have a thicker font than a fake one. This is hard to notice without a side-by-side real and fake comparison. However, if you look at the 3 O’s in Holbrook, the real frames should have their O’s in for of an oval shape than a circular one.

On the arms of the Holbrook, you should be able to see the Oakley logo. In an authentic pair, the logo sticks out from the rest of the arm. Instead of being on the same level, it has a uniform 3D effect. A fake pair is inconsistent in this aspect. Its 3D effect is not uniform throughout the logo or it doesn’t exist at all.

If you fold the arms closed, on the inside hinges you should be able to see L4 on the left hinge and R3 on the right hinge. If these are not on the hinges of the glasses, then there is a high probability that you are dealing with a fake Holbrook.

If a Holbrook pair is missing any of this information or is slightly different, this does not mean it is automatically a fake. Some warranty Holbrooks or limited edition frames differ slightly from the original Holbrooks.

What Do the Inside Temples Look Like?

Model Number

The inside temple should feature a model number, color code, and size. The Holbrook model number should with the letters OO. Then it is followed by the numbers of the model, which is 9102. (This model number may vary if you are dealing with different versions of Holbrooks like Holbrook Half Wire or Holbrook Metal). This is where some of the fakes fall through the cracks. They print the double O’s in the beginning as the number zero. Therefore, the first two O’s should not look the same as the zero in the number 9102. If all three are the same, then it’s a fake. The only exception to this is a few collector’s editions.

If you have Oakley sunglasses that pass this test, this does not mean that your Holbrooks are in the clear. There are a couple of counterfeits who are now using the correct formatting for the model number on these pair of Oakleys. Also, if there are no numbers inside the temple, don’t be alarmed. This doesn’t automatically mean the Holbrooks is a fraud. It could be an older pair where the number might have rubbed off, or they could be custom Holbrooks, or they could be frames that were replaced under warranty.

Color Code

After the model number is the color code. This is the -## located after the OO9102. A good thing to do is type in the model number with the color code in a search engine and see what pops up. For example, let's say you purchase the Polished Black Holbrook frames with the original Grey Polarized Oakley lenses. Then the model number with the color code should be OO9102-02. If the frame color and lens color is different then the one shown online, then this Oakley sunglasses are probably fake. Disclaimer: if the lenses do not match what is said on the color code, this does not automatically mean the sunglasses are fake. A company like Fuse Lenses sells replacement lenses for name-brand frames. The seller should state that the lenses are not the original Oakley lenses and were purchased from a third-party lens replacement. If someone is selling you an Oakley Holbrook that doesn’t match the color code but are claiming that both the frames and lenses are originals, run as you can in the opposite direction.

Frame Size

Following the model number and color code is the frame size. The specifics on what these sizes actually measure isn’t important when figuring out if the Oakley Holbrooks are real or fake. In case you are interested in what they mean, feel free to visit our frame identification page.

Most sunglasses separate the eye size and bridge size with a small square. Others use a dash to separate these two measurements. Oakley, however, uses its logo, the elliptical Oakley O. Oakley sells two different Holbrook sizes: Standard and Asian Fit. Therefore you should see either 55-18 for Standard or 56-17 for Asian Fit. If you don’t see either number or if these numbers are not separated by the Oakley logo, then the Holbrook is a fake.

Summary

You want to be cautious when purchasing Oakley Holbrooks from a non-authorized retailer. With an increasing amount of counterfeits out there, you want to make sure you are getting authentic Holbrooks. 

The first thing to consider is the price you paid. If a deal seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Then check out the details of the frames. A fake Holbrook font is thinner than a real one. The font size can be better viewed if you look at the O’s, they need to be more of an oval shape then a circular one. The Oakley logo on the outside arms of the Holbrooks should be sticking out instead of being in-plane with the rest of the frame. Also, once you close the glasses, you should see L4 on the left hinge and R3 on the right hinge.

In the inside of the temple, the model number should be OO9102. Be sure to check that the first two are O’s and not zeros. After the model number, there should be a dash followed by two numbers. These last two numbers are the color code of the lenses. If you look at the official Oakley’s website, you should be able to see the different color combinations. If your frames do not match the color code and the seller has not explicitly said that the lenses are replacement lenses from a reputable third-party like Fuse Lenses, then it might be a fake. To separate the eye and bridge size, Oakley uses their elliptical O instead of a square or dash. 

There are exceptions to the rule, for example, custom or limited edition frames. So if this is all still confusing to you, or you would like a second opinion, feel free to contact us, we will be happy to help.

If you happen to have a pair that isn’t authentic, we might still be able to hook you up with replacement lenses if you live in the United States. Check out the full details of our custom lenses program to see if this right for you.