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The Cheap Oakley Sunglasses Guide | How To Save And Never Pay Retail

If you’re a fan of Oakley sunglasses, your wallet may be hurting from the high prices of your favorite frames.

The good news? You don’t necessarily have to pay them.

We’ll show you exactly how to buy cheap Oakley sunglasses so you’ll never pay retail prices again!

Can You Buy Cheap Authentic Oakleys?

Let’s start with the basics – Yes, you can purchase cheap Oakleys that are REAL!

Here at Oakley Forum, we’re strongly against fake Oakleys, so this guide is only focused on buying inexpensive authentic Oakley sunglasses!

And luckily, buying cheap knock-off Oakleys isn’t the only way to save.

How Cheap are We Really Talking?

Everyone’s definition of cheap Oakleys is different, so let’s start here.

We’ll show you how to save up to 50% off real Oakley sunglasses with only a few seconds of work. How is that for cheap?

What About Sites Offering 90% off?

While you’ll find plenty of ads online for the “cheapest Oakley sunglasses online” offering discounts of up to 90% off on Frogskins and Hijinx, we can confidently say these sites are fake.

Or at least the Oakley sunglasses they’re selling are fake.

As we covered in our guide to spotting fake Oakleys, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And be sure to read our 11 tips for spotting Fake Oakleys here.

How Do Stores Sell Oakleys for Less than Oakley Themselves?

This is a valid question, but the answer all comes down to the MSRP or “manufacturers suggested retail price”.

When retailers buy inventory directly from Oakley, they purchase at wholesale rates that are significantly less than the prices you and I see (think 50-70% less!).

As a part of buying these sunglasses, Oakley suggests a retail price or MSRP for each item. This price is typically what you’ll see on Oakley’s own website.

But many retailers will offer a discount or sale to get you to buy from them. This can be a bit of a grey area between what’s allowed and what isn’t – hence a common name for these retailers being “grey market” or “discount authorized retailers”.

Where to Buy Cheap Oakley Sunglasses?

If you’re looking to find the best price on Oakley sunglasses, you have several options both online and in-stores.

Generally, outside of big sale events like Black Friday, you can find the best discounts on Oakleys online.

But there are some big exceptions.

Buying Oakleys Online vs. In-Store – Which is Right For You?

There are a few scenarios where it can make sense to head to your local Oakley store and potentially even buy there.

But when you’re trying to find the best place to buy Oakley sunglasses, it’s always important to do your research first!

Head To Your Local Oakley Store or Retailer If:

  • You want to try on the Oakley frame – Even though you can usually return glasses for free, it’s still a waste to spend $100+ without knowing if you like the frame!
  • You have a local Oakley Vault – We’ll cover this in more detail below, but Oakley’s outlet stores can often offer huge discounts on new Oakleys
  • There is a Seasonal Sale Event – Oakley seasonal sales like Black Friday can definitely merit visiting your local store as many run doorbuster deals to get people in early

While you keep these scenarios in mind, you’ll want to still research online sites that sell Oakleys before heading to the store!

Keep reading for our review of each option for buying cheap Oakley sunglasses so you can find the biggest discount!

And be sure to check out our Complete Oakley Buyers Guide for everything to know before you buy!

Where to Buy Cheap Oakleys Online?

When buying Oakleys online, it’s important to use websites you trust and know the products you’re buying. We’ve listed some of our favorite sites for buying cheap Oakley sunglasses, but this doesn’t mean it’s an exhaustive list.

If you know another great site selling real Oakleys at great prices, let us know!

1. OakleyForum.com Exchange Areas

We may be a little biased here, but because of the amazing community of Oakley collectors, our exchange areas have become one of the best resources for huge savings, fair prices, and finding sold-out pairs of Oakleys!

This even includes discontinued and rare pairs like X-Metals. Once you Join and meet the exchange criteria, you can browse “For Sale” listings or post your own “Buying” listings for any item.

Highlights
  • Buy, Sell, and Trade Oakleys with 40,000+ members
  • No fees for using the exchange once you have access
  • Can find new and used, plus sold-out Oakleys at fair prices
Save on Oakley with Oakley Forum Exchange areas
An example of for-sale threads in the Oakley Forum Exchange areas

2. Discount Authorized Dealers like Shade Station

As we mentioned above, discount authorized dealers like Shade Station will offer a wide variety of new Oakleys at below retail prices.

In the last 5 years, Shade Station has become very popular due to its fast shipping and great prices. Shade Station has also been a forum sponsor here for many years, and while it has been asked, they sell only authentic sunglasses.

But where Shade Station really separates itself is pricing – for example, we found a Radar EV Path with Prizm lenses for $157.30 compared to $205 on Oakley’s website (a 25% discount). Not too bad if you’re looking for cheap Oakley baseball sunglasses.

Highlights
  • Large selection of Oakley’s at discount prices
  • Fast global free shipping
  • Prescription Oakley glasses and sunglasses are available as well

With a quick Google search, you can often find several discounts authorized dealers like Shade Station, EZContacts, SunglassOutlet, and more selling Oakleys. But, as always, be sure to do your research to confirm they are real Oakleys before buying!

Cheap Oakley Sunglasses from Shade Station
Shade Station Oakley selection

3. eBay.com

eBay is the largest online auction platform, and of course, you’ll find plenty of Oakleys for sale on the platform. But you’ll want to be cautious before buying.

That’s because eBay tends to be littered with both overpriced and fake Oakley glasses!

Because of eBay’s “Buy It Now” option, many sellers simply list a pair of Oakley’s from their collection for 2 or 3 times market value to see if anyone is willing to bite. And without proper research, you could find yourself overpaying!

For sunglasses in Oakley’s current lineup, you can often find 10-20% discounts by digging around the site a bit. In our search, we found a Radar EV Path for $154, which is similar to the price we saw from Shade Station above.

Highlights
  • Buy and Sell Oakleys in auctions or “Buy It Now”
  • Similar discounts to other authorized retailers we saw
  • Beware of potential fakes and overpriced limited edition items
Cheap Oakley Baseball Sunglasses on eBay
Oakley Radar EV Path sunglasses with Prizm Lens on eBay.com

4. Oakley.com and SunglassHut.com

As mentioned above, seasonal sales on Oakley.com and Sunglasshut.com (both owned by Luxottica, Oakley’s parent company) are an easy and simple way to save up to 50% off!

Oakley typically runs 10-15 season sales per year, usually offering 30-50% off select pairs of sunglasses, glasses, goggles, and apparel. Many of these sales also include the Oakley Custom program, which allows you to customize your sunglasses with frame color, lenses, and more.

Be sure to check out our guide to Oakley’s sale schedule here to find out when the next sale is.

Outside of public sales, you can still save by joining Oakley’s MVP program and newsletter, which is a loyalty program of sorts that provides early access to promo codes, special offers, and discounts!

And if you’re active or retired military, government, or a first responder, be sure to check if you qualify for the Oakley Standard Issue program, which offers massive discounts year-round.

Highlights
  • Largest selection of Oakley sunglasses, glasses, goggles, and apparel
  • Season sales that offer 30-50% off select items
  • Oakley’s MVP Program and Standard Issue offer additional discounts (where applicable)
Oakley.com selection of sunglasses
Oakley.com selection of sunglasses

How to Save on Oakleys in Retail Stores?

As we mentioned above, Online retailers often have the best prices on Oakleys. But that may not always be the case.

And if you prefer to try on your sunglasses before buying, in-store visits are likely your only option.

1. Oakley Vault Stores

Oakley Vault stores are Oakley’s discount outlets that consistently sell items for big discounts! But unfortunately, they no longer run a website, so if you have one nearby, it’s definitely worth a trip.

While they won’t have a full selection of Oakley’s current releases, the pairs they do receive are often heavily discounted (sometimes up to 70%!).

And since these stores are run by Oakley, there should be no question in your mind that these cheap Oakley sunglasses are real!

Read more in our full Oakley Vault outlet stores guide!

Highlights
  • Oakley outlet stores operated directly by the brand
  • Big discounts up to 70% off pairs, including limited and special editions
  • In-store only presence, so you’ll want to check back often for the latest inventory
Oakley Vault Store
Oakley Vault Storefront advertising a sale

2. Oakley and SunglassHut Stores

Finally, on our list, SunglassHut and Oakley stores are the classic retail outlets for the brand, both of which are owned by Luxottica.

These stores often have the widest variety of selections to see in person. And this means they are worth a stop to try on before buying if you’re not set on a frame yet.

But as mentioned earlier, unless there’s a sale, you’ll likely be paying full retail at these stores.

Highlights
  • Largest in-person selection of Oakley eyewear and accessories to try on for first-time buyers
  • Can build your own eyewear as a part of the Oakley Custom Program
  • Items often sell for retail prices besides from seasonal sales

Looking For More?

Don’t forget to check out our guide to Buying and Selling Used Oakleys. Plus, browse our Oakley Sunglasses Exchange to buy, sell and trade 30,000+ Oakley listings!

And if you’re looking for more information, have a question, or want to share your favorite retailer for buying cheap Oakleys, be sure to join the largest online Oakley community, and let us know below!

Created this site because of the lack of a place for the Oakley Community to talk. Feel free to Message me any time with feedback for the site, tips o...
I don't know how Oakley staff would feel about this, but I'd almost want to throw up a boldface statement saying you should hardly ever have to pay retail for a pair. F&F comes like 3 times a year. eBay + forum input can possibly save you hundreds.

It's not really news because all of retail is pushing so competitively these days, to the point it's a bit silly to get things at retail unless you really like it, getting a gift, or it's limited. Don't get me wrong, though. There was a great post on this forum (in the Oakley clothing thread, I think) on how hard it is to make a profitable clothing brand, and so I don't quite sit well when a consumer says "oh this should only cost x dollars". But I mean these bigger brands and retailers, like Nike and Macy's, drop prices by as much as 60% so much sooner than later (3-4 months) that it's really goofy if you swallow full price.
 
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I don't know how Oakley staff would feel about this, but I'd almost want to throw up a boldface statement saying you should hardly ever have to pay retail for a pair. F&F comes like 3 times a year. eBay + forum input can possibly save you hundreds.

It's not really news because all of retail is pushing so competitively these days, to the point it's a bit silly to get things at retail unless you really like it, getting a gift, or it's limited. Don't get me wrong, though. There was a great post on this forum (in the Oakley clothing thread, I think) on how hard it is to make a profitable clothing brand, and so I don't quite sit well when a consumer says "oh this should only cost x dollars". But I mean these bigger brands and retailers, like Nike and Macy's, drop prices by as much as 60% so much sooner than later (3-4 months) that it's really goofy if you swallow full price.

Yeah I know what you mean, I've done it and still do, but it's still tough to explain to friends & family. Chances are trying to explain how you can get any generic pair of less than retail on OF or eBay will just result in them buying a counterfeit for $30 and blaming you. Just one of the perks of being in the know. ;)
 
Sad the vault stores online shop closed. I picked up so many good deals on that site, especially around black Friday sales. I hope Oakley has some similar black Friday sales coming up. Has anyone purchased off of 6pm.com? I sometimes see Oakley deals on there starting as low as $40.
 
Sad the vault stores online shop closed. I picked up so many good deals on that site, especially around black Friday sales. I hope Oakley has some similar black Friday sales coming up. Has anyone purchased off of 6pm.com? I sometimes see Oakley deals on there starting as low as $40.

This question gets asked by the newbies all the time :)

I've bought from 6pm.com several times. I've had no problems with the merchandise. BNIB and everything.

Several of us have bought from the site and I haven't heard any complaints about the site.

Sent from Q's Note5
 
This question gets asked by the newbies all the time :)

I've bought from 6pm.com several times. I've had no problems with the merchandise. BNIB and everything.

Several of us have bought from the site and I haven't heard any complaints about the site.

Sent from Q's Note5
Somebody complained once.......ONCE.



Then they were never heard from again .....:hi: