If you’re wondering if ShadeStation.com (and ShadeStation.co.uk) is a legit website selling real sunglasses, we’re here to answer your questions. And with Shade Station expanding globally, we decided to give them a try ourselves, buying new Oakley sunglasses!
Keep reading for our complete Shade Station review and whether Shade Station is legitimate.
Table of Contents
Is Shade Station a Legit Website?
Yes, Shade Station is a legitimate authorized retailer selling authentic sunglasses, eyeglasses, goggles, and watches from brands like Oakley, Ray-Ban, Gucci, Tom Ford, Maui Jim, and more!
And from a quick search, we found over 1,000 positive reviews from customers who’ve bought from the site.
But let’s find out a bit more.
Where is Shade Station Located?
Shade Stations is headquartered in Bury, Manchester, United Kingdom. And they’ve been in business since May 2000, according to their website.
Originally starting as ShadeStation.co.uk and focusing on the UK and European markets, they’ve now gone global offering worldwide shipping. This includes their US sister site, ShadeStation.com which we ordered from below.
Are Shade Station Sunglasses Genuine?
Yes, from our experience ordering from ShadeStation.com, the Oakley sunglasses we received were 100% authentic.
And since many of the eyewear brands sold on their site are owned by mega-giant Luxottica, we don’t have any doubts about the legitimacy of any items they’re selling.
Are Glasses Station and Shade Station the Same Company?
Yes, Glasses Station and Shade Station are both owned by the same parent company.
Glasses Station focuses more on selling prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses. But regardless, you’ll find the same selection of sunglasses available through both internet sites. The only real difference between the two sites is the domain name since all sunglasses and glasses come from the same company.
Our Shade Station Ordering Experience
We gave Shade Station a try, ordering a new pair of Oakley sunglasses – Sutro Sunglasses with Prizm Road lenses.
Keep reading to see what we thought about buying from Shade Station.
Website Experience
The Shade Station website was easy to use overall, and we quickly found all of the sunglasses sorted by category. From there, we could select the model of Oakleys we wanted with all of the colorways available.
The amount of brands that Shade Station carries is just mind-boggling. When we first selected the sunglasses tab, we had a hard time believing those were all just sunglasses! But as we moved to the eyeglasses section, a whole new menu of brands popped up.
When we selected Oakley as the category, Shade Station had 500+ frames in stock! And we also noticed they had authentic Oakley replacement lenses and replacement parts in stock!
The only thing we’d change about the site is the font size. At times we found ourselves zooming in to make it easier to read the small font in certain areas of the site. But this could also just be us getting old, so take that with a grain of salt.
Pricing and Placing an Order
One of the most important factors when buying online is usually price. And overall, we found Shade Station consistently a few bucks cheaper than buying directly from Oakley.
The Oakley Sutro sunglasses we bought cost $173 from Shade Station, compared to $178. While this isn’t quite as big of a discount as we’ve seen from grey-market sites like EZContacts or Sunglass Outlet, but Shade Station has the biggest selection of any of these sites.
Before placing your order, Shade Station also tells you how many hours are left to make the same-day cut-off for shipping. They even guarantee that your sunglasses will ship the same day.
Instant Price Match
While we’re talking about price, Shade Station does offer an “Instant Price Match Guarantee.” If you use this feature, you need to call their customer service and provide the link to the competing website.
But the price match does exclude eBay and non-official dealers, so you’ll need to be careful where you find competing sunglasses.
Worldwide Shipping
Shade Station advertises their global free shipping, which is fantastic, especially for international shoppers.
When we went to check out, we noticed the free shipping estimated 7-14 days for arrival to the US. This makes sense since Shade Station is shipping the sunglasses from their UK factory.
There was also an option to expedite shipping with DHL for $22.50. With this option, our sunglasses would arrive in 1-3 days. This is more in line with the overnight shipping they offer in the UK for their fastest options!
But ultimately, we went with the free option.
Receiving our Order
We ended up receiving our order in 7 days, which was on the lower end of the estimated shipping time.
Our sunglasses were well packed in a small box and included the original Oakley box, papers, and warranty card.
Refunds and Returns
While we didn’t return our Oakley Sutros, Shade Station does offer free returns within 14 days of receiving your items.
Our Final Review – Do we Recommend Shade Station?
Overall, we had a positive experience with ShadeStation.com and can confirm that Shade Station is legit.
The Oakleys we received were authentic and came with full paperwork.
Note: While Shade Station is a forum sponsor on Oakley Forum, we were not compensated to write this review, so please understand this does not guarantee your experience.
Why Is Shade Station So Cheap?
The main reason Shade Station is so cheap is because they’re an authorized online retailer that can purchase items at a discount and then pass those savings onto you.
This means they buy their sunglasses, watches, and other accessories directly from the brands themselves or a Luxottica-owned distribution center. This cuts out the middleman and allows them to sell at a lower price than most brick-and-mortar retailers.
Free Prescription Lenses
One of the biggest features advertised on Shade Station’s website are “Free Prescription lenses”. This definitely intrigued us, especially since prescription lenses can often cost double or triple your frame.
From a quick look, we found hundreds of eyeglasses frames, including 250+ Oakley frames. We even found a Holbrook eyeglasses frame for $141 that includes free lenses!
This is a great deal, especially since prescription Oakleys with lenses can often cost over $300!
The one caveat – Only single vision lenses are available for free. That means progressive or bi-focal lenses will cost more. Still, this is a great deal if you have a simple single-vision prescription.
Have A Question?
Have a question about ordering from Shade Station? Or want to share your experiences? Post your comments below!
