A MAJOR warning has been issued to parents over illegal sunglasses sold in the UK that are harmful to children.
A third of the kids’ sunglasses bought from online marketplaces including Amazon, AliExpress, eBay and Temu can’t provide the eye protection required and are unsafe for children to wear, new research revealed.
This can cause major eye problems for children later in life.
Consumer watchdog Which? bought 20 pairs of sunglasses from six online marketplaces.
It then put them through standard lab-based tests and stated that “UV test and compliance failures combined mean that none of the 20 pairs of sunglasses we tested from online marketplaces can be sold legally in the UK”.
The watchdog discovered two pairs let through too much ultraviolet light (UV), which could damage a child’s eyes.
On five pairs – including one with dangerously low UV protection – the watchdog found significant differences between the amount of protection provided by one lens compared to the other.
On its website, Which? reported: “Good glasses have the same level of protection across both lenses.
“And all the kids’ sunglasses bought from marketplaces were missing key information, labels and markings required for them to be sold in the UK legally.”
Researchers added: “The latest in our series of investigations into unsafe products shows why more needs to be done to prevent their sale through online marketplaces.
“The Government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect online shoppers and to give online marketplaces clear legal responsibilities to keep dangerous products off their sites.”
Which? added that “the most important thing” that a pair of kids’ sunglasses can do is to protect young and still-developing eyes from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.
It went on to say: “But worryingly, two pairs bought from Amazon and eBay failed to effectively filter the sun’s rays, despite both claiming to provide sufficient UV protection.”
“Children are exposed to more UV than adults, their eyes are still developing, and this increases the risk of UV damage.
“Overexposure to UV over many years can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration.”
Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Temu were approached for comment.
Ones to look out for
Of all the sunglasses the watchdog tested, the ones they were most concerned about were the first two in this list:
- Cute Cat Kids’ Sunglasses UV Protection, which cost £1.59 (bought from Amazon). Researchers noted the lenses let through between 19 and 22 times too much UVB, which means they’re providing hardly any eye protection.
- Classic Vintage Holiday Sunglasses UV400 £3.99. Researchers note that since their investigation began, this pair of glasses is no longer listed by the seller. But the eBay store they bought them from lists another 34 different models and claims more than 5,000 sales of sunglasses.
- Others tested by Which? included a heart-shaped pair of glasses bought from a seller on eBay (Retro Love Heart shape UV400, £2.83). The lenses aren’t consistent in the way they filter UV.
- Another heart-shaped pair of glasses from eBay (Heart Pattern UV400, £5.28) has exactly the same problem. One lens filters more UV than the other. As light doesn’t pass through the lenses evenly, this could lead make it uncomfortable for a child wearing them.
- A pair of kids’ aviators on AliExpress (New fashion Pilot sunglasses for kids children, £1.16) were equally problematic. Researchers tested them twice, and they failed both times as the lenses let through different levels of UV.
- Which? also tested a cheap pair of kids’ sunglasses from Temu (Trendy And Vibrant Glasses for Kids, £1) that couldn’t consistently filter UV across both lenses.
