Bausch & Lomb

The community's enthusiasm for Bausch & Lomb is almost entirely rooted in nostalgia and respect for the brand's pre-1999 products, particularly vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses made when B&L owned the brand. Commenters are nearly unanimous that B&L-era Ray-Bans — with their glass lenses, American manufacturing, and robust construction — represent a true buy-it-for-life product, while post-Luxottica Ray-Bans are widely dismissed as inferior. The brand today is largely seen as a shadow of its former self, having sold off its most celebrated product line.

Vintage Bausch & Lomb-era Ray-Bans (pre-1999) are a genuine BIFL buy with decades of community-verified durability, but the brand's modern products under Luxottica ownership are broadly considered not worth purchasing, so the recommendation applies only to sourcing vintage pieces.

Vintage Bausch & Lomb products, especially Ray-Ban sunglasses and WWII-era optics, are praised as exceptionally durable, optically superior, and genuinely lifelong purchases. Glass lenses, American-made construction, and decades of real-world longevity are the hallmarks community members consistently cite.

• Vintage Ray-Ban glass lenses praised for superior UV, IR, and visible light filtering
• B&L-era frames described as nearly indestructible after decades of daily use
• WWII-era binoculars said to rival quality of modern $700+ optics
• Vintage Wayfarers and Aviators reported still functional after 30-40 years
• American-made construction with interchangeable, SAE-standard parts noted
• Vintage safety glasses from the 1930s still considered bombproof and stylish

The brand's BIFL reputation is entirely historical — commenters are clear that Bausch & Lomb sold the Ray-Ban name to Luxottica in 1999, and the current product is widely considered low quality and not worth the price. B&L as a modern company is seen as having pivoted away from optics entirely toward contacts and eye drops.

• Post-1999 Ray-Bans made with cheaper materials and assembled differently
• Luxottica-era frames described as 'cheap, low quality shit' by optical industry worker
• Modern Ray-Bans largely manufactured in China, not USA
• B&L as a current brand no longer associated with premium optical products
• Some argue B&L itself mismanaged Ray-Ban before the sale, investing elsewhere

One highly upvoted commenter put it simply: if you can find US-made Ray-Bans by Bausch & Lomb, absolutely buy them — but the new Chinese-made ones aren't worth considering at any price.

An optical center employee explained that while most current Ray-Ban frames are poor quality since the Luxottica acquisition, a few models like the Original Wayfarer and Aviator still maintain above-average production quality.

Someone who paid $120 for B&L aviators in 1991 noted they've gotten 32 years out of them and they'll never go out of style — a straightforward case for the BIFL value of the original products.

A commenter described buying vintage Bausch & Lomb Wayfarers on eBay for around $60, having prescription lenses fitted at Walmart for $100, and calling them the most durable glasses they'd ever owned after years of breaking every other pair.