Wayfarer sunglasses are a Ray-Ban eyewear design from 1952, defined by a bold non-metal frame and a strong trapezoidal front rather than one fixed specification.
The shape that defined mid-century American eyewear nearly vanished in the 1970s. Ray-Ban’s own history traces the line from the Original Wayfarer in 1952 through the New Wayfarer in 2003, Wayfarer Optics in 2017, Mega Wayfarer in 2022, and Wayfarer Reverse in 2023. A single style family, then — not one universal product.
Lens type, frame material, dimensions, colors, polarization, prescription options, and price all shift by model and size. Treat “Wayfarer” as a design language, and the details below as the way to read it correctly before you buy.
The Wayfarer Timeline: Design Years And Model Codes
Wayfarer design dates to 1952, and every later version carries its own model code rather than a generic Wayfarer label. Ray-Ban assigns two letters plus four digits to each frame — the code is printed inside the left temple and repeated on the product page.
The two current identifiers you will meet most often:
- Original Wayfarer Classic — RB2140. The listed Matte Black/Crystal Green configuration shows 52-22.
- New Wayfarer Classic — RB2132. A black, green-polarized configuration displays 58-18.
Those hyphenated numbers are millimeters: lens width first, bridge width second. They are frame measurements, not a complete fit guide. Temple length, total frame width, lens height, and your face shape decide the rest, so check every figure on the exact product page before ordering.
Original and New Wayfarer are not interchangeable names. RB2140 and RB2132 are different frames with different proportions, and the naming matters when you are comparing prices or replacement lenses.
Why Wayfarers Disappeared And Came Back
Wayfarers became prominent through the 1950s and 1960s, approached discontinuation in the 1970s, and returned to visibility through 1980s film and television product placement. The revival was cultural, not technical — the frame itself barely changed.
That history explains why the style reads as retro to some buyers and current to others. The silhouette carries associations from mid-century design, music, and film, which is a large part of why people still search it out decades later.
If you are shopping for a pair to wear rather than collect, the practical question is which iteration fits your face and lens needs — our tested roundup of men’s Wayfarer sunglasses compares real configurations side by side.
Lens Protection: What Tint And Polarization Do Not Tell You
Dark tint and polarization do not by themselves prove a specific level of ultraviolet protection. Under FDA guidance, nonprescription sunglasses are Class I medical devices meant to shield against bright sunlight, not to correct vision, and UV performance varies with each lens’s physical, chemical, and optical properties.
FDA guidance points to UV and visible-light requirements under ANSI Z80.3 and ISO 8980-3. Use the manufacturer’s exact UV claim for the model you are buying instead of assuming every Wayfarer variant performs identically.
One more limit worth knowing: sunglasses attenuate bright sunlight. They are not automatically suitable as industrial safety eyewear, welding protection, or medical photophobia protection, and they are not the right choice for every driving condition.
| Model / Version | Introduced | What Sets It Apart |
|---|---|---|
| Original Wayfarer (RB2140) | 1952 | The founding design; listed 52-22 configuration |
| New Wayfarer (RB2132) | 2003 | Later generation; listed 58-18 configuration |
| Wayfarer Optics | 2017 | Ray-Ban’s optical-eyewear version |
| Mega Wayfarer | 2022 | Larger, more substantial iteration |
| Wayfarer Reverse | 2023 | Newer interpretation in the official timeline |
| Prescription versions | Varies | Sold as optical frames under the Wayfarer Optics line |
| Polarized versions | Varies | Lens treatment differs by model and configuration |
What To Check Before You Buy A Pair
Confirm four things on the live product page for the exact color and size you want: the model code, the frame measurement, the lens treatment, and whether the version is prescription or nonprescription. Current Ray-Ban US pages identify models and configurations but do not display one flat price that holds across versions.
Prices differ for standard, polarized, prescription, custom, and limited-edition builds, so a quote for one configuration tells you nothing about another. Ray-Ban’s official frame code reference is worth a look, and the Ray-Ban history of its glasses is the source for every design year above.
The short version: pick the iteration by fit and lens need, verify the code inside the left temple, and read the UV claim on that exact page. The style is one name; the product is many.
Common Questions
Are all Wayfarer sunglasses the same shape?
No. Wayfarer is a style family, and Ray-Ban has released several distinct iterations since 1952, including the Original, the New Wayfarer, the Mega Wayfarer, and the Wayfarer Reverse. Proportions, frame size, and fit differ between them, so compare the model code and measurements rather than assuming one universal shape.
What do the numbers like 52-22 mean on a frame?
They are frame measurements in millimeters, listed as lens width followed by bridge width. They do not describe the whole fit. Temple length, total frame width, and lens height also matter, along with your face shape, so check the full set on the exact product page for the size you intend to buy.
Do darker lenses always mean better UV protection?
No. FDA guidance notes that tint, darkness, and polarization do not by themselves establish a specific level of ultraviolet protection, because UV performance depends on each lens’s physical, chemical, and optical properties. Read the manufacturer’s exact UV claim for the model you are considering instead of judging by lens darkness.
Sources
- Ray-Ban. “The History of Ray-Ban Glasses” Source for the 1952 origin and the Original, New, Optics, Mega, and Reverse release years.
- Ray-Ban US. “Original Wayfarer Classic RB2140” Source for the RB2140 model code, the 52-22 configuration, and the temple-code reference.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Guidance Document for Nonprescription Sunglasses” Source for Class I device status, UV performance caveats, and ANSI Z80.3 and ISO 8980-3 references.