Sunglasses and optical frames are sold through glass, and the lens is a mirror. The single most common complaint from an optical store is not “too dark” — it is a bright reflection sitting right across the lenses the customer is trying to look through. This page covers how to avoid it.
A spectacle lens is a curved, partially reflective surface mounted vertically. If the light source is at the same height as the customer’s eye and directly in front, the reflection lands exactly where the customer is looking — a white streak across both lenses, for every frame on the shelf.
Fix the geometry first. Light frames from above and slightly in front, so the specular reflection is thrown downwards, below the sightline. Where a wall bay has a shelf above each row, an under-shelf bar lighting the row below does this naturally.
Then fix the beam. A narrow beam produces a small, controllable reflection; a very wide beam produces a broad sheet of glare across the whole bay. Use 25°–45° for individual frames on a display arm, and reserve the 110° bars for even vertical wash on a back panel or shelf run — not for lighting the lenses directly at eye level.
And check the finish. A matte black housing in a dark interior disappears; a bright silver housing in the same interior becomes another reflection source. We keep black, silver and white in stock and match custom finishes on OEM runs.
| Model | Power | Flux | Beam | CRI | Voltage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHIB7520-3P-1W | 1W | 150 lm | 8°/25°/45°/80° | Ra90 | DC12V | Single frames on arms or small cabinet rows; black/silver/white |
| CHIF 10220-P-1W | 1W | 58 lm | 12°/25°/45° | Ra ≥ 92 | DC12/24V | Tightest control in the smallest body; 30 g |
| CHIF 10223C-P-3W | 3W | 165 lm | 12°/25°/45° | Ra ≥ 92 | DC12/24V | Frame materials and lens tints read true |
| CHIA8428-1 | 10W/m | 1000 lm/m | 110° | Ra ≥ 80 | DC12V | Magnetic-mount bar for under-shelf runs; cut up to 2500 mm |
| CHIA8428D | 10W/m | 1000 lm/m | 110° | Ra ≥ 80 | DC24V | Recessed bar, Ø8 mm hole, dimmable 3000–6000K, up to 2000 mm |
| T04F embedded track | — | — | — | — | DC12/24V, 8A | Flush track for wall bays; 15×11.5 mm opening, up to 2000 mm |
| CHIB7527-D-6W | 2×3W | 300 lm ×2 | 15°/30°/60° | Ra ≥ 90 | DC12V | Dual head for a bay that carries two rows |
Light the frame, not the lens. Aim at the brow bar and the temple, where the frame material is, so the reflection sits on the frame edge rather than across the lens.
Keep it even down the bay. A row that is brighter than its neighbours reads as a premium row and the others read as clearance. Even vertical illumination across the facings sells the whole bay.
Colour temperature by brand. 3000K for acetate and warm wood fixtures, 4000K for metal frames and a clinical optical feel, 6000K where the store sells mostly mirrored and sports sunglasses.
Low voltage keeps the case safe. Everything here runs DC12V or DC24V, so a track inside a customer-reachable cabinet is safe to touch and simple to service.
Certification, honestly: our standard builds carry CE and RoHS. UL/ETL for North America and ENEC for European tender work are quoted case by case — tell us the destination in the first email and we will price the correct bill of materials instead of shipping a sample that fails inspection later.
Next step: send us the internal dimensions of the case, the mounting height available, what is being displayed and the destination country — request a quote here and we will size the beam angle, colour temperature and driver before we send a sample.
