Ray-Ban Unisex Kids 9052s Sunglasses 48 Black Review: junior Wayfarers that also suit small adult faces

I’ve been using the Ray-Ban Unisex Kids 9052s (size 48, black) for a few weeks, and I’ll be honest: I didn’t buy them for a kid. I’ve got a small, narrow face and most adult Wayfarers either slide down my nose or look like I’m wearing my dad’s glasses. So I went for the junior size to see if it would finally fit properly without looking ridiculous.

Out of the box, my first reaction was basically the same as a few Amazon reviewers: they look really small. For a second I thought I’d messed up and ordered toy glasses. But once I actually put them on, the size made sense. On a small adult face or a kid from around 9–13 years old, they sit where they should, and they don’t stick out too far on the sides.

I’d already seen the mixed reviews: some people saying “great quality Ray-Ban”, others saying “very plastic and fake for £50”. So I went in with moderate expectations. I wasn’t expecting luxury, but I did want something better than the random £10 plastic sunglasses you grab at a supermarket. I was mainly looking at fit, comfort, and whether the lenses actually make a difference in bright sun.

Overall, they do the job. They’re not perfect, and I think the price is a bit high for what you get, especially since they’re not polarised. But if you or your kid has a smaller face and you like the classic Wayfarer look, they’re a pretty solid option—as long as you know exactly what you’re paying for and don’t expect miracles.

Let’s talk money. These usually sit around the £40–£60 range depending on the deal. For kids’ sunglasses, that’s not cheap at all. You can easily find non-branded or sports-brand kids’ sunglasses for under £20, some of them even polarised. So you have to be clear on what you’re paying for here: the Ray-Ban name, the classic Wayfarer look, and a size that actually works for smaller faces—including adults with petite features.

Is it worth it? It depends who you are. If you just want something to throw in a beach bag and not stress over, then no, it’s probably not the best value. A £15 pair with UV protection will do the job and you won’t care if they get lost. But if you or your kid wants that “real” Ray-Ban look and you’re tired of everything else being too big or looking toy-like, then the price starts to make more sense. The build is better than cheap options, the lenses are more comfortable to look through, and the fit is simply better on smaller faces.

I agree partly with the reviewer who said “very plastic and fake but serves a purpose but not £50s worth”. In hand, they don’t feel like £50 worth of materials. But sunglasses pricing is rarely about just materials; it’s about brand and lens quality too. Here, you get decent optics, a proper case, and a design that doesn’t look childish. For some people, that’s worth paying for; for others, it won’t be.

Overall, I’d rate the value as moderate. Not a bargain unless you catch a good discount, but not a total rip-off either. If you specifically need junior-sized Wayfarers that are genuine and comfortable, the price is acceptable. If you’re just looking for functional sun protection for a rough-and-tumble kid, you can save money and go with a cheaper, more basic pair without losing much in terms of usefulness.

The design is basically a New Wayfarer shrunk to fit kids or adults with smaller faces. The lenses are rectangular with softer edges, and the frame has that familiar Wayfarer angle without being too chunky. On my small adult face, they actually look proportionate. They don’t stick out past my temples and they don’t cover half my cheeks like full-size Wayfarers do. On a kid, they look like “real” grown-up sunglasses, not cheap toy ones, which is probably part of the appeal.

From the front, the black frame is simple and clean. No weird patterns, no shiny chrome pieces everywhere. Just a solid black frame with green lenses. If you like low-key designs, this works. The Ray-Ban logo on the lens is visible but not screaming at you. For school, everyday use, or holidays, it’s a safe design that goes with pretty much anything—T-shirt, school uniform, hoodie, whatever. You don’t have to think about matching it to outfits.

One thing I liked is the size balance: lens width 48 mm, bridge 16 mm, arms 130 mm. In practice, that means they sit well on narrower noses and don’t flare out too much at the sides. A couple of reviewers mentioned they look tiny out of the box but fit great once worn, and I had the same impression. If you’re used to big fashion sunglasses, these will feel small, but that’s the point. They’re meant for smaller heads, not wide adult faces.

The only downside on design is that there’s nothing special about it beyond being a smaller Wayfarer. If you already own adult Ray-Bans, this is literally just a scaled-down copy. That can be good (classic look, easy to wear) but also a bit boring for the price. No polarised option here, no fancy lens colours, just basic green non-polarised lenses and a black frame. So design-wise: clean, classic, and safe, but not exciting. It gets the job done if you just want simple, decent-looking shades for a kid or small adult.

Comfort is where these glasses actually do pretty well, as long as you’re in the right size range. On my small adult face, they sit nicely on the nose without digging in. The 16 mm bridge seems to work well if you have a narrower nose. They don’t slide down when I look down or sweat a bit, which is a common issue I have with regular-size sunglasses. The arms are 130 mm long, which is shorter than adult models, but they reach my ears fine and don’t clamp too hard on the sides of my head.

For kids, I tested them briefly on a friend’s 11-year-old. They fit him properly: the lenses covered his eyes fully, the frame didn’t droop down his nose, and the arms didn’t stick out weirdly. He wore them for about an hour at the park and didn’t complain once, which is usually a good sign with kids. If something hurts or feels annoying, they’ll take it off straight away. Here, they stayed on the whole time—even during running and messing around.

Because everything is plastic, there’s no nose pad adjustment. So if the bridge shape doesn’t match your or your kid’s nose, there’s not much you can do. On very flat noses or wider noses, I can see these maybe sitting a bit high or leaving marks after a while. On me, after a few hours outside, I didn’t get any pressure points or red marks, which is rare with heavier metal frames.

In daily use—walking, driving, sitting on a terrace—they’re easy to forget about. They’re light, they don’t constantly need adjusting, and they don’t give that headache you get from very tight arms. Just be clear: they’re for small or medium-small faces. If you have a big head or wide face and you try to force these, they’ll either hurt behind the ears or just look off. But for the target group (kids and small-faced adults), comfort is honestly one of the strengths of this model.

The frame is made from plastic (acetate according to the specs), and you can feel that straight away. It’s lightweight, which is good, but it doesn’t give that really solid, heavy feel you get with some higher-end adult Ray-Bans. The arms flex a bit if you twist them gently—not in a scary way, but you notice it’s not thick, rigid material. For kids’ sunglasses, though, plastic is honestly more practical than metal: less risk of bending them out of shape permanently, and they’re not going to get super hot in the sun.

The lenses are plastic too, non-polarised, with 3N coating (basically normal sun protection, category 3). They’re not glass, so you don’t get that ultra-crisp clarity, but they’re also less likely to shatter if a kid drops them or sits on them. In daily use, the lenses feel okay. I didn’t see obvious distortion when looking at straight lines, and they cut brightness down enough to be comfortable. They’re not at the level of high-end polarised lenses, but they don’t feel cheap like some £10 gas-station sunglasses either.

One Amazon review said they felt “very plastic and fake for £50”, and I kind of get that comment. If you’re expecting the same feel as the classic adult Wayfarers with glass lenses, you’ll probably be a bit disappointed. These feel more like mid-range sunglasses: fine for everyday use, but nothing that screams high-end. You can tell the build is more focused on being light and kid-friendly than on feeling premium in the hand.

In terms of finish, there were no rough edges on my pair. The hinges are basic but worked smoothly, no creaking or grinding. They’re not spring hinges, so don’t expect them to flex out massively if your kid has a wider head. For normal use, though, they’re fine. Overall, materials are practical and light, not luxury. For kids’ eyewear, that’s probably the sensible choice, but if you’re picky about build feel, you might think the price is slightly high for this level of plastic.

Durability is always the big question with kids’ sunglasses. From what I’ve seen so far, these hold up better than cheap no-name plastic, but they’re not indestructible. The hinges feel okay—basic but not flimsy. They open and close smoothly, and after a couple of weeks of daily use, I didn’t notice any looseness or wobble. Still, they’re not the kind of heavy-duty hinges you’d find on rugged sports glasses.

The plastic frame flexes a bit under pressure, which I actually see as a plus for kids. If they sit on them lightly or stuff them carelessly into a bag, the frame has some give instead of snapping instantly. That said, if a kid really twists them or steps on them full weight, they’ll probably break like any other plastic sunglasses. They’re not marketed as “unbreakable” or anything like that, so expectations need to stay realistic.

The lenses have held up okay so far. With normal use—cleaning them with a soft cloth, keeping them in the case—no major scratches appeared. But plastic lenses will always scratch more easily than glass if abused. If a kid wipes them with a T-shirt full of sand or throws them face-down on concrete, you’ll see marks pretty fast. The included case helps a lot here, and I’d tell any parent: teach the kid to use the case, or you’ll be replacing sunglasses regularly.

Overall, I’d say durability is decent but not bulletproof. For the price, I would have liked a slightly more solid feel in the arms, but they’re still a step up from basic supermarket kids’ sunglasses. If your kid is reasonably careful or you’re buying these for a small adult who treats them like normal eyewear, they should last a good while. If your kid destroys everything within a month, I’d maybe go cheaper or look for specifically “unbreakable” kids’ models instead of these.

On the performance side, they do what sunglasses are supposed to do: cut down brightness and protect from UV. They’re rated as having UV protection, and in practice they handled strong midday sun without issues. I wore them on a bright day with a lot of reflection off cars and pavement, and my eyes felt relaxed—not squinting or getting tired after a while. For a kid, that’s exactly what you want: something that actually protects their eyes instead of just being tinted plastic.

The lenses are non-polarised, which is the main downside for me. If you’re used to polarised lenses, you’ll notice the difference especially around water, car windshields, or reflective surfaces. Glare is reduced compared to wearing nothing, obviously, but it’s not as calm and “flat” as with polarised sunglasses. For everyday city use and playgrounds, it’s fine. For long days at the beach or around water, I’d have preferred a polarised version, especially at this price.

Colour perception is pretty natural. The green lenses don’t shift everything into a weird colour tone like some cheap blue or mirrored lenses. Contrast is decent: you can still see details in shadows, and it doesn’t feel like you’re looking through a dark fog. Driving with them was okay too; traffic lights and signs stayed clear and easy to see. For a kid sitting in the back seat on a sunny day, they’ll absolutely notice the difference between these and bare eyes.

In short, they handle daily sun exposure well, but they’re not high-tech. No special coatings beyond the basic 3N, no polarisation, no fancy treatments. If your priority is maximum glare reduction and eye comfort for long exposure (sailing, skiing, etc.), I’d look for polarised kids’ sunglasses instead. If you just need something for school runs, walks, holidays, and casual outdoor stuff, these perform well enough and feel safe for kids’ eyes.

In the box you get the basics: the sunglasses, a Ray-Ban branded protective case, and usually a small cleaning cloth. Nothing fancy, but it’s what you expect from this brand. The case is rigid enough to throw into a backpack without worrying that the glasses will get crushed, which is important if a kid is the one using them. It’s not premium leather or anything like that, just a standard Ray-Ban style case that feels decent enough for daily use.

The glasses themselves are the RJ9052S model, size 48, black frame with green lenses. They’re clearly a mini version of the classic New Wayfarer shape. If you’ve seen adult Wayfarers, these look like a shrunken copy. The branding is what you’d expect: Ray-Ban logo on the lens, small branding on the arms, and some model info printed inside. Nothing looks wildly off or like a knock-off, at least on the pair I had.

Weight-wise, they’re light. The product page says about 150 g including packaging, but on the face they feel pretty light and don’t give that heavy, front-loaded feeling you get with some metal frames. For a kid, that’s important; heavy sunglasses just end up living on the top of their head or in a bag. These are light enough that you forget about them after a while, which is what you want.

Overall, in terms of presentation, it’s straightforward: simple box, branded case, glasses that look like a scaled-down classic. It feels like a genuine Ray-Ban product, but you can also tell straight away that it’s plastic and not some luxury object. For the price, the unboxing is fine, but nothing that makes you go “wow”. It just gets to the point, which is honestly all I need from kids’ sunglasses.