Lens Direct Five Frame Travel Case review

Whether you’re packing everyday glasses or sunglasses, you don’t want to arrive on your vacation to find they’ve been smashed while in transit. Thankfully, there’s an easy fix for traveling with the peace of mind of knowing that won’t happen.

With a budget-friendly price tag and space for up to five pairs of glasses or sunglasses inside, the Five Frame Travel Case from Lens Direct is a good deal. Made of sturdy material and offered in four classic colors, this travel case does not break or bend when pressure is applied, and it’s mostly waterproof as long as it’s not submerged under water.

We took the Five Frame Travel Case on two trips to find out how it works in action, shoving the case in two different suitcases and a travel backpack to see how it would hold up. Before you buy this travel glasses case for five of your favorite pairs, here’s everything you need to know.

The Five Frame Travel Case from Lens Direct is a great option if you have multiple pairs of glasses to lug around on your vacation. This case is smartly designed and relatively compact, allowing you to travel with peace of mind knowing your eyewear won't get smashed in transit.

The biggest advantage of the Five Frame Travel Case from Lens Direct is the fact it can easily hold five pairs of glasses of any kind. This is a major benefit compared to other glasses cases that hold just one pair, and it’s a great feature if you frequently need to switch from prescription glasses to sunglasses, or if you like to trade out glasses throughout the day and store them all in one place.

In our testing, we found the Five Frame Travel Case from Lens Direct to be very sturdy. We were pretty rough with it when trying it out, and we practically forced it inside an over-packed backpack for a flight to New York City. However, the case did not bulge or bend regardless of how much pressure was placed on it. In addition, the snap button enclosure did a great job at staying closed during our testing. That’s good news for keeping glasses inside, particularly if you have pricey prescription glasses or travel sunglasses that cost a pretty penny.

Another benefit of the case is the handy hanging strap that sits at the top of the contraption when fully unwrapped. This strap makes it easy to hang the Five Frame Travel Case almost anywhere, whether you’re staying in a hotel or getting organized at home.

Finally, at a price point of less than $20, it’s an affordable way to protect your eyewear when you travel. Some single cases cost the same price but offer the space for a fraction of the contents as the Five Frame Travel Case. Particularly if you’re traveling with family or a larger group, being able to keep track of everyone’s sunglasses in one spot can go a long way to helping you stay better organized and spend less time looking through a suitcase when you arrive.

The only real downside of the Five Frame Travel Case from Lens Direct is its size. When filled and rolled up, the glasses case takes up just about the equivalent space of five cases for individual pairs of shades, so it might be overkill if you only travel with two or three pairs of glasses at once.

The fact the case does not bend or break down in any way means it takes up a certain amount of space in your luggage no matter what — even if you’re not using all five glasses slots at once.

However, this can also be a positive, depending on your travel situation. For example, if you’re not planning to use all five slots, you can consider storing other small items in a space. You could fit a couple of credit cards, chargers or pens in one space so it doesn’t go completely to waste in your bag.

Let’s face it, there are seemingly countless glasses cases on the market. What matters is finding the one that works best for you and your travel habits — and how much space you’ll need to store your favorite eyewear.

The Longjet Sunglasses Organizer is constructed most similarly to the Lens Direct Five Frame Travel Case. While the Longjet option available via Amazon has more color options (nine in total), the major difference between the two is the price. Whereas you can nab the Five Frame Travel Case for less than $20, the Longjet option, which also features five slots, will cost you $26 when not on sale.

If it’s more slots you’re after, the Juvale 8-Slot Sunglasses Display Case may be the way to go. However, it’s worth noting that this is really a bulky case — it’s rectangular in shape and will take up more space in your carry-on bag or checked luggage. It’s right around the same price point as the Five Frame Travel Case and offers more space to store your — or your family’s — eyewear on every trip.

Finally, if you’re only traveling with one or two pairs of glasses, you might want to consider downsizing significantly in order to take up less space in your bag. Amazon sells a range of inexpensive singular eyeglass cases that you can get for less than $10. For example, the LifeArt Eyeglass Case ($8), Triumph Vision Squeeze Pouch ($8 for a three-pack) and the Altec Vision Sunglasses Case ($9).

The Five Frame Travel Case from Lens Direct can be a really good buy if you have multiple pairs of glasses in tow or you have several family members who each have a pair. The travel glasses case is pretty enough to store your favorite shades at home, and its hanging strap and rolling form make it perfect for travel, too.

That said, this glasses case is pretty big if you’re comparing it to a case that only fits one pair of glasses and can easily fit in a pocket. If you’re trying to avoid checking a bag on your next trip, you may want to find something smaller and consider bringing fewer pairs of glasses along.

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