Nobody can know whether they’ll sell out, but last summer they did: on the eve of the eclipse, the Spanish newspaper El Español reported stock “running out at opticians, supermarkets and pharmacies all over Spain”, and in Zaragoza some opticians had already run out by mid-June. The sensible thing is to buy them months ahead, which is what gives you time to check them and to send them back if they fail. The eclipse is on Monday 2 August 2027, with totality crossing the path in the middle of the morning and the maximum between 10:46 and 10:51 Spanish time (CEST, UTC+2); exactly how long there is to go is on the countdown (in Spanish).
What happened last summer
This is how the press reported it:
- In mid-June, two months before, two opticians in Zaragoza told El Español that they had sold out “as soon as we put them on sale”, and the paper summed up that the city’s opticians “can’t stop restocking”.
- On 27 July, the Spanish government and ONCE (Spain’s national organisation of blind people) announced a free giveaway of two million glasses, mostly from 3 August (free eclipse glasses).
- In the first week of August, according to EFE, the Spanish news agency, one distributor said it had already distributed more than 700,000 glasses in Spain, and that it had started to notice the demand the year before.
- On the eve of the eclipse, El Español wrote that “eclipse glasses are selling out in Spain” and that many free distribution points had also run out. That same day, OCU, Spain’s consumer organisation, published six models recalled by Spain’s regional governments.
- On the day of the eclipse, the newspaper Diario de León was already counting seven recalled models.
We haven’t found any official figure for how many glasses were sold in Spain: the only one going around is that distributor’s, a company in the trade, as reported by EFE.
Why buy them early
Three things need days:
- Checking them calmly. The EN ISO 12312-2 marking, the CE mark, the manufacturer and the paperwork are checked with the glasses in your hand, and if something is missing, you ask for it. How to do it, step by step, is in our guide to certified glasses.
- Giving the alerts time. Last summer’s recalls came to light in the days before the eclipse: OCU published its list the day before, and one more model turned up the day after. With months to spare, if your model appears in an alert you can still return it: OCU pointed out that anyone who had bought one could ask for a refund. How to check is in fake and recalled eclipse glasses.
- Not buying whatever is left. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) asks people not to buy whatever comes up in ads or search results, which is exactly what you do in a hurry. Where to buy, shop by shop, is in where to buy eclipse glasses.
How to store them until August
Buying them in winter means storing them for several months. The AAS warns that cardboard has to be kept dry: if it gets wet, it swells and will most likely come away from the filters. The Trío de Eclipses website, from Spain’s Ministry of Science, asks for the label to include “clear storage instructions”, so follow them. The rest (flat, away from heat and without rubbing the filter) is in do eclipse glasses expire? (in Spanish).
That same article covers last summer’s glasses. The ones ONCE handed out were made of cardboard and, according to ONCE, were valid for the whole Trío de Eclipses, the official name for the three eclipses seen from Spain between last summer and January 2028: if you stored them well, check them before buying more. And before each use, hold them up to the light: if the filter is scratched, loose, bent or has lighter patches, don’t use them.
For a group
If you want them for the family, a summer camp or a business, first work out how many you need (how many eclipse glasses do you need).
On Order your glasses you can ask for ours: cardboard, with the EN ISO 12312-2 certificate, along with the phone filter and packs for groups. We reply with the price and the delivery time.
Sources: El Español — where to buy glasses at the last minute (in Spanish: sold out at opticians, supermarkets and pharmacies all over Spain; distribution points with no stock left); El Español Aragón — the Zaragoza opticians in June (in Spanish: sold out as soon as they went on sale, and restocking); Trío de Eclipses, Ministry of Science — the government and ONCE giveaway (in Spanish: the announcement and the giveaway from 3 August); EFE, in Valencia Plaza — demand for approved glasses (in Spanish: one distributor’s more than 700,000 and the demand since the year before); OCU — recall of eclipse glasses (in Spanish: six models and the refund); Diario de León — seven models recalled (in Spanish: the seventh); AAS — How to tell if viewers are safe (don’t buy what comes up in ads); AAS — How to View a Solar Eclipse Safely (cardboard, always dry); Trío de Eclipses, Ministry of Science — Salud visual (in Spanish: storage instructions; when not to use them); ONCE — the free glasses giveaway (in Spanish: cardboard glasses for the Trío de Eclipses); totality times: eclipseando data (skyfield engine + DE440s).
If you would like something to keep from the eclipse, the shop prints T-shirts, mugs and posters with the name of your town, the time of its maximum and its seconds of totality. See the merchandise →
Remember: never look at the Sun without proper eye protection (filters made to EN ISO 12312-2). The official reference for safe viewing in Spain is the IGN (in Spanish): eclipses.ign.es.