Solar Eclipse Glasses for Business: When to Order

The short version. Shops, schools, councils, event organisers, tourism operators and promo distributors all hit the same wall: customers want glasses in the final weeks, and supply cannot stretch to meet them. Work back from 22 July 2028. Quote and sample by mid 2027, order in 2027, branded runs by the end of 2027, stock on hand by 31 May 2028.

How far ahead should a business order eclipse glasses?

Further ahead than feels natural. The eclipse is on a Saturday in July 2028, but the dates that matter to a buyer fall a year or more before that. Here is the order-by plan for each type of buyer. These dates leave room without needing a rush order.

Buyer	Plan and quote	Order by	In hand by
Shops and retailers	Now to mid 2027	During 2027	31 May 2028
Custom-printed and promo runs	Now to mid 2027	End of 2027	6 to 8 weeks from proof approval
Schools	Now to early 2027	End of 2027	31 May 2028
Councils and events	Now to mid 2027	Base order in 2027	Top up by May 2028
Tourism operators	Now to mid 2027	Base order in 2027	Top up as bookings firm

Freight and delivery depend on the order and where it is going. Ask us for current lead times when you quote, and we will give you an estimated date to plan around.

Why does ordering late go wrong?

Demand for eclipse glasses sits near zero for years, then lands in a few weeks. That pattern showed up in the US in 2017 and 2024, and in the UK in 2026.

United States, August 2017. Lowe's said its stores nationwide sold out of glasses in the four to five weeks before the eclipse. A Walmart clerk in Spokane told The Spokesman-Review "we sold out weeks ago".
United States, April 2024. In February the American Astronomical Society told Axios it expected sellers to start running out by mid-March, for an eclipse on 8 April. "It'll get worse the closer we get to April 8."
Europe, August 2026. The Royal Observatory Greenwich sold about 15,000 pairs in a month and then sold out before the eclipse, ITV reported. The US promotional products magazine ASI summed up the season: last-minute buying in Europe caused shortages and missed sales. One US manufacturer, American Paper Optics, said European buyers were much like American ones: they procrastinated.

We cover these rushes, the fakes that filled the gaps and what Exmouth got right in 2023 in our piece on eclipse glasses shortages and the lessons for Australia. For a buyer, the point is simple: a late order competes with everyone else's late order.

Timeline chart of when businesses should order eclipse glasses for 22 July 2028: plan and quote to mid 2027, order in 2027 with custom-printed runs by the end of 2027, stock on hand by 31 May 2028, then the consumer rush in the final weeks — Order-by windows for shops, branded runs, schools, councils, events and tourism operators. The shaded band is the final weeks, when most consumers buy. Lead times: Aura Sight. US sell-outs: Lowe's and the AAS. Chart: Aura Sight.

What should happen now, and through mid 2027?

This is the cheap part, and the part people skip. Use it to decide what you need, and to check your supplier before any money moves.

Ask for a sample pack. We send a free sample pack to registered businesses (we ask for your ABN or NZBN), so you can check the print, the fit and the paperwork before you commit.
Ask for the test report. Any supplier should show you the ISO 12312-2 test report for the product and tell you who made it. Our six checks before you stock list what to ask.
Get a quote. We reply within one business day, with pricing and, for branded orders, the artwork template.
Get it into the budget. Councils, schools and universities plan by financial year. An order placed in the second half of 2027 falls in the 2027-28 year, so it needs to be in the budgets being set in the first half of 2027.
Work out your numbers. One pair per person, worn for the whole eclipse, plus spares. Our guide to how many eclipse glasses an event needs has the formula.

When do custom-printed glasses need to be ordered?

We advise by the end of 2027. Branded glasses take longer than stock, and most of that time sits on your side of the desk, not in the factory.

The steps are a brief and quote, then your artwork set on our template, then a digital proof. Nothing prints until you sign off the proof, and larger orders also get a printed sample before the full run. From proof approval to delivery, allow 6 to 8 weeks. Details are on our custom-branded eclipse glasses page.

The printing is the predictable part. Approvals are not. Marketing wants changes, legal wants a look, a sponsor needs its logo cleared. Promo distributors have it harder again, with an end client between them and the proof. Starting by mid 2027 leaves room for a second round of changes and still gets the glasses delivered months before the eclipse.

Other makers work on similar windows. Absolute Eclipse, a European supplier, quotes about 6 to 8 weeks of production after payment and final artwork approval, with delivery on top. For ways to use branded glasses, see our guide to custom-printed eclipse glasses for business.

When should shops have stock on the shelf?

By 31 May 2028. That gives you June and July, the weeks when customers come looking, with stock already on the counter.

Plan as though most of your sales come in the final fortnight. That is when news coverage peaks and schools send notes home. A shop reordering then is too late, because every other shop is reordering too.

Order counter displays and family packs in 2027, then top up early in 2028 once you know how the first boxes are moving. Our guide to selling eclipse glasses for Australian retailers covers what to range, margins and what to say at the counter. Our stock is held in NSW and ships Australia-wide.

When should schools, councils and events order?

Schools should order by the end of 2027. Fundraising group orders are planned to open in April 2027, and online pre-orders ship from NSW by 31 May 2028. That leaves June and July for teaching the eclipse in class and handing out glasses. See eclipse glasses for schools.

Councils and event organisers should place a base order in 2027 and top up by May 2028. Crowd estimates firm up late, so order what you are sure of first, then add to it. The safety officer will want the certification pack well before the day. Our eclipse viewing event checklist runs from now to the day, and eclipse glasses for events has quotes for bulk and branded orders.

When should tourism operators order?

Place a base order in 2027 for guest packages, then top up in 2028 once bookings are firm. Operators in the path of totality sell the experience months ahead, and the glasses are part of what guests pay for, so they belong in the kit, not on back order. Remote operators in the Kimberley, the Northern Territory or outback NSW and Queensland should allow extra time for freight. Our guide for eclipse tourism operators covers packages, counter sales and paperwork.

What should happen in the last eight weeks?

By June 2028 the buying is done. The last eight weeks are about getting glasses into the right hands, safely.

Brief your staff. Counter staff, teachers and event crews should know the basics: one certified pair per person, glasses on for the whole eclipse, and any scratched, creased or torn pair goes in the bin.
Check the stock. Open a few cartons, inspect a sample of pairs, and keep the test reports and batch certificates where you can find them.
Put the paperwork out. A safety leaflet at the till, or in the welcome pack, answers most questions before they are asked.
Top up from stock only. Any late top-up comes from what is already in the country, while it lasts. Do not count on it.

Buying for a shop, a council, a school or a client? Ask us for a quote and current lead times. We reply within one business day, and the sample pack is free for registered businesses.

Get a wholesale quote Custom-branded glasses

FAQ

When should a business order eclipse glasses for 2028?

During 2027. Plan and quote now to mid 2027, place the order in 2027, and have stock in hand by 31 May 2028. Custom-printed runs should be ordered by the end of 2027.

How long do custom-printed eclipse glasses take?

Allow 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval to delivery. Nothing prints until you sign off a digital proof, so build in time for your own approvals too.

When do most people buy eclipse glasses?

In the last few weeks. In the US in 2017, Lowe's sold out in the four to five weeks before the eclipse, and in 2024 the AAS expected sellers to run out about three weeks ahead. Shops should have stock on the shelf before the rush starts.

Can we top up our order closer to the eclipse?

Yes, from stock while it lasts. Councils and events can top up by May 2028, and tourism operators as bookings firm. Branded top-ups need the same 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval, so plan those earlier.

What are your current wholesale lead times?

Ask us when you quote. Freight depends on the order and where it is going, and we will give you a date to plan around. We reply within one business day.

Can we return unsold eclipse glasses after the eclipse?

No. Wholesale orders are supplied to order, with no change-of-mind returns, and branded glasses are made to your artwork. Order what you are confident of using, then top up.