FACUA-Consumers in Action has warned that consumer protection authorities have ordered the withdrawal of seven models of glasses for observing the solar eclipse due to the risk of eye injuries.
The affected products belong to the brands Lionstar, ECP Eye Care Professional, Pelispan, Homanaje, Orro, Opticalia and Mó de Multiópticas. The irregularities have been detected by the consumer administrations of the Community of Madrid, Castilla y León, Galicia, La Rioja, Aragón and Balearic Islands, according to the information collected by FACUA.
Affected models and brands
- Lionstar (model LSP1): Included on August 5 by the Directorate General of Commerce, Consumption and Services of the Community of Madrid in the network of alerts for hazardous non-food products, with an order to prohibit marketing and immobilize units.
- ECP Eye Care Professional: Included by the Junta of Castilla y León on August 3, with an order to withdraw from the market and prohibit marketing.
- Pelispan: Included on July 29 by the Galician Consumer Institute of the Xunta de Galicia.
- Homanaje (model QW-50Z1): Also included by Galicia on July 29 due to the risk of eye injuries.
- Orro (model O37-R, batch 2603-01, manufacture 2026-03): Included on July 30 by the Government of La Rioja, which ordered its withdrawal from the market and prohibition of marketing.
- Opticalia: Included on July 31 by the Directorate General for Consumer and User Protection of the Government of Aragón, which ordered its immobilization and withdrawal.
- Mó de Multiópticas (model 2508-RS003): Subsequently added to the list of affected products. The withdrawal has been notified by the Directorate General of Benefits, Pharmacy and Consumption of the Government of the Balearic Islands. It is the second optical chain whose products have been subject to a marketing ban, after Opticalia.
FACUA has warned that the irregularities detected in these products could be present in other models of eclipse glasses that have been marketed or given away for free during recent months.
Risk to eye health
The risk description in the market withdrawal and marketing prohibition orders is related to a filter transmittance below the minimum required, which makes the glasses excessively dark.
Under these conditions, the user may put on the glasses and fail to locate the solar disc. As a predictable reaction, they might slide the glasses up to the forehead, tilt them, or momentarily remove them to find the position of the Sun and put them back on.
During that unprotected interval, the eyes are directly exposed to visible, infrared and ultraviolet solar radiation.
This exposure can cause a chemical or thermal injury to the foveal cells of the retina, a particularly important area for central vision, with the consequent risk of eye damage.
For this reason, the authorities have ordered the withdrawal of these seven models and, where applicable, have expressly prohibited their marketing.
In view of the solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, it is recommended not to use any of the models included in the alerts and to verify that any protection system used to observe the Sun is adequate and safe.
