Sunglasses, They Make You Look Great!

If you are looking for a new pair of glasses to protect your eyes from the sun, you may like to consider purchasing a good pair of polarised sunglasses. You dont need to spend the earth, although a great deal of the designer sunglasses will protect you and are may not be as expensive as you think.

You need to remember that the sun is powerful in the winter as well as the summer and you also need to consider what you need your glasses for. For instance, if you are skiing or snowboarding you need to make sure your ski goggles protect you adequately as the sun will bounce off the snow. However, if there is a danger of thin ice polarised sunglasses could cause problems because in some cases, definition will be lost because of the lack of reflection off the landscape. If there is no snow but conditions are bright, youll also get a lot of reflection from wet surfaces. An example of someone who would benefit from polarised sunglasses are fisherman, as these would make it easier for them to see more clearly into the water without the sun blinding their vision. Therefore it is important to remember that safety rather than fashion should be your foremost consideration.

Originally developed by Edwin Land in 1936, lenses are now either coated with a protective substance or have a filter enclosed within them. Polarisation now absorbs solar glare from reflective surfaces by up to 99% and counteracts the bright glare to the eye by restricting the light waves to a singular direction. For example, a visit to the Oakley sunglasses website and you will see that their technology has optimised polarisation so that it now exceeds 99% protection with the lens coatings being moulded at the molecular level.

There are many fakes around, so test whether your polarised sunglasses are authentic by rotating them and watching to see if the light passing through the lens changes intensity – it shouldnt. Dont go for cheap imitations, your sight is important!

Your sunglasses should also protect against 100% of all UV rays ( UVA, UVB and UVC). You should also remember that despite the colour or darkness of the lens, it is the clear outer coating that filters the rays and not the colour.

Most people are now aware that they need UV protection, but just to explain, UV radiation comes in at least two primary forms, UVA and UVB and both carry their own dangers. UVA can lead to premature skin aging while UVB may cause skin cancer. UVC has lower radiation and is mostly found in artificial sources such as certain types of lamps. While short-term exposure is not really harmful to the eyes, repeated and extended exposure is. What you need to look for is a 99 – 100% protection against UV, irrespective of the price of your glasses or the darkness of the lens.

They may a bit more pricey but even if they are a second pair, there are certainly many benefits to having polarised sunglasses, so do at least consider this option.