Why Do We Need Polarised Sunglasses?

Polarised sunglasses are just one way to protect your eyes from the sun’s rays, providing they are a decent pair. You don’t need to spend the earth, although a great deal of the designer sunglasses will protect you and are not always as expensive as you may think.

It’s not just in the summer you need worry about the sun but in the winter as well, you also need to consider what you are doing. For example, 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 bright conditions you’ll also get this ‘bounce’ effect 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.

Developed originally by Edwin Land around 1936, lenses are now either coated with a protective substance or have a filter enclosed within them. Polarisation absorbs solar glare from reflective surfaces by up to 99% to counteract the bright glare that the eye cannot protect against by restricting the light waves to a singular direction. For example, Oakley sunglasses have optimised polarisation that exceeds 99% protection with the lens coatings being moulded at the molecular level. (For more information on the technology Oakley uses visit their website.)

Oakley Tangent Sunglasses

As there are many replicas around, to test whether your polarised sunglasses are authentic, rotate it and watch to see if the light passing through the lens changes intensity – it shouldn’t. Don’t go for cheap imitations, it is your sight we are talking about. You can pay over a hundred for the Oakley Tangent (see left) or just £35 for the Bloc Cobra Sunglasses.

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.

So what should you look for when buying your new sun glasses? 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.

Short-term exposure is not really harmful but 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. Although a bit more expensive, even if it’s a second pair, there are certainly many benefits to having polarised sunglasses as well, so do at least consider this option.

How To Tell Fake From Authentic Polarised Sunglasses

If you are looking for a new pair of glasses to protect your eyes from the suns rays, you may like to consider purchasing a decent pair of polarised sunglasses. There is no need to spend a lot of money, although a great deal of the designer sunglasses will protect you and may not be as expensive as you think.

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.

Its not just in the summer you need worry about the sun but in the winter as well especially if you are involved in winter sports. For example, 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 bright conditions youll also get this bounce effect 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.

Considering there are many fakes around, test whether your polarised sunglasses are authentic by rotating them and watching to see if the light passing through the lens changes intensity – it should not. Don’t go for cheap imitations, it is your sight we are talking about.

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.

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 is a third type of 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 cost you a little more but even if they are a second pair, there are certainly many benefits to having polarised sunglasses.

UV Impairment To The Eyes And Wearing Sunglasses

People usually have some knowledge of the harm that continuous and frequent exposure to the sun may have on the skin, but they don’t invariably consider the effects on the eyes. Light is made up of invisible wavelengths that may also cause eventual problems for your eyes. These waves can be divided into visible, and high energy visible (HEV) light that induce ultra violet (UV) damage if you don’t protect your eyes adequately.

While visible light is the part that provides the perception of colour on the eye, HEV is the upper end of the spectrum in the violet blue band approaching ultraviolet. Substantial experience of ultraviolet waves can have effects later in life and can lead to macular degeneration.

Ultraviolet light waves are electromagnetic radiation that is seen to be stronger in higher altitudes or in open highly reflective conditions like water, snow and sand. Ultraviolet waves can be split into three forms of light, UVA, UVB and UVC. While most know that excessive exposure to ultraviolet waves leads to sunburn, there are other damaging effects to health which could occur, particularly on the eyes.

UVA (often known as longwave or black light) penetrates the skin and eyes and could cause untimely aging. It has also been linked to short term eyestrain and fatigue.

UVB (also referred to as medium wave light) is easily the most damaging of the sun’s rays and is known to be one factor in retinal damage and the advancement of cataracts. Ultraviolet B waves are also associated with other issues that can bring about eye disease and possibly blindness.

Ultraviolet waves of the C subtype (often called shortwave or germicidal light) are not a specific problem to the eyes, because they are mostly absorbed by the outer atmosphere before reaching the planet earth. UVC radiation is usually seen in artificial sources such as germicidal light and mercury arc lamps.

Don’t forget when buying sunglasses to look for those with 99-100% protection against UV damage.

It’s not all bad news, of course some exposure is certainly advantageous to your health. The only thing that people should understand is that for health purposes, moderation is highly recommended if you are in direct sunlight.