If you’re shopping for a new pair of sunglasses this holiday season make sure you are buying a quality pair, for your eye’s sake; since Ultraviolet (UV) light damages the cornea and the retina, a good pair of sunglasses is a necessity. The impostor sunglasses you see when you go into a flea market, or into a convenience store, should be avoided due to the fact that typically the lenses are nothing more than ordinary plastic with a thin tinted coating on them, making these glasses much different than high quality ones. The main difference between the two types of sunglasses is the lenses, as the lenses on a pair of Oakley’s compared to an impostor pair are very different from each other. Impostor sunglasses can also lead to increased headaches, doubled vision, and bad eyesight due to the quality of the lenses, which allows UV light to enter, increasing the damage that UV light can do to the retina; while good sunglasses eliminate UV rays completely, in addition to being able to block light entering the eyes by as much as 97 percent to avoid damage.
Since UV damage is cumulative over time, it’s very important to pick a pair of sunglasses that are going to give your eyes the proper protection that they need. Here are some things to look for the next time your shopping for sunglasses:
Look for a sticker or a label that says one or more of the following:
- Block 99% or 100% of UVB and UVA rays.
- Meet ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Z80.3 blocking requirements.
- UV 400 protection; these shield your eyes from even the tiniest UV rays.
Choose the right hue
Yes, hue does matter, and here is a breakdown of each color and its benefit:
- Amber is great for increasing contrast, allowing you to see shapes with more clarity; it also provides you with a brighter view on those foggy, cloudy, or hazy days.
- Blue lenses are great for anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors on bright, sunny days; these lenses help enhance contrast and reduce glare in bright lights.
- Brown hues will help “improve” the light quality, and in low-light conditions they aid with depth perception.
- Lenses that are the darkest at the top and become lighter as you look down the lenses are called gradient lenses are good for low-light situations, driving, gives greater visibility than traditional lenses, all while protecting your eyes from the sun.
- Green hued lenses have the least amount of color distortion, making them a great all-purpose choice.
- When it comes to outdoor activities and bright light conditions gray lenses are a great choice, as they work to reduce glare and dull bright light.
- Mirrored lenses have a reflective coating on the surface of the lens, which helps reduce glare, without sacrificing contrast definition.
- Orange lenses help to add contrast, so they are great for low-light and overcast conditions.
- Rose lenses help you see objects and shapes more clearly as they increase contrast, so they work well in low-light conditions.
- Smoke lenses are meant to be worn during the day and they are excellent with decreasing bright sunlight without distorting colors.
- Yellow lenses are a good option for those overcast days, as they help increase visibility and depth perception.
If you spend a lot of time on the water opt for Polarized lenses:
- Cuts down on glare from flat, smooth surfaces such as water, snow, the hoods of cars and pavement.
- A downside is that they can make it difficult to read liquid-crystal displays on dashboards, ATM machines, GPS devices, as well as cell phones.
- Polarization has nothing to do with UV protection, so make sure the glasses also provide UVB and UVA protection.
Also look for a pair that has large lenses, this way they will cover a wider area of skin so there’s less chance of UV penetration; in this case, bigger is better. But don’t get a pair that is too big for your face! If you still aren’t convinced, look up Deborah Kane’s story, she had to have her right eye removed because she was diagnosed as having malignant melanoma behind her eye due to years of wearing cheap sunglasses-at the young age of 25! Don’t ever think “it can’t happen to me” and start being proactive, use this information as a reference the next time you are shopping for a new pair of sunglasses, and protect your eyes!