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You know the benefits of sunglasses and now you’ve decided
that it’s time to purchase a new pair.
Whether
it’s your first pair or a replacement pair, it should be simple selecting a
pair, right? Well it is
as long as you
are armed with the knowledge of what the options are and what upgrades you
might
consider. Below you will find a
brief listing of some of those items you need to reflect on when
choosing a
pair of sunglasses. Speaking of reflection, you can protect your eyes from the sun's
harmful glare with polarized sunglasses
First let us consider the most important feature to have in
your sunglasses: ultra-violet protection.
These days most reputable sunglasses offer UV
protection to protect your eyes against permanent
eye damage and cataracts that
can come from exposure to the harmful rays of the sun. Sunglasses
typically will provide the recommended
standards for UV protection of at least 60% UVA protection
and at least 70% UVB
protection. For added protection, many experts suggest getting 98% UV
protection. If the lenses can absorb 400nm of UV then they are equivalent to
100% UV protection.
The protective coating is applied to the lens during the
manufacturing process. Regardless of
price,
you can always find many styles of sunglasses with the suggested UV protection.
The next option to consider is polarization. Polarized sunglass lenses restrict the amount
of light
reflected off of flat surfaces such as roadways, snow or even standing
water that can enter your eye.
If you ever try polarized sun glasses you won’t
ever settle for sunglasses without polarization. The
difference in visual acuity is that
dramatic.
Another upgrade is mirrored
sunglass lenses. Mirrored sunglasses are
a fashion statement. The
lenses have a
highly reflective, polished surface that will prevent some light from reaching
your eyes.
They come in a variety of
different lens colors. However, mirrored
sunglasses are not even in the
same ballpark as UV and polarized lenses when it
comes to eye care. It’s all about the style.
You should also
consider the option of scratch-resistant sunglass lenses. Whether the lenses
are
plastic or polycarbonate, scratch-resistant lenses are stronger and more durable
than untreated
lenses. Scratch-resistant glass lenses come with a coating that
adds an extra level of protection.
High-contrast sunglass lenses are an upgrade that are not
for everyone. Orange and yellow sunglass
lenses are great for contrast filtering which gives better depth perception for
skiers and snowboarders.
But because they distort color they may not be right
for use in driving cars or trucks.
If you use prescription glasses to see indoors consider prescription
sunglasses to fully enjoy outdoor
activities and recreation. And they are so convenient
and health for you too. Photochromatic
lenses automatically darken and lighten as the ambient light conditions change. Some don’t darken very
much while others take
time to adjust to different conditions. While other photochromatic lenses
require conditioning or prolonged exposure to the sun to fully darken. This is
a great upgrade if you
are looking for one pair of glasses to use both indoors
and out.
The many options and features available for sunglasses may
seem, at first, overwhelming. But now
that you know what to look for: happy sunglass hunting!
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