Although the weather is pleasant and you wish to spend your days outdoors, wearing sunglasses is an advisable precaution to protect your eyes. Polarized sunglasses provide a variety of benefits, including improved vision. Although these lenses can reduce eye strain and glare, are they worth the cost?
To decide whether they are worth your investment, let us dig into more details.
Table of Contents
Polarized Sunglasses: What Are They?
Polarized Sunglasses help reduce eye strain near a reflective surface or in the sun. Individuals suffering from glare experience light entering their eyes and interfering with their ability to see. Different surfaces, such as snow or water, can reflect light into your eyes and temporarily impair your vision.
Polarized sunglasses are an excellent choice for those who enjoy spending time outdoors. The sunglasses can be worn both for work and leisure, and they will keep you comfortable and provide better visibility as you move throughout your day. Polarized sunglasses are always useful, whether it is raining, snowing, or overcast.
How effective are they?
Water, snow, and even road surfaces reflect different patterns of light. Light bounces off horizontal surfaces in a similar manner. You usually see glare when direct light hits horizontal surfaces.
Polarized sunglasses are coated with a chemical that helps them filter light more effectively. Their vertical openings permit horizontal light to pass through. A lens with this chemical allows horizontally traveling light to pass through while blocking vertically traveling light.
Polarized sunglasses filter light, making images seem darker, allowing you to see more details and objects. Such sunglasses can reduce eye strain, enabling you to spend more time outdoors.
Why Are Polarized Sunglasses the Best?
Polarized sunglasses can be extremely useful whether you live in a snowy climate or are an avid outdoor enthusiast. You should wear these when:
- Golfing: Polarized lenses reduce glare and assist in finding lost balls in water hazards.
- Fishing: Polarized lenses reduce glare on the water, making fishing easier.
- Boating: Wearing polarized sunglasses when boating reduces eye strain.
- Snowy environments: Wearing polarized sunglasses can help you avoid glare while walking, skating, or driving to work.
Comparison of polarized and UV protected sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses are not the same as UV-protected sunglasses. The polarized lenses do not offer UV protection if they are not specifically labeled. Although UV protection alone does not provide much protection against reflected light.
With UV-protected sunglasses, your eyes are protected from harmful light rays that can damage your eyes. Sunglasses with at least 99 percent UV protection are preferred. Consider UV-protected lenses when buying polarized sunglasses.
There are many benefits to wearing polarized sunglasses, but how do you know whether they are right for you? Consider the benefits and drawbacks of each lens before making your decision.
The Pros & Cons of Polarized Sunglasses
Many people are unsure whether polarized lenses are worth the investment. Check out some of these sunglasses’ pros and cons before making a final decision.
Pros
Having polarized sunglasses can offer several benefits, including:
- Improved vision
- Enhance contrast and minimize color distortion
- Reflections and glare are reduced
- Eye strain is reduced
Polarized sunglasses can also have their lenses customized, just like regular sunglasses. The presence of gray and brown, for example, improves the appearance of greens and blues and preserves images’ true colors.
The choice between prescription and non-prescription polarized lenses depends on your personal preference and the color of the lenses. If you wish, you can even add mirror coatings to your sunglasses to further inhibit the passage of light into your eyes.
Cons
There are some limitations to wearing polarized sunglasses. Among them are:
- Observing LCD screens
- Driving at night
Polarized sunglasses might have some disadvantages, but they are useful if you frequently spend time outdoors or drive to work.
So, is it worth wearing polarized sunglasses?
If you require polarized sunglasses for your lifestyle, they are worth the cost. They are ideal for people who spend time outdoors, live in a cold climate, or frequently drive.
Make sure your polarized sunglasses offer 99 to 100% UV protection not to damage your eyes.
If you have concerns about polarized lenses, your optometry team is the best source of information. They can determine if polarized sunglasses are right for you based on their knowledge and expertise.