Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Polarized Sunglasses

Most people wear sunglasses for the simple reason of being able to see when it's bright outside, but there are advanced types of sunglasses that do offer more protection and visibility in bright weather. Used by people on boats and near the water for many years, polarized sunglasses help people deal with the ever-present outside glare.

Polarized sunglasses are manufactured with a polarizing filter inserted between the lens layers. The way in which polarized sunglasses reduce glare is through the filtering of intense reflected rays of light. Light often reflects in such a way that it scatters (vibrates) in every direction and evenly, which means that a traditional pair of sunglasses would work fine to stop a person from squinting. More intense shafts of light reflected from flat or smooth surface such as water changes wavelength property. This polarized light does not scatter as it should and appear very concentrated requiring polarized lenses to block that powerful light.

Polarized sunglasses also offer help to wearers in just about any sunny area outside even if there isn't any water nearby. Glare can occur on a variety of surfaces, and polarized sunglasses make it easier to see during particularly bright days. These sunglasses are also used inside when a person has an extreme sensitivity to light and requires eye protection indoors.

In addition, anyone dealing with cataract removal might also be given a pair of polarized sunglasses shortly after surgery. Sometimes a person whose eyes work just fine yet experiences sunlight through a large window while sitting inside might also want to wear polarized sunglasses to make it easier to see inside.

A further element regarding eye protection and sunglasses involves whether a pair protects the eyes from ultraviolet (UV) rays that come from the sun. The type of ultraviolet light that doctors and eye specialists warn about are the UVB rays, which necessitate the use of sunglasses and sunscreen whenever someone goes outside. Interestingly, these types of rays don't pass through glass, and so it's easy to protect the eyes against these dangerous rays with a pair of sunglasses.

It's important to consider that just because a day is overcast or the sun doesn't seem too bright that this doesn't mean that the UV rays aren't in attendance. No matter the condition of the sky, the afternoon hours will almost always cause some ultraviolet light to reach the eyes and so wearing sunglasses on a regular basis is recommended, especially if an individual is otherwise prone to cataracts.

Another feature that may impact the type of sunglasses purchased is the variation in thickness of the lenses. Most polarized lenses will come in 1.1mm and .75mm varieties, but the level of polarization remains the same between these types. Activities that might break a pair of sunglasses would necessitate the thicker 1.1mm variety while the .75mm variety would be appropriate for less strenuous activities.

One thing to remember about polarized sunglasses and their difference from regular sunglasses is that a polarized pair might actually make it a little harder to see in certain circumstances. For example, skiers usually don't want to wear polarized sunglasses because seeing where the snow turns into ice would be much more difficult and would make it hard to keep safe on the slopes. For this reason, it's recommended that a person picks up a pair of regular sunglasses online so that pairs may be switched out if necessary.

For anyone unsure as to whether they're actually wearing a pair of polarized sunglasses, it's easy to test the glasses. Simply turning on a computer and staring at it while moving the head back and forth as if saying, "no" should show a darkening screen whenever the head is turned all the way to the right or left.

Design trends right now for polarized sunglasses frames match the styles currently popular for regular sunglasses such as classic aviators, popular wayfarers, and teashades (the round style once worn by John Lennon). Although polarized lenses might work best with a large or oversized pair of lenses, any style of sunglasses may be designed with polarized lenses.

By : Upneet Kaur