Polarized Sunglasses Lenses

The Importance of UV Protection

From an early age, almost everyone is taught that spending too much time in the sun can be bad for you. While that’s true, the single broad statement has become a kind of scientific boogeyman. Everyone’s wary about the sun, but fewer people know about the importance of UV protection and how it can help preserve your eyes and vision.

Research suggests that prolonged exposure to light radiation from the sun without UV protection can increase your risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Macular degeneration is an eye condition that affects your central vision (your ability to see straight ahead). Cataracts — a clouding of the eye’s natural lens — can lead to blurry vision and other symptoms.

It's a common misconception that you only need UV protection, like sunglasses and SPF, on warm, sunny days. But UV rays reflect extremely well off of cloudy skies, snow, and water. For this reason, it's important to live by the rule of thumb that if it's daytime and you're outside, you should be wearing sunglasses. Doing so can help maintain the health and clarity of your vision.

The Benefits of Polarization

Sunglasses with a polarized lens coating have unique features that make them a great choice for active people, drivers, and more. Some of these features include glare reduction, UV protection, and more comfortable viewing.

Polarized sunglasses take in vertical light, but filter out horizontal light as well as light from other angles. This effectively blocks out the hazes and glares associated with bright reflections. You'll notice the most difference on sunny days and around reflective surfaces like water and roads. Additionally, polarized sunglasses naturally lessen your need to squint in bright light conditions, which may reduce eye strain and improve visual comfort.