Even on cloudy days, the sun’s rays can actually damage our skin and eyes. That’s why sunglasses are so important. However, darker lenses doesn’t always equate to greater protection from the sun or UV rays. On top of this, everyone’s eyes are unique and some sunglasses are better for certain people than others. This then begs the question: What type of sunglasses are best for your eyes?
Below we break down what you might be missing when it comes to choosing a pair of sunglasses and how to pick the pair perfect for you.
Why the Right Sunglasses Are So Important
Sunglasses do much more than just make you look cool. They serve a very important purpose when designed correctly: to protect your eyes from UV radiation and help protect the health of your eyes overall.
The right sunglasses are especially important for children as they have larger pupils which allow more light into their eyes. On top of this, children are generally outside more than adults making it that much more important to protect their eyes from harmful UV rays.
Properly designed sunglasses not only protect you from UV rays, but also can reduce your risk of getting age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, skin cancer, and even blindness.
What Type of Sunglasses Are Best for Your Eyes?
Based on the above information, there’s clearly more to consider than just checking to make sure the sunglasses you’re considering are marked as offering UV protection.
Sunglasses come in a variety of materials, colours, coatings and treatments that all offer their own benefits and drawbacks. Because of this, everyone has different preferences for what works best for them based on the usage they need sunglasses for. Thus, choosing the type of sunglasses best for your eyes comes down to the features you need in them.
Below is a breakdown of each common colour of lenses and their unique advantages:
- Brown/Amber: Increase contrast and are good for driving, skiing, and boating.
- Green: Provides low light contrast and is good for everyday use.
- Grey: Offers true colour perception and is ideal for everyday use, driving, working, and playing sports.
- Vermillion: Enhances colour perception in low-light conditions and increases contrast against blue and green backgrounds. This colour is a good choice when you’re performing detailed work and playing golf.
- Yellow: Offers excellent depth perception and low-light contrast. Choose this colour if you plan on driving at dawn or dusk or when the weather is hazy or overcast.
On top of colour options there are several other features to consider:
- Polarized Lenses: Polarized lenses enhance colours and help cut down on reflected glare from wet roads, bodies of water, and snow.
- Non-glare: Removes glare from the surface of the lens to provide greater clarity and comfort.
- Gradients: Concentrates the darker parts of the lens near the top of the frames to improve visibility.
- Photochromic: Lenses lighten and darken to adapt to changing light conditions.
Overall, if you’re not sure what type of sunglasses or features to choose, it’s best to ask your optometrist what’s right for you.