When shopping for sunglasses, your top priority should not be finding the right designer pair but making sure that they will protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays. The right sunglasses can be great defenders against short- and long-terme eye damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays. Be mindful of the following tips when selecting sunglasses:
- Nothing less than 100%: Don't settle for any sunglasses that offer less than 100% UV protection.
- Protect from all sides: Harmful UV rays can reach your eyes from all sides so you should consider sunglasses that are oversized or wraparound. These help further reduce the amount of UV rays reaching your eyes.
- Darker doesn't necessarily mean better: Don't be fooled by very dark lenses. While they may look like they offer great protection that's not necessarily the case. Again, check to make sure they offer 100% UV protection.
- What color?: As with darker lenses, sunglasses that come in shades such as amber, green or gray do not necessarily offer protection. Check the UV rating. Brown lenses block blue light most effectively, and are therefore most effective in reducing glare.
- No protection from polarization: A common misconception is that polarized lenses offer UV protection when they actually just help reduce glare from reflective surfaces. And some people are bothered by the unusual reflections they get with polarized lenses. You still need to look for 100% UV protection.
- Protection doesn't have to be pricey: You can look good and have 100% UV protection from inexpensive sunglasses. A hefty price tag doesn't translate to UV protection.
