The Cool Facts About Polarized Sunglasses
We’ve all been there: You’re driving down the freeway when WHAM! You’re momentarily blinded by glare. It’s not just annoying — it can be dangerous.
Enter polarized glasses. These nifty accessories aren’t just practical, they can also be quite fashionable, as they come in a wide array of colors, shapes, and materials.
But let’s discuss their magical properties first. Here’s how they work: When reflected, light can scatter, causing extra light waves to hit your eyes. Polarization reduces this scattered light to give you clearer vision and heightened contrast between colors.
And that’s not just helpful when driving. Polarized glasses are popular for a wide range of activities, including boating (to reduce the light reflected off water), golfing (so you can better see both the ball and cup), and skiing (the better to see obstacles through light reflecting off snow), to name just a few.
Darker lenses, which tend to be gray or brown, usually indicate more polarization, although the feature is also found in other hues. Choose a color tint to suit your needs, combine that with polarization, and you might think you’ve been given superhuman vision. (Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but you’d be surprised how much better you see with these two powerhouses combined.) And keep in mind that just because glasses are tinted doesn’t mean they’re also polarized — the description has to specifically mention that feature.
Because polarization is so popular, you can find most any style to suit your tastes, from round frames, square frames, and aviators to sunglasses designed specifically for sports.
Check with an eye care professional to see if polarized lenses might help you. Chances are, you’ll reduce eye strain and give your peepers a rest from intense glare.
(Note that polarization may all change how you see certain light-produced displays, such as LCDs or dashboard displays, so be sure to check before you operate a vehicle.)
Sunglass Museum the brand eyewear contains 1.5mm polycarbonate polarized lenses.