A good pair of sunglasses is a wonderful thing to have on a bright summer day, but why is that?

How do our sunglasses work? It’s not just about the dark tint. Different lenses have different effects, and knowing what those are enables you to choose the sunglasses that are best for you!
 

The Color Of The Lens Matters

Colored sunglasses lenses look pretty awesome, but did you know that they actually serve a purpose? If your lenses are yellow or amber, that makes them great for outdoor sports — snow sports especially, because they filter out the blue light glaring off the snow. They also increase contrast and improve your depth perception, which helps you see the changes in the snowy terrain.

Purple or rose lenses create greater contrast between objects and a blue or green background, and that makes them perfect for waterskiing and hunting! If you’d rather not have the colors you see altered by your lenses, though, you might prefer ones that are black, gray, or green. Green doesn’t change much about the colors you see, but it does still filter out blue light.
 

The Effect Of Mirrored Lenses

If you love the look of Aviator sunglasses, we’re right there with you. Like colored lenses, mirrored lenses have a greater benefit than just the cool look. They significantly reduce the amount of light that will reach your eyes because most of it bounces off the mirrored surface. This makes them great for sandy or snowy conditions, high altitudes, and being on the water. Wraparound mirror sunglasses are also pretty good for extreme sports.
 

Get Rid Of Glare With Polarized Lenses

If you want sunglasses that eliminate glare, polarized lenses are the way to go. They essentially work like windows with microscopic built-in blinds. Light is only able to enter from certain directions. This means that any light that has bounced off of surfaces around you, like water or a nearby car, can’t come through and hurt your eyes!

Polarised lenses tend to be pricier than other types, but they make driving on a bright day much easier, and they’re wonderful to have for an outdoor adventure.

Check out this video to learn more about polarized lenses: 
 

Beware Cheap Sunglasses

The price tags on high-quality sunglasses can make a lot of people balk, but these lenses are worth the extra cost. Cheap sunglasses can actually put your eyes in more danger than if you simply went without sunglasses altogether. Being dark-tinted does not mean the lenses offer your eyes crucial UV-protection. Instead, they can trick your pupils into dilating, which lets even more of those harmful rays in. At least when you’re squinting against the bright light, your pupils know to contract.
 

Come To Us With Your Sunglasses Questions!

If you still have questions about what kinds of sunglasses would be right for you, just ask us! We can help you make sure you get sunglasses that protect your eyes the best for your favorite outdoor activities. In particular, we can help you make sure your sunglasses offer full UV protection!
 

We hope all of our wonderful patients have a fantastic summer!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.