What Makes a ‘Good Pair’ of Sunglasses?

It doesn’t matter if you’re playing on the playground with your kids, sitting in a boat in Lake St. Clair or just relaxing in the backyard, it’s crucial that you have the necessary protection for your eyes. The primary tool for this would be a good pair of sunglasses.

But what exactly makes a “good pair” of sunglasses? First and foremost, check if your sunglasses protect against ultraviolet radiation. If they don’t, you might as well be wearing regular eyeglasses, because while they might make the light less intense, you’re not doing anything for your retinas. But that’s not always enough. While UV protection is absolutely essential for protecting your eyes, you need to make sure they protect against UV-A and UV-B, the two different kinds of ultraviolet light. For obvious reasons, it’s essential that your eyes have the maximum amount of protection.

Speaking of maximum protection, did you know that light doesn’t enter the eye from just one location; it hits our eyes from all different directions. It will bounce of walls, snow, water, concrete, etc. That’s why UV protection isn’t the only thing you should look for in your shades, you should also look for them to be polarized as well. Polarization, or anti-glare, helps protect you from light that bounces into your eyes from different angles.

And while the necessity of polarized lenses should not be understated, lens color is also very important. As you’ve probably noticed, most lenses are some variety of gray, this is because gray is not only a neutral color, but also doesn’t distort the colors of the world around you. Gray is also the color that reduces the intensity of light better than any others.

And finally, make sure your sunglasses are comfortable, look good and fit well. We all know that you won’t wear a pair of ugly, uncomfortable sunglasses, no matter how well they protect your eyes. If you need help finding the perfect pair of shades, don’t hesitate to give me a call at 313-278-SEEN or contact me.