Summer weather is synonymous with sunglasses. Grabbing a new pair of shades makes the summer more bearable and protects your eyes.
Choosing the right sunglasses to maximize that protection is important. Two popular options are polarized and non-polarized lenses. While both types offer UV protection, polarized sunglasses in Calgary provide additional benefits by reducing glare and improving visual clarity.
Understanding Polarized Lenses
Polarized lenses are specially treated with a chemical filter that blocks horizontally polarized light, which is responsible for glare. The polarized filter allows only vertical light to pass through, significantly reducing glare from reflective surfaces like water, snow, and roads.
The Benefits of Polarized Lenses
Glare Reduction Glare can be both annoying and dangerous, especially while driving. Polarized lenses reduce glare, enhancing your awareness of your surroundings and potentially helping to prevent accidents.
Improved Clarity By filtering out glare, polarized lenses provide clearer vision and more accurate perception of detail. This is beneficial for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who require sharp vision.
Fatigue Prevention Glare forces your eyes to work harder, leading to eye strain and fatigue. Polarized lenses help reduce this strain, making your eyes feel more comfortable and less tired.
When to Use Polarized Lenses
While polarized lenses are excellent for many outdoor activities, they may not be ideal for every situation. For instance, they can interfere with the visibility of LCD screens used in some vehicles and devices. However, they are highly beneficial for golfing, skiing, fishing, motorcycling, and beach outings.
When Not to Use Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized lenses are not recommended when viewing LCD screens, such as car dashboard controls, ATMs, cell phones, and watches, as they can obscure the display. Polarized lenses reduce or eliminate reflected light from horizontal surfaces, making certain tasks like detecting ice on winter roads more difficult. Motorcyclists should not wear polarized sunglasses since seeing water and puddles on the road is more difficult with polarized lenses. Seeing variations in snowy terrain is another visual task that can be difficult with Polarized lenses, so skiers may prefer non-polarized sunglasses. It's important to note that polarized lenses are sunglasses and they reduce the amount of light available in low-light conditions, making them unsuitable for night driving.
Always ensure your sunglasses block UV rays, but remember that UV blocking and polarization are not the same. For further information on the benefits and drawbacks of polarized lenses, consult your eye care provider.
How to Tell if Lenses Are Polarized
To check if your lenses are polarized, hold your glasses at arm’s length, with each hand holding one temple. Look through the lenses at the reflection of the sky on a car window, lake, a river or a puddle. Then rotate the sunglasses while still holding them at arm’s length, like you would rotate the steering wheel on your car. Keep looking through them as you do this. You will see the reflection appear and disappear as you move the axis of polarization of your sunglass lenses in and out of alignment with the axis of polarization of the reflected light. If you don’t see this happen, your sunglasses are likely not polarized. If you have two pairs of polarized sunglasses, you can stack them, and then rotate one of them in the same way while you look through them. You’ll notice that your view through the two sets of lenses turns black when they are aligned at a 90 degree angle one to the other.
Are Polarized Lenses Better for Your Eyes?
While polarized lenses do not offer additional UV protection beyond standard UV blocking lenses, they can enhance visual comfort and clarity. Investing in polarized sunglasses is a worthwhile consideration if you frequently find yourself squinting or dealing with glare.
Choosing the best sunglasses is essential for protecting your eyes and enhancing visual comfort. At Doig Optometry, we offer a wide selection of polarized sunglasses in Calgary designed to reduce glare and improve clarity. Our team can help you find the perfect pair tailored to your lifestyle and needs. Don't compromise on eye protection and comfort. Visit Doig Optometry today and discover the benefits of high-quality polarized lenses for outdoor activities.