Choosing Sunglasses

Choosing sunglasses involves both a personal style choice as well as ensuring adequate UV ray protection for your eyes. UV, or ultraviolet, rays from the sun can be extremely damaging, causing cataracts and macular degeneration. Both conditions involve damage to the cells of the eye leading to impaired vision and can ultimately lead to blindness. This is why choosing sunglasses is important for children as well as adults.

Polarized Sunglasses

UVA and UVB rays are the types of UV rays that reach the earth most predominantly, so it is essential to choose sunglasses that offer a high percentage of sun protection from these rays -- preferably blocking 100 percent of them. This is one area in choosing sunglasses that you don't want to compromise.

It's important to find sunglasses that fit correctly. All sunglasses should fit comfortably from temple to temple, without pulling, which would indicate the glasses are too narrow, or being too loose, which would indicate they are too wide. The sunglasses you choose should also rest comfortably on the bridge of the nose without pinching. The glasses should not rest on the cheeks or touch the eyelashes, and the pupils should look through the center of the lens.

Basic frame styles are:

• Fully framed
• Half-frame or half rimless, in which the frame is only on the upper half of the glasses
• Completely rimless
• Semi- or full wraparound style frames, which are popular for sport and outdoor recreation eyewear.

Sunglass frames are made in a variety of materials. Resin or plastic frames are some of the most inexpensive options. High-density polycarbonate frames are a popular choice because they are highly impact resistant. Durable frames are also made from nylon, wood, metal alloys, stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium.

• Materials: Lenses are made from plastic, polycarbonate, or optical glass. The shatter-resistance factor of polycarbonate lenses makes them a popular choice for many sunglasses. While lenses made from optical glass are generally heavier, they offer the least amount of distortion.

• Coatings: Sunglasses can be manufactured with scratch resistant, anti-reflective, and mirrored coatings. While mirror lens coatings are primarily cosmetic, scratch resistant coatings improve durability of the glasses and anti-reflective coatings improve vision by reducing glare.

• Gradient Lenses: Choosing sunglasses with gradient lenses is a good idea for driving. They are dark at the top of the lens and gradually lighten, so driving glare is reduced, but the driver's ability to see the dashboard is unaffected. Double gradient lenses, which are dark on top and bottom and lighter in the middle of the lens, are recommended for sports where a high degree of glare reflection occurs, such as skiing.

• Polarized: Polarized lenses also reduce glare, but do so by an alignment which filters light waves. Glare caused by horizontal light waves is reduced or eliminated by the vertical polarizers in the lens. These types of lenses are not recommended for driving, however, because they may distort the appearance of LCD screen displays.

• Photochromatic: Photomochromatic or Photochromic lenses are often used for prescription glasses, but are available in non-prescription as well. Choosing sunglasses with these types of lenses is a versatile option because they are light sensitive, growing lighter or darker according to the amount of light present.

• Lens Color: There is a wide variety of colors for sunglass lenses. Grey is a common choice for daily eyewear and offers minimal color distortion. Brown and green hues are similarly low in color distortion, but have greater contrast. Amber lenses have one of the highest levels of contrast, which is good for activities when precision is important. Clear sunglasses can effectively block UV rays, but may be less comfortable because they don't reduce light glare. Pink, red, and blue have good contrast but cause greater color distortion than other colors.

Perhaps due to eye care professionals' recommendations for larger sunglasses to protect more of the eye, large vintage sunglass styles are regaining popularity. Aviator style glasses, cat eyes, oversized shields, and redesigned wayfarers are popular styles that are widely available.

Choosing sunglasses that fit your face shape is an important part of your style. Sunglasses can help balance the face. For example, a person with a round face may choose the contrast of wide angular styles of sunglasses, while a person with a square face may look better with rounded or oval styles.

You can find sunglasses at a wide variety of retailers and in many price ranges, from a $3 plastic pair at Family Dollar to a pair of New York designer Moss Lipow's $3800 ostrich and alligator frames. Although you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a decent pair of sunglasses, keep in mind that a moderate or higher price range will generally yield a higher quality, more durable set of sunglasses. Popular brands include: Oakley, Maui Jim, Ray-ban, Prada, Gucci, and Dolce and Gabbana.

Many stores and online retailers offer quality sunglasses at affordable prices. Just be sure to check the return policy when choosing sunglasses online, since you can't physically try them on.

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