Are Polarized Sunglasses Worth the Extra Money? – Cleveland Clinic

Sunglasses are everyday fashion accessories that can instantly elevate the look of anything you wear. Besides their stylistic significance, sunglasses are equally important for safety. Wearing a pair of sunglasses provides excellent protection against the harmful effects of sunlight and keeps your eyesight preserved long-term. 

Over the past few decades, polarized sunglasses have become a highly popular choice of eyewear for their many added benefits over conventional sunglasses. These glasses come with polarized lenses that allow only a particular set of sun rays to pass through, based on the polarity of the lens, which can either be horizontal or vertical. Here are some of the top benefits offered by polarized lenses that highlight why you should wear a pair of polarized sunglasses every day. 

Reduced Reflections and Glare

Polarized sunglasses filter the light entering your eyes and reduce glare by blocking light from entering your eye at odd reflective angles. Reduced glare is one of the biggest reasons why polarized sunglasses are excellent for everyday activities like driving, fishing, etc. Wearing a pair of sunglasses with polarized lenses ensures the safety of your eyes in bright sunlight and results in reduced eye strain and a more comfortable viewing experience when compared to traditional sunglasses without polarized lenses.

Clear Color Vision

By filtering the light that enters your eyes, polarized lenses block the sun rays that are reflected by particulate matter in the air. Dust particles and pollutants in the air cause light rays to reflect in all directions and make colors appear dull. On the other hand, polarized sunglasses allow you to see the colors of nature better, with superior contrast and color saturation. The rich contrast and minimal color distortion offered by polarized sunglasses also allow you to see distant objects more clearly.

UV Protection

Most polarized sunglasses have built-in UV resistance. Wearing anti-UV sunglasses is essential to reduce the exposure of your eyes to ultraviolet light, which can cause damage to the intricate intraocular structures of your eyes and reduce their longevity and normal functioning. UV protection is particularly important if you spend most of your time outdoors in bright sunlight. The protection offered by anti-UV polarized lenses preserves healthy vision in the long term.

Safety

Since polarized lenses reduce glare, they protect you from harmful reflections from flat surfaces like roads and water. If you spend most of your time driving, you are likely to benefit greatly from a pair of polarized sunglasses that will minimize the glare caused by rogue rays of the sun and keep you safe from accidents on and off the road. Similarly, if you spend most of your time on the water in bright sunlight, you will benefit from the reduction in glare caused by light reflecting off the water, making your experience safer.

Conclusion

Getting a pair of polarized sunglasses is a worthwhile personal investment that allows you to experience better color vision, more comfortable viewing, and professional safety. Anti-UV treated polarized lenses take the safety one step further by blocking ultraviolet radiation from entering your eyes and preventing long-term damage to your eyesight.