7 Major Benefits of Wearing Polarized Sunglasses
When sunlight hits a surface like water, snow, or metal and bounces straight into your eyes, the glare can be very uncomfortable. The primary reason is because these lightwaves are concentrated, intense, and coming at you horizontally. It’s the reason why polarized sunglasses have been popular with boaters, snowboarders and anglers for years.
Rather than being merely uncomfortable, having this intense horizontally-polarized sunlight in your eyes for prolonged periods can actually cause long-term damage. Sure, there’s the initial short-term visual impairment, but there can also be an impact on eye health. Naturally, sunglasses with polarized lenses are a wise investment.
Advanced polarized technology uses special filters that actively absorb this reflected glare. They’re so effective at doing so that less than 1% of these intense light rays are able to get through to the eyes themselves—greatly improving visual comfort and reducing eye strain.
Benefit 1 - They Offer Supreme Eye Comfort
When you’re outside in bright sunlight without the right protection, the first thing you’ll notice is the discomfort that causes you to squint your eyes in response. This is caused by both vertically and horizontally-polarized light rays that are all but eliminated by polarized lenses, allowing you to see clearly for long periods without eye fatigue.
The reason why polarized sunglasses make it easier to see in these conditions is chiefly because they’re able to block out both polarities of light. As such, the muscles around your eyes aren’t continually being strained to keep them out.
Benefit 2 - Superior Contrast, Clarity & Color
Another huge benefit of polarized lenses is the way they make it possible to discern colors accurately in inhospitable light conditions. In fact, they make it significantly easier to see both contrast and definition with all of those horizontal light waves being removed from the equation.
With a pair of good quality polarized sunglasses on, you can see clearly and perform your best, as if there was no reflected glare at all.
Benefit 3 - They’re Great For Sports
When you’re engaged in outdoor sports that call for precision like tennis, cycling, shooting and archery, the need for absolute concentration and quick reaction times are paramount. However, if the sun’s beating down and creating glare, it can be quite difficult to focus and react.
As we mentioned earlier, polarized glasses are great at stopping glare reflected back from the surface of water, so they’re the perfect choice for anyone engaging in water-based sports. When using wrap-around styles, sportspeople are thoroughly protected from most light conditions and are free to concentrate on the job at hand.
Benefit 4 - They Make Driving Safer
Reflected glare can be really dangerous when driving, especially when there is sunlight coming up at you from a wet road. In fact, glare is cited as being one of the primary causes of motoring accidents across the US, but polarized lenses can make light of difficult driving conditions.
As squinting causes tiredness, driving for a long time on a sunny day can also greatly increase general fatigue— another leading cause of road accidents—so getting a pair for the car is certainly a wise move.
Benefit 5 - They’re Great For Winter
Polarized sunglasses are super effective all-year-round, but they really come into their own during the winter months when there’s snow on the ground. Believe it or not, as much as 80% of the UV rays the sun emits can be reflected back up at you from the ground, effectively doubling the sun exposure that reaches your eyes.
No matter what you’re doing in a snowy environment, polarized lenses can help keep your eyes comfortable with no loss of clarity, whether you’re snowboarding, skiing or simply working in the snow.
Benefit 6 - They Make It Easier For Anglers to See Through the Water
If you’re a fan of fishing, then you’ll understand the need to be able to see beneath the surface of the water easily. On a sunny day, the water’s surface is one of the most reflective you’ll find, which can make seeing past it uncomfortable or even downright impossible!
With a pair of polarized sunglasses on, however, this sharp glare is negated, making it easier to keep a close eye on the behavior of the fish you’re trying to catch!
Benefit 7 - They Can Be Tailored to Your Specific Needs
While many types of polarized lenses offer general protection that works in most types of light conditions, there are also different colors of polarized lens that will help to protect your eyes and sharpen your vision depending on your requirements.
For instance, rose-colored polarized sunglasses are known to reduce the frequency of migraine triggers, whereas yellow lenses are perfect for people who are susceptible to eye fatigue and eye-related headaches.
Polarized Lenses Represent a Wise Investment
The concept of glare and UV damage is something that everyone is aware of to some degree, as it’s a discomfort that we can all relate to. As well as making it difficult to see, going out unprotected in these kinds of environments can make you tired, irritable and lead to both short and long-term eye health issues.
Then there are the issues of safety and performance, with driving, skiing, watersports and many other activities that are more than adequately dealt with by the unique qualities that polarized lenses offer.
When you look at what polarized sunglasses offer in terms of comfort, eye-safety, overall safety and ability to see clearly in the most harshly lit environments, the benefits really do speak for themselves. So, we’d urge you to invest in a pair for yourself and experience what total eye comfort feels like.
