Sunglasses often are treated as a mere fashion accessory. Plenty of people pick the pair they’ll wear based on how they look. But sunglasses serve a much more important function—protecting the eyes from both distracting glare and vision-damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Optometrist Jeffrey Anshel, OD, warns that while some sunglasses perform these critical functions well, others fall far short. Here is his advice to get the best sunglasses, including anti-glare glasses, UV protection sunglasses and polarized sunglasses…
Choose sunglasses that promise UV protection…and confirm that they do so.
Sunglasses should provide 100% protection against both UVA and UVB rays, which are both types of radiation from the sun. UVA rays have longer wavelengths and penetrate the skin more deeply, causing aging and collagen breakdown. UVB waves have shorter wavelengths and are more intense, causing sunburn and contributing to skin cancer. Unfortunately, sometimes sunglasses with stickers promising UV protection don’t actually deliver. One way to confirm that sunglasses provide promised protection: Put them on, and step outside on a bright, sunny day. If you feel the need to squint, the sunglasses are not providing sufficient protection. Reminder: Never look directly at the sun—that’s extremely dangerous for the eyes even when wearing sunglasses.
If a store won’t let you take sunglasses outside before buying them, confirm that they can be returned, then wear them outside before removing their tags. Bring them back for a refund if they fail the squint test.
Helpful: Marketing materials for some sunglasses claim to provide protection against UVC rays in addition to UVA and UVB. This is just a gimmick. UVC rays are blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere and don’t reach us.
Choose sunglasses featuring lenses that are ground—not stamped.
Low-quality sunglasses typically have lenses that are stamped out of a piece of plastic. Higher-quality sunglasses that provide meaningful eye protection generally have lenses that are ground from either plastic or glass, much as prescription lenses are ground. It can be tricky to tell the difference between stamped and ground nonprescription plastic lenses. Two ways to do so…
- Hold the sunglasses approximately 16 inches in front of your eyes, then look forward through them as you shift the sunglasses slightly left and right. If the lenses are stamped, you’ll likely notice distortion of whatever you’re looking at through the moving lenses. If they’re high-quality ground lenses, significant distortion is unlikely.
- Hold the sunglasses below eye level and tilt them, so you can see the reflection of overhead lighting above in the lenses, then shift the glasses slightly left and right. If the lenses are stamped, you’ll likely notice distortion in the reflection of that lighting as the lenses move—particularly with fluorescent lighting. With high-quality ground lenses, significant distortion is unlikely.
Buy sunglasses from an optical professional.
Sunglasses sold by an optician or another optical professional are more likely to be of high quality than those found on racks at gas stations or pharmacies. If your goal is to pay as little as possible for “optical-quality” sunglasses, buying sunglasses from the optical department of discounter retailer Costco or Walmart is a reasonable compromise. Warby Parker, which sells glasses both online and through stores, also tends to sell sunglasses featuring ground lenses. And if you live near the ocean, some surf shops stock high-quality sunglasses, too. Alternative: Buying directly from trustworthy brands is another way to improve the odds that you obtain effective sunglasses. Examples: Well-known makers Oakley and Ray-Ban provide the promised protection, as do lesser-known brands Method Seven and Maui Jim.
Four more sunglass features that matter…
Lens color
Gray is best—it reduces the transmission of all colors equally. Exception: Choose amber lenses if you suffer from macular degeneration—amber lenses help with contrast sensitivity and blocking “blue light” from the sun, both of which can cause problems for people with this condition.
Lens size
Bigger is better—the larger the lenses, the less sunlight that can reach the eyes around those frames’ edges.
Frame adjustability
Metal frames that feature nose pads are best—these can be adjusted to properly fit the wearer. But they can get hot when exposed to the sun for longer periods.
Polarized lenses
Polarized sunglasses are excellent anti-glare glasses, but whether or not to choose them depends on what you’ll be doing while you wear them. They’re a great choice if you’ll be on a boat, since glare can be especially problematic around the water. But polarized sunglasses could be a terrible choice if you intend to wear them while driving a car that has a digital dashboard…flying a small aircraft that has a digital display…or reading a smartphone or tablet while outside—polarization can block the light from LED screens, making these screens appear extremely dim or even blank.
