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What Are Polarized Sunglasses?

22 Jul, 2021
What Are  Polarized  Sunglasses?

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Everything you need to know about polarized lenses

Posted by Greg Rule, 16th July 2021


Looking for sunglasses can be exasperating, especially when you aren't sure which ones will provide you with UV light protection. However, this is a crucial part of keeping your eyes safe. Polarized, anti-glare lenses help with this by reducing light glare and eyestrain so that you can soak in the sun for as long as you need. Everything about polarized lenses has been summarized here in this article so that you can choose if they're the best fit for you and buy them from Rudy Project if needed.

What are polarized sunglasses?

Polarized sunglasses are specialized eyewear that use a particular chemical filter to reduce glare from horizontal surfaces such as water, snow, and glass. This is why they're trendy amongst people who like to stay outdoors and spend time around these surfaces. They also work great as driving sunglasses. Glare makes it harder to distinguish between objects, so using glasses with polarized lenses can be especially helpful

How do polarized lenses work?

There are many different directions through which sunlight can be absorbed or reflected. For example, when sunlight hits a horizontal surface, it also tends to reflect in horizontal order. This horizontal reflection can cause glare- which can be very potentially damaging to your eyes.

Polarized lenses reduce this glare. They do this with the help of a chemical filter that absorbs the horizontal light waves and only lets the vertical light waves pass through. This not only keeps your eyes safe but also preserves color, depth, and clarity.

Polarized lenses are Anti-Glare!

When should you use polarized sunglasses?

Although there is no specific time and place to use polarized sunglasses, they are most valuable with high glare activities around water or snow. Fishing, boating, and water skiing are three activities that suit the functioning of these glasses best. They are also excellent as driving sunglasses because they reduce glare from headlights and light reflecting off wet surfaces present on the road.  

Are they suitable for sports?

To answer the question, it depends. Although polarized lenses can be great for some sports, they might not be the best choice for others. Here are a couple of sports that polarized lenses work well in.

Running

Runners always make sure to slide on a pair of sunglasses before starting their journey. This is essential in all kinds of weather- not just summer. UV light protection is necessary even when the sun might be hidden behind clouds. If you're someone who prefers running during light, polarized sunglasses are your best bet. They clearly show the path in front of you by cutting down the glare from cars and other road surfaces. This way, whether you're running a marathon or just doing it for fun, you can always reach the end without any distractions or stress.

Triathlons

High-end sunglasses and triathlons always go well together. The sun's rays are capable of causing severe eye problems, and polarized sunglasses can solve this by providing you with UV light protection. They can enhance visibility while also controlling the brightness as they only allow the good rays to enter. Triathletes perform much better when this happens as the sunglasses decrease eyes tension and stress even if they have to keep going for quite some time.

Cycling

Again, a sport that requires sunglasses in a way that no other sport does. Although many people argue that polarized lenses may not be very advantageous for cyclists, this isn't true. Many people have recently been very attracted to using polarized lenses. They can see the road in front of them clearly and distinguish between figures when using anti-glare sunglasses, which might not have been possible with other glasses.


When should you not use polarized glasses?

Even if you have bought polarized lens sunglasses after reading about their benefits, it's imperative to keep in mind that polarized glasses cannot be used at all times. Here are a few instances when using these aren't recommended.

 

When looking at LCD screens and LED lights

These lenses can cause distortions in the way that people see liquid crystal displays (LCD). This would mean that cell phones, watches, ATM cash machines are all unreadable when someone is wearing polarized sunglasses. This is also why pilots cannot use these glasses because if they use them, they won't be able to see the instruments and screens on the plane's instrument panel.

When glare or more light is an advantage

Non-polarized lenses can and should also be used in situations when glare is essential. This can be to see ice on roads while driving or checking for icy patches while skiing. It would help if you were also using non-polarized glasses in low light and nighttime conditions as they define your view without darkening your vision in any way.

How should you check for polarized lenses?

If you're not sure whether your glasses are polarized or not, here is how to find out. The first way to do this is by looking at any reflective surface near you or holding the glasses anywhere you think they will reflect light. Since polarized lenses work using anti-glare properties, if you can see things clearly in bright sunlight when wearing glasses, this means that your sunglasses are probably polarized.  

A second way to check for these lenses is by looking at an LCD screen like a cell phone or a watch. Polarization makes it extremely difficult to view these screens normally. If your screen looks very dark or black when you look at the screen, this means that you're wearing anti-glare polarized sunglasses.

Polarized sunglasses at Rudy Project

Researched for hours and hours and are now set to buy polarized sunglasses but don't understand where to buy them from? We've got you! At Rudy Project, we have all kinds of polarized sunglasses (that can also be used as driving sunglasses) so that you can choose the one that fits you best. One of our best-selling polarized lens sunglass is the Rydon which has been approved by many people worldwide. If you don't believe how well it works, try it out and let us know! You won't be disappointed.