I think it’s fair to say that most us know that long-term overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun can lead to eye damage and that sunglasses are an effective method of UV protection, but what do we know about sunglasses?
Sunglasses vs. sunglasses
In New Zealand particularly, we know how important sunscreen and hats are for UV protection, but good sunglasses are just as critical. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses that meet the Australian and New Zealand Sunglass Standards can reduce UV radiation exposure to the eyes by up to 98 percent.
However, not all sunglasses are created equal. The dark tint on sunglasses has nothing to do with UV protection. Many “fashion sunglasses” have dark-tinted lenses that may cut down on brightness, but don’t provide enough UV protection.
But don’t panic. You don’t need to spend loads for a pair of shades to protect your eyes from glare and, most importantly, UV rays. From July, 2019, all sunglasses sold here must be tested and labelled according to the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 1067.1:2016. This labelling provides a standardised lens category of 0 – 5. This scale rates sunglasses’ ability to cut out dangerous glare and provide UV protection.
What that means is that it doesn’t necessarily matter what you spend on your shades, if they comply with the standard and have a minimum lens category of 2 or 3, they’ll do the trick.
Sunglasses with a value of three absorb almost all UV radiation, whereas sunglasses with a lens category of 0 are “fashion glasses”, not sunglasses, and offer very limited UV protection.
Tinted sunglasses are great for reducing brightness and UV rays, but they don’t necessarily eliminate harsh glare like polarised sunglasses can.
What are polarised lenses?
The sun’s rays reflect light in every direction and when a ray hits a flat surface, the reflected light shines back at your eye causing glare.
Polarised lenses block glare. Sunglasses without polarisation reduce the amount of light transmitted through the lens, both horizontal and vertical light. Your eyes are still exposed to the light, albeit in lesser amounts.
If you wear polarised lenses, however, the glasses absorb the horizontal light waves so only reduced amounts of vertical waves can pass through: glare is gone.
Polarised sunglasses can reduce glare from water, snow, flat roads and windscreens, and they enhance visual clarity, contrast and reduce eye strain.
Benefits of polarised lenses
Glare washes out colours, obscures details and fatigues your eyes, so we often end up squinting, with watery eyes and headaches or migraines even when we’re wearing sunglasses. Eliminate glare and you can enjoy the world at it’s brilliant best.
The benefits of polarised sunglasses include:
- Improved visual comfort
- Improved contrast and visual clarity
- Reduced eyestrain
- True perception of colours
- Reduced reflections and eliminates glare.
We stock Adidas sunglasses
Adidas Performance
Adidas, pioneers in sportswear, integrate innovative design, sleek style and technological features in their sunglasses to give you undistorted vision.
Durability, protection and a good fit are all components of Adidas sunglasses. Optimised and tested in extreme conditions by top sportsmen and women, Adidas sunglasses enhance your vision so you can stay on top of your chosen game, whether it be cycling, golf, running, alpine sports or mountain adventure.
Adidas Originals
Striking and eye-catching, these retro-inspired shades come in eleven styles; there is at least one suitable pair of sunglasses available for each and every follower of fashion.
As well as the trendy design, ultimate wearing comfort is also a key quality of Adidas Originals sunglasses.
Originals use high-tech materials and shatter-proof, antiglare lenses, which also guarantee 100% UVA, B and C protection, and a special lacquer is applied to the metal temples and frames to make them resistant to sweat and corrosion, guaranteeing an exceptionally high degree of wearing comfort. Lightness, as well as ultimate wearing comfort, is fundamental.
NuPolar Lenses
At John O’Connor Optometrists we sell NuPolar Lenses – these polarised lenses eliminate glare and 100% UV protection.
If you wear prescription glasses, you can still have polarised lenses. Prescription polarised sunglasses using HOYA’s NuPolar lenses provide the ultimate glare protection.
Bill Bass sunglasses
Our Bill Bass polarised sunglasses start from $189 and our tinted polarised prescription sunglasses start from $488.
If you’d like to know more about polarised sunglasses and UV protection for your whole family, give us a call.
Call our Newmarket Optometrists on 09 522 1283 or Henderson Optometrists on 09 836 1731 or send us an email via our contact page. We’d be happy to discuss all options with you.