How to Pick Out Good Sunglasses to Protect the Eyes ?

Choose sunglasses made from the right materials to insure adequate eye protection.

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When purchasing sunglasses it is important that you purchase ones of good quality, otherwise you may be doing more damage to your eyes. Sunglasses made of cheap acrylic or triacetate may only block about 30% to 40% of UV rays from the sun. In order to insure that your eyes are protected, you should generally purchase lenses that are made from optical quality glass, or polycarbonate.

 

 

Instructions

1. Select sunglasses that have UV protection. Usually sunglasses are tagged with "UV400" or "100% UV Protected." Although this can be a useful indicator, many cheap sunglasses often put these tags on their glasses as well. So purchase glasses from a reputable stores such as those that specialize in sunglasses or an optical store.
2. Purchase sunglasses made from high quality polycarbonate or optical glass as these will protect 100% from UV rays. However bear in mind that light will get in from the sides and from above, which can also damage your eyes. To help prevent this, you can wear a hat. You can also look for wraparound sun glasses that start from the temple.
3. Select polarized sunglasses. This will help reduce glare for activities like boating, driving or snow skiing.
4. Choose photo chromatic sunglasses. This is useful if you wear prescription glasses. These have the capability to adjust to the UV rays of the sun. When you are indoors, the glasses are clear. When you walk out into the sun, the lenses will change and darken.
5. Test to see if the sunglasses are easy to look through. Take the sunglasses and hold them at least half an arm's length from the body. Look at the objects through the sunglasses. If the objects are clear, then the sunglasses are good for the eyes. If the objects appeared to be blurred and deformed, the sunglasses aren't suitable for your eyes.
6. Consider the color of the sunglasses. Sunglasses that are colored brown, gray or light green provide greater protection than glasses that are colored yellow, red or other colors.
   -JOJO-