Last Updated on January 7, 2021
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When shopping for sunglasses, we often spend a good amount of time looking for stylish ones that live up to our tastes and match a number of characteristics that make high-quality sunglasses.
So what are the characteristics we’re looking for in sunglasses?
We want sunglasses that are stylish and can protect our eyes from UV rays, right? We think that these sunglasses should have the “right color” like black, brown, or gray because they can block UV light, right?
Well, all of the aforementioned functions that we believe are actually myths, in addition to the fact that many people believe that polarized sunglasses can fully block UV rays! Oh, wait… They don’t?!
#1 – The ‘right’ Color Matters
It may matter in terms of fashion sense, but not for eye health! Whether you get color lens sunglasses or even rainbow sunglasses, it does nothing for your eyes!
People tend to think that buying the “right” color, specifically darker shades of sunglasses can protect their eyes from UV rays when that’s actually not the truth.
Unless we’re talking about UVA sunglasses, dark sunglasses, gray and brown for example, provide comfort and cut sun glare but they do not protect your eyes from UV light.
#2 – Polarized sunglasses give 100% protection
Really? Well, they don’t.
Polarized sunglasses are quite popular among people who frequent the beach because they do a relatively good job blocking sun glare and reducing discomfort when the eyes look onto the surface of the water under the glaring sun, thanks to the Polaroid plastic sheeting they’re made of.
However, contrary to common belief, polarized lenses do not provide UVA protection no matter how high their price might be!
Some other benefits of polarized lenses also include increased clarity and sharpness of images. But alas, they can’t protect against eye damage like you probably thought!
#3 – It’s cloudy, take off your sunglasses
Don’t listen to people saying that to you, they have been fooled, too!
A cloudy sky may look so serene that it makes you want to stare at it without any sunglasses on, but the clouds that you might have believed to block UV rays actually allow around 80% of the sun’ UVR to seep through!
