So you’ve decided to get yourself a nice pair of sunglasses? Fantastic! It’s a step towards protecting your eyes, which we definitely think is required, and it doesn’t hurt that you’ll look great in the process too! But what now? How do you get the best product for your money? How do you know that what you’re getting is the real deal? There’s thousands of brands, styles, types and they all advertise different things, what’s the perfect one for you? If you’ve ever had questions like these, and wondered about what you should know before buy sunglasses online, you’ve come to the right place!
9 Things You Must Know Before Buying Sunglasses Online
- The Brand: No matter what anyone tells you, brand does matter. There’s a reason they charge a premium and are well known, it’s because they’ve been in the game since decades and know exactly how to make great sunglasses. Branded sunglasses usually offer proper protection and aren’t just cosmetic accessories, which is why you should consider buying only well-known brands of sunglasses.
- UV Protection: Speaking of protection, the entire point of wearing sunglasses is nullified if they don’t come with UV protection. UV, or ultraviolet rays from the sun are extremely harmful, and can cause various eye conditions, including cancer. Cheap unbranded sunglasses don’t offer UV protection, and are simply darkened lenses, which is actually worse than it sounds. UV rays are invisible, and enter into your eyes if they’re unprotected. Since your pupils dilate under shade to let in more light so you can see better, they also inadvertently let in more UV rays. Under cheap sunglasses, your pupils dilate because of the dark lenses and actually let in more UV rays than earlier, thus causing more harm.
- Polarized Glasses: If you’re looking to use sunglasses while driving or near water bodies, consider getting polarized glasses to get rid of glare. Light reflects off of pretty much all surfaces and travels either in the horizontal or vertical direction. After reflection, these horizontal rays can enter into your eyes and cause visual discomfort or even impair vision temporarily, which is definitely not something you want while driving. This unwanted light is called glare, and can be potentially fatal. However, note that polarized glasses make it difficult to see LCD or LED screens.
- Lens Color is not everything: It’s a common misconception that the darker the lens color, the more protection it offers. In reality, how much UV protection it offers matters, and the lens color or gradient is simply a preference. No matter what color or tint you like, just make sure that the sunglasses offer UV protection, and you should be good to go!
- Your eyes can be more sensitive: Some people have sensitive eyes which require much more protection and care, and since sunglasses block both UV rays and shield them from dust and debris, they’re a worthwhile investment. But, not many people know that lighter eye colors are at more risk for UV damage, so people with lighter eyes should wear sunglasses more frequently.
- More coverage is good: If you’re looking to stay in the sun for extended periods of time frequently, it’s a good idea to get larger or wrap around sunglasses so that you’re covered from all sides. Sunrays from top and the sides often goes unnoticed and can cause problems. Even if you’re not able to get a wraparound, make sure to wear a hat or cap along with the sunglasses.
- Cloudy weather does not mean you can retire sunglasses: As soon as the clouds come out, a lot of people tend to retire their sunglasses temporarily. This is actually very dangerous, as clouds don’t block UV rays, only sunlight. In fact, UV content can be higher than normal in some cases. It’s pretty much the same thing that happens when you wear dark glasses without UV protection, your pupils dilate to let in more light, but also let in more harmful UV rays.
- Contact lens users aren’t exempted: Sure, your contact lenses might offer UV protection, but it’s still a good idea to get a pair of sunglasses with UV protection. They’re meant for more heavy duty use and there’s no harm in being extra careful, is there?
- Active users require special sunglasses: If you play sports or have a generally active lifestyle, make sure to pick up sports sunglasses, because they’re made from special impact and shatter resistant material, plus they offer a tighter fit.
So there you have it! 9 things you should definitely keep in mind before you pick up a new pair of sunglasses. Needless to say, apart from this, you should get your sunglasses from a trusted and reputable source so that not only do you get an original product, but if anything happens to go wrong, you can always get it fixed or replaced. Happy shopping!