The Best Sunglasses for Different Activities in the Clear

by Laura Mitran · July 20, 2017

Sunglasses are a must during summer, and, for some activities, like driving, they can be indispensable all year round. A good pair of sunglasses protects us from ultraviolets, but can also increase our visual accuracy. In order to choose the best sunglasses for different activities, we have to take the following coordinates into consideration.

On the label

Choose sunglasses with high protection against UVs, checking the label for the following coordinates:

they block 99% – 100% of the UVB and UVA radiations
they have UV 400 protection (this means they block even the smallest sun rays, of down to 400 nanometers)
they reflect 70%-90% visible light

The best sunglasses. Frames

Sunglasses with large frames and lenses are more efficient against UVs because they protect a larger area around the eyes.

Your sunglasses have to fit on your nose and ears perfectly, without any slipping, to prevent light getting in.

Lenses color

The color of the lenses determines what color of the light spectrum they will absorb:

grey, black – they reduce the whole amount of light
yellow, gold and orange – they reduce the amount of blue light your eyes absorb. Blue light (which is known to cause cataract in time) has the tendency to spread around the edges of objects, creating a halo around them. Yellow lenses completely eliminate blue light, making everything clearer, which recommends them for driving during the night or when it’s foggy.
brown – they absorb high frequency light, including blue one.
green – they filter blue light, offer the highest contrast and very good visual accuracy (the best of all lenses colors)
pink and purple – they offer the best contrast of objects against a blue or green contrast, which makes them ideal for fishing, hunting or forest hikes.

The best sunglasses. Polarized

When sun rays hit an horizontal surface, like a road or the car hood, they usually focus horizontally which leads to glaring. This is where polarized sunglasses come in, offering: