Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays. Is it true or a myth?

Can sunglasses protect your eyes from the UV rays? Yes. Some do. Not all.

Cheap sunglasses or regular sunglasses are not even effective against the sun glare. Forget about the harmful UV rays.

Regular sunglasses with darker shades are somewhat effective against the harsh sunlight. The ones with a lighter shade like amber can be only worn indoors. Wearing them outside will give you a distorted vision and the blazing sun will feel harsher on your eyes.

The only good use of cheap sunglasses is that you can wear the quirky style at a cheaper cost and they can shield off dirt and dust.

What type of sunglasses are effective against the UV rays

The type of sunglasses coated with UV protection is effective against UV rays. A coating of UV 400 that effectively blocks 100 percent of UV rays is put on sunglasses to protect your eyesight. Some sunglasses come with specially made UV 400 lenses and not just a coating. These sunglasses are effective against UV rays.

Sunglasses that are polarised, mirrored or transition glasses are effective against the blazing sun rays. You can get your sunglasses or glasses made with UV 400 protective coating. And also add polarisation or mirrored lenses to reduce the glare.

Polarised Sunglasses

Polarised sunglasses are sunglasses made of special lenses that block the direct rays of the sun. It only allows the non-harming vertical light rays to pass through. The direct rays are intensive. They are hot and can affect your eyesight. Also such light also has UV rays in them. Seeing it directly can cause you to go blind temporarily or permanently.

Even seeing the reflected UV rays from the surface of water, snow or metal or any smooth surface can cause some type of blindness. Prolong exposure to UV rays over a period of time can cause eye cancer.

With polarised sunglasses, you can view it clearer without any distraction. Polarised sunglasses will block all the unpleasant sun glares are sudden flashes that can hamper your view or cause distraction. You will have a smoother view where the light rays do not cause discomfort for your eyes.

Even the lighter shade of polarised sunglasses will give you a smoother view. You will not feel the bright and blazing sunlight with your polarised sunglasses on.

You can wear any lighter shades like amber, green, or brown and not feel the intensive heat.

Mirrored Sunglasses

Mirrored sunglasses are sunglasses with lenses that reflect the direct light falling on them. It reflects the glare from hard reflective surfaces like metal and water. These sunglasses appear as tiny mirrors and reflect the images falling on them. It is one way see-through and one way reflective.

These give you a clear vision in grey or brown tints. Your mirrored sunglasses will reflect the image of whatever you see, the outer glasses can be blue, amber or any colour you like, but you the wearer can view the objects in grey or brown shades. It has dual tints, one for viewing and one for reflecting.

These sunglasses in wrap-around fashion are particularly famous in extreme sports. You must have seen swimmers wearing a similar style of sunglasses. You can go hiking or trekking wearing these glasses. You don’t have to worry about sun glares or sudden flashes distracting your view. With the addition of UV 400 coating, your eyesight will be protected from the UV rays.

One fun fact, these sunglasses are also known as Cop’s shades. If you look into someone wearing this kind of sunglasses, you can only look at your reflection and not the wearer’s eyes. You will find it difficult to know what the person is thinking.

Transition glasses

Not a type of sunglasses. If you have a prescription, and wearing sunglasses is like going blind as a bat, then you can get a prescription for your sunglasses. Since getting prescription sunglasses made in polarised lenses plus a UV 400 coating can cost you a fortune, you can simply buy glasses that can act as sunglasses outside. You do not have to carry two cases around, one for glasses and one for sunglasses. (And carry the heartburn when you lose any single one of the expensive pieces. Believe me. It is way easier to lose your glasses than to find them back.)

Transition glasses or photochromatic glasses transition into darker shades when exposed in sunlight or bright light. This unique property of the glasses protects your eyes from glares and sudden flashes. With a coating of UV 400, you can protect your eyesight from the harmful effects of UV rays.

Your call. You can decide on any type of sunglasses and add a layer of UV 400 to them. It will be a pricey solution but a pricey solution that you will not regret. It’s better to strain your pockets than to strain your eyesight.