Guide to Buying Sunglasses

Eye Protection With Style! Here is information on where it all began and the options you have when buying sunglasses.

Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929. Foster found a ready market on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began selling sunglasses under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk.

Sunglasses would not become polarized, however, until 1936, when Edwin H. Land, began experimenting with making lenses with his patented Polaroid filter. Since the 1950s sunglasses have been worn as a fashion statement, especially on the beach. Medical experts now recommend to wear sunglasses for protection and consider them a necessity
in direct sunlight. Sunglasses protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which can lead to the development of cataracts. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV rays)) can cause short-term nd long-term ocular problems such as photokeratitis, snow blindness, cataracts, and various eye cancers. Wearing sunglasses is no longer just a fashion statement. It's educated, preventative health.

Some sunglasses have polarized lenses (made from Polaroid or a similar material) to reduce glare caused by light reflected from polarizing surfaces such as water as well as by sky radiation (skylight). Sunglass lenses are made from either glass or plastic. Plastic lenses are typically made from acrylic, polycarbonate, or CR-39. Glass lenses have the best optical clarity and scratch resistance, but are heavier than plastic lenses. They can also shatter or break upon impact. Plastic lenses are lighter than glass lenses, but are more prone to scratching. They do however, offer better resistance to shattering than glass. Polycarbonate lenses are the lightest, and are also almost shatterproof, making them good for impact protection. CR-39 lenses are the most common plastic lenses, due to their low weight, high scratch resistance, low transparency for ultraviolet and infrared radiation. The color of the lens can vary by style, fashion, and purpose. For general use, green, grey, yellow, or brown is recommended to avoid or minimize color distortion which would be dangerous when driving. Grey lenses are considered neutral because they do not distort colors. Brown and green lenses cause minimal color distortion, but have contrast-enhancing properties. Red lenses are good for lower light conditions because they enhance contrast but cause color distortion. Orange and yellow lenses have the best contrast enhancement at depth perception. Yellow lenses are commonly used by golfers for its contrast enhancement and depth perception properties. Blue and purple lenses offer no real benefits and are mainly just used for cosmetic purposes.

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