The positives of polarized lenses

Summary in 30 seconds

To tint or to polarize- that is the main question when purchasing sunglasses. Polarized eyeglass lenses are meant to reduce glare from surfaces that reflect light – like the hood of a car or the ocean. “How is this done?” you ask – well, it is similar to the effect blinds and window dressings have on controlling sunlight through the window through a process called polarization.

Most popular polarized shapes

Oversized Aviator Wayfarer Rectangle Cat Eye Round

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• Glare from a surface make it harder to see objects
• So what is the catch?
• Fishermen are in luck!
• With every upside comes a downside
• Conclusions

Glare from a surface make it harder to see objects

Sunlight is reflected or absorbed in horizontal, diagonal, or vertical directions. Fishermen and drivers have problems with the horizontal reflectivity – sunlight bounces off a horizontal surface and strikes a person’s eye at a similar angle. What does this mean? Glare from a surface like a road or water is strong and the glare will make it harder to see objects in front of you – especially if you are wearing eyeglasses with no protective anti-glare coating.

How do polarized sunglasses help in these situations? Well, given that polarized lenses have a laminated surface that contains only vertical stripes, only vertically-polarized light will be allowed to enter the person’s eyes. The glare will then be eliminated because any horizontally-polarized waves of light will not be able to bypass the polarized filter.

So what is the catch?

Tinted lenses provide absolutely no protection against glare unless there is an anti-glare glaze put on the lenses. Similarly, polarized lenses do not provide 100% universal protection against glare. If you move your head to a 50 degree angle, some horizontal light can enter your field of vision and bright spots are created. Those who wear polarized lenses during the winter months may lose some contrast between snow and shadows as well.

Fishermen are in luck!

They received the best benefits from polarized lenses due to their exposure to a mostly horizontal surface – water! Polarized lenses help fishermen see below the water’s surface in order to watch for hidden obstacles and to search for schools of fish. Drivers will also benefit from polarized lenses as they will no longer be affected by the constant reflection of light from the road and from the car hood.

With every upside comes a downside

Polarized lenses cannot be used for regular eyewear with clear lenses because polarizing limits the amount of light that can enter the eye.

A better option would be to have an anti-glare coating put on clear lenses to protect your eyes from glare against vertical surfaces like computer screens. Polarized sunglasses without a prescription can be worn with contact lenses but contact lenses cannot be polarized. Drivers have discovered that polarized lenses may cause some distortion in liquid crystal display (LCD) units as well as dashboard clocks and radios.

Conclusions

The positives of polarized lenses greatly out-number the negatives. It is never too late to start protecting your eyes from dangerous UV rays and protect yourself from unnecessary glares on surfaces. Eyeglasses with polarized lenses will drastically reduce the glare and help protect your eyes.

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