Are polarised lenses worth it?

Since their invention, sunglasses have been doing a fantastic job of improving visibility and protecting our eyes. However, for those spending more time outdoors or participating in certain sports, glare can be an annoying issue. Even with sunglasses on, finding yourself squinting in bright sunlight is not uncommon.

Glare occurs when light reflects off a smooth, flat surface such as water, snow, wet roads or glass. Sunlight at certain times of day can also prove troublesome. The horizontal angle of glare can make your eyes squint, leading to eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. Today, lens technology has reached a highly researched and advanced stage where the use of polarised lenses can eliminate this issue.

What are polarised lenses?

Polarised lenses contain a unique filter that scatters light as it enters your eye. Acting like a sophisticated window blind, the filter blocks horizontal rays of light and allows only vertical rays to pass through resulting in a sharper and clearer image.

Polarised glasses enhance everyday sun protection and offer even greater benefits in specific situations. For fishing and water sports enthusiasts, polarised lenses dramatically improve visibility of the water’s surface. Similarly, for golfers, they highlight the undulations in the grass, while in snow-based activities, they define the normally indistinguishable landscape, increasing visual contrast and minimizing colour distortion.

UV (ultraviolet) Protection

When choosing polarised sunglasses, you also get all the benefits of UV protection. Sunglasses offer immediate relaxation for your face in bright conditions and provide long-term protection against harmful radiation. UV rays, emitted from the sun at different wavelengths, can potentially damage our eyes if not taken seriously. To read more about UV protection, please see our blog post here.

Zeiss – optical professionals

At Donovan Smith, we choose to work with Zeiss because it has been an industry leader since its formation in 1846. Zeiss offers premium UV protection and over 99% polarization efficiency. They design some of the best sunglasses for UV protection and glare, available with prescription lenses and in a variety of shades to choose from.

Maui Jim

Hailing from Hawaii, Maui Jim is one of our favourite eyewear brands. Its expertise and passion for sunglasses are apparent and it has developed its own award-winning PolarizedPlus2^® lens technology that has earned the Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation. With a variety of colours and materials to select, these can be customised to fit your exact lifestyle and could help you progress in your sporting endeavours.

Visit us

For those who are frequently out and about outside, we think polarised sunglasses are worth the investment. Why not come and visit us to see the difference? For further details on polarised sunglasses, visit our independent Brighouse Opticians which, this year, celebrates sixty years in business!