Key Takeaways
- Polarized lenses filter horizontal light waves bouncing off flat surfaces like water, snow, and roads.
- You can test sunglasses at home with a phone screen, a reflective surface, or a second pair of polarized lenses.
- A dark tint dims brightness, while polarization filters reflected light and glare.
- Polarization and UV protection are separate features, so check for 100% UV protection or UV400.
- Polarized lenses suit driving, water, and snow, though some tasks call for a different lens type.
- An eye doctor in Bridgeport can check your current lenses and talk through options.
Why the Label on Your Sunglasses Isn’t Always Clear
You can tell if sunglasses are polarized by looking at a bright phone screen and rotating the lenses 90 degrees. If the screen darkens or changes color, your lenses are polarized. If you’re due for a fresh pair, our sunglasses selection at Precision Eye Care includes both prescription and non-prescription options.
What Polarized Lenses Do
Light bouncing off flat surfaces travels in horizontal waves. This includes the glare you see when the road ahead of you turns into a shimmer, as well as glare caused by water and snow. Polarized lenses are designed to filter out this light, leaving the world around you clearer and reducing strain on your eyes.
3 Simple Ways to Test Your Sunglasses at Home
The Phone Screen Test
This test takes seconds and works with any phone.
- Open a blank white screen. A notes app works fine.
- Hold one lens up and look through it at the screen.
- Rotate the sunglasses 90 degrees, so they’re sideways.
- Watch to see if your phone screen goes dark or changes color. If it does, your lenses are polarized.
The Reflection Test
Step outside and find something with a shine to it. A car hood on a sunny afternoon, a storefront window, or the surface of a pond all work.
- Put your sunglasses on and look at the reflective surface.
- Tilt your head slowly from side to side.
- Notice whether the glare fades and returns as you tilt.
If the glare disappears at certain angles, you’re wearing polarized lenses.
The Two Lens Test
Maybe you already have a second pair of sunglasses that you already know is polarized. Hold the two pairs of sunglasses in front of each other so one lens overlaps the other, then rotate one pair.
If, while one lens is rotated, you look through both pairs and see only black or nearly black, then both pairs are polarized.
Polarized Versus Tinted Sunglasses
A dark tint dims everything coming at your eyes, the same way turning down a light switch dims a room. It helps with general brightness, but it doesn’t filter out glare specifically. Polarization works differently. Rather than filtering out all light, it filters out horizontal light waves specifically, thereby removing or substantially cutting down on glare.
Keep in mind that polarization is a lens feature, not a frame style. Any shape you like, from a slim metal frame to a wide sport wrap, can hold polarized lenses, including the shapes trending in recent seasons.
UV Protection & Polarized Lenses
Polarization and UV protection are two separate things. A polarized lens doesn’t automatically block ultraviolet light, so you need to make sure to check the label. Look for wording like 100% UV protection or UV400 on the tag or the temple of the frames.
It’s important to remember that UV light reaches your eyes year round, not just in July. Snow, sand, and even a gray winter sky can all expose your eyes to UV waves, so protection is important even in January.
Over time, UV exposure increases your risk of developing issues like cataracts, growths, and even eye cancer, so it’s important to protect yourself while you can.
When Polarized Lenses Help & When to Skip Them
Good Times for Polarized Lenses
Long highway drives, fishing trips, and bright days on snow are where polarized lenses earn their keep. Some people find them comfortable during the adjustment period following cataract surgery.
When Another Lens May Suit You
Polarized lenses can make some screens harder to read, including digital dashboards, GPS units, and phone displays. They can also mask the shine that tips you off to ice on the road. Some jobs that might want to avoid polarized lenses include:
- Pilots reading cockpit instruments.
- People operating machinery with digital readouts.
- Winter driving on icy routes.
How Our Team in Bridgeport Can Help
Bring your sunglasses along to your next visit and our team at Precision Eye Care can check whether the lenses are polarized and whether they block UV light. From there, you can look at frame and lens combinations built around how you spend your time, whether that’s commuting, coaching a soccer team, or walking the dog at sunrise.
Don’t hesitate to book an appointment today!
