New Technologies In High Performance Sunglasses

When you reach for your sunglasses on a bright sunny day have you ever really thought about how they work? I'm sure that you haven't but what about when you go to purchase a new pair? Now you might wonder how they work especially with such a wide range of choices and the new high performance sunglasses available. Let's take a closer look at sunglasses so the next time your looking to purchase a new pair you have a better idea of what to look for.

Protection is the ultimate benefit your looking for when shopping for a pair of high performance sunglasses. Naturally protection from ultraviolet rays should be on the top of your list but don't forget about protection from light itself. You can also get protection from glare and rid yourself of specific frequencies of light. Some of which can actually blur your vision while others can enhance contrast.

Today high performance sunglasses use a variety of advanced technologies to control light. These technologies include tinting, polarization, mirroring, anti-reflective coatings, scratch resistant coatings, and UV coatings. The color of the tint used in lenses determines what part of the light spectrum they absorb. Polarized filters are a chemical film applied to the lens to eliminate glare. Mirroring is also an applied coating easily scratches. Anti-reflective coatings are used to reduce the light that hits the back of the lens and bounces into the eyes and UV coatings eliminate harmful UV radiation from reaching your eyes.

Light is polarized when the light waves are aligned into one or more planes of direction. The chemical compounds used in the films which are applied to the lens are composed of molecules that align in parallel relation to one another. When they are applied evenly to a lens, the molecules create a microscopic filter that absorbs light which matches their alignment. When wearing high performance eyewear with polarized lenses you will enjoy a clearer view and eliminate glare.

Most high performance sunglasses now use polycarbonate lenses. This new technology is actually a synthetic plastic which is very strong, lightweight and impact resistant. Another advanced technology is CR-39 that is a plastic made from hard resins that meet optical quality standards. Glass is still used but rarely even though it is the most scratch resistant.

Polycarbonate and glass lenses are distortion free and the colors are evenly distributed across each lens. Distortion is very common in cheap sunglasses. There is an easy way to tell if the lenses in a pair of sunglasses are of good quality. Find a surface with parallel lines and hold the sunglasses a short distance away from your face and cover one eye. Look through one of the lenses at the lines while moving the sunglasses slowly up and down and then from right to left. The lines should remain straight as you look at them. If they don't then the lenses are not optical quality.

Glass is a naturally scratch resistant material but most plastics are not. Manufacturers have developed a variety of ways to add films to lenses that increase their scratch resistance. These films are made of materials such as DLC or diamond-like carbon and polycrystalline diamond. Through ionization a thin but very durable film is created on the surface of the lens. These coatings surely don't have the scratch resistance of glass but they go a long way in helping to keep your lenses scratch free.

High performance sunglasses are available to aid in the comfort of your eyes. That is made possible due to the control of visible light or white light. Sunglasses provide various levels of protection from this type of light. Many types of tints are also available today. Yellow lenses are available which brighten hazy days. Smoke lenses provide true color reproduction and brown lenses help with depth perception and contrast. Clear sunglasses are available which block 100% of UV radiation.

I hope this article will help you make an informed decision when you purchase your next pair of high performance sunglasses. Remember that everyones situation is different so buy the sunglasses that will provide you the most protection and comfort possible.

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