Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can burn your skin AND the corneas and conjunctivas of your eyes. Plus, long-term UV exposure can lead to eye disease like cataracts and macular degeneration. Sunglasses that block UV light are a great way to help protect your vision, but you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on them.
The American National Standards Institute has set some guidelines that can help you pick the right pair. They say that glasses should block UVB by 99% and UVA radiation by 95 percent. Make sure the glasses are clearly labeled with the type of protection the offer. The glasses should indicate the level of protection they provide. If the glasses aren’t labeled with a specific UV claim then they're not worth buying. Special lenses such as blue blockers, polycarbonate, and polarized lenses may block some UV light but without special coatings the lenses do not meet the UV minimum blockage requirements.
Look for these voluntary industry labels that manufacturers should be using:
- Cosmetic = 70% UV reduction
- General purpose = 95% UV reduction
- Special purpose = 99% UV reduction
- UV-400 and UV absorption up to 400nm = 99% UV reduction
The UV protectant coating doesn’t have a color, so don’t think that darker lenses provde better protection. The tint or color of the lens simply doesn’t matter.
UV labeling is what you should look for, not a high price tag. Taken from the Glaucoma Research Institute:
" The good news is that sunglasses don’t have to be expensive to protect your eyes and they can often be found at the local drugstore. Unfortunately, a high price is not always a guarantee of high quality and protection. Part of the difficulty is that standards and labeling regarding UV protection are voluntary, not mandatory-and can be confusing."
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