What are polarised lenses?
Polarised lenses and sunglasses are designed to reduce intrusive glares from light-reflecting surfaces like glass, snow or water. They also protect your eyes from some harmful UV rays; however, they are not as effective as full UV protection lenses. Standard sunglass lenses will protect your eyes from bright lights, but they aren’t always able to reduce glare, unlike polarised lenses. If your sunglasses are not already polarised, then we may be able to find suitable replacements lenses for you.
There is no visible difference between standard sunglass lenses and polarised lenses, they can look the same, you’ll only be able to tell if a lens is polarised by holding it at a 90-degree angle to check the glare, as shown as below.
The benefits of wearing polarised sunglasses.
Polarised lenses have a special film that helps increase comfort and clarity of vision when looking at reflective light. This protective film acts as a shutter to prevent reflective horizontal surfaces and allows only vertical light, and these are particularly useful for people with certain eye conditions such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and uveitis.
Always speak with your optometrist first if you’re unsure about what type of sunglasses you require.