Archive for August, 2011
August 31st, 2011 | Author: admin
Plastic Frames Grey
 |
US $8.99
What sunglasses should I buy?
What sunglasses should I buy?
Buying sunglasses can be compared with buying a car. You don't randomly pick one and say "I'll have that one". You need to consider all the different qualities in sunglasses such as purpose, comfort, optical quality, UV protection, weight, warranty, price and brand.
Where do I start?
With the purpose of sunglasses. The obvious reason would be for blocking light and UV rays, but elaborate on this. Is it for sunbathing on holiday; for playing outdoor sports such as golf; for walking around in general; etc? There is always a reason for buying something so determine your reason first.
I've decided.
Sunglasses can be made from plastic, nylon or metal. They come in lots of colours, designs, sizes and have plenty of coloured lenses. Sunglasses for holidays should be wide frame with huge lenses. This helps cover the whole eye area maximising protection from UV rays (read the UV section below for more information). Nylon frame sunglasses are perfect for sports because the frames can take a lot of pressure without snapping. Do some research on the types of sunglasses that suit your reason.
What's next?
Comfort is an obvious quality but always overlooked. Let's go straight to the point and say you want sunglasses that fit the shape of your face and head. Sunglasses are similar to clothes in that, if they are too large or small, you'll end up fidgeting with it. The nose bridge is also important as they help relieve pressure on your nose and cheeks. The height of the nose bridge is dependent on the size of your nose. Bigger noses need lower bridges, smaller noses need high bridges.
What do you mean by optical quality?
The clarity of vision, contrast and colour distortion of sunglasses. There are many coloured lenses with differing intensities. Grey and green lenses are neutral lenses with no colour distortion. Turquoise lenses increase contrast enhancement without colour distortion. Brown, yellow and orange lenses increase contrast enhancement but have some colour distortion. Blue and purple lenses are for fashion purposes. As for colour intensities, the darker the lens, the less light will pass through. Last of all, glass lenses are often best for clearness compared with plastic.
What should I know about UV protection?
The sun's rays are both good and bad for us. On a simple level, the sun supplies us with Vitamin D which our body needs. However the sun also emits harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays which can cause cancer. For our eye areas where the skin is thin and fragile, these are high risk areas and this is why we need to wear sunglasses. Please note that not all sunglasses offer the same amount of UV protection. Also, the price of sunglasses is not proportional to the amount of protection your sunglasses offer. Most opticians recommended sunglasses with 99-100% UV protection (also known as UV400). The best sunglasses for UV protection are wide frames with large lenses that cover the whole of the eye area. This prevents UV rays from reaching the eye from all possible angles. A lot of big designer brands have wide frames with large lenses and have UV400 protection.
What's the difference between the metal, plastic and nylon frames?
Metal, nylon and plastic are the most common frame materials. Nylon frames, due to their flexible nature, are used by sports players as they do not snap easily when pressure is applied. Metal and plastic lenses are for fashion purposes. Metal frames are heavier than the others but you can get lightweight titanium metal frames. Plastic frames are lightweight frames and are alternatives for people who are allergic to metal frames.
What's the difference between glass and plastic lenses?
The only advantage glass lenses have over plastic lenses is the better clarity of vision. Plastic lenses are lighter than glass, will not smash apart as easily and can be made much thinner.
Anything else to consider before buying?
Once you've found a pair of designer sunglasses you like, don't buy them instantly unless it's urgent. Take note of the brand, name, colour and code of the designer sunglasses and go online to research the product. Search for online prices and compare them on sites like eyebuddy. Look for any reviews and recommendations made by other customers (if any). Once you've done your research and happy with your decision, then go for it!
About the Author
Posted in 
Tags: 