New Technologies In High Performance Sunglasses by Geoffrey Holdermiller
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.
The choices available to you in the high performance eyewear market are seemingly endless. The simple sunglasses of years prior have turned into a complex maze of choices. Probably the most important feature to look for in a good pair of sunglasses is the protection from ultraviolet rays but they should also protect you from light itself. Quality shade can also protect your eyes from glare and eliminate specific frequencies of light. Some of those frequencies of light can actually blur your vision while other 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.
You will find that high performance eyewear with polarized lenses gives you a clearer view and eliminates glare. This is possible due to a film which is applied to the lens. This film consists of chemical compounds which are composed of molecules that align in parallel relation to one another. Polarized light is actually light waves aligned into one or more planes of direction. The molecules in the film create a microscopic filter that absorbs light that matches their alignment.
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.
Shy away from cheap sunglasses which commonly have distorted lenses. You can tell if there is distortion in the lens by holding the sunglasses a short distance from your head and moving them slowly up and down and from right to left. Close one eye and look through the other at a straight line. If the line does not stay straight than the lenses are distorted. Glass lenses and polycarbonate lenses are distortion free and colors are evenly distributed across the lens.
Manufacturers have developed ways to add coatings to lenses to increase their scratch resistance because plastics are not nearly as scratch resistant as glass. These coatings are made of polycrystalline diamond and diamond-like carbon or DLC. They use ionization to create a thin but durable film on the lens. These coatings help keep scratches to a minimum on you lenses.
The comfort provided by today's high performance sunglasses is due to their ability to control visible light or white light. There are varying levels of control available. Smoke colored tinted lenses provide true color while brown lenses increase depth perception and contrast. Yellow tints actually brighten hazy days and clear lenses are available that block 100% of UV radiation.
With so many technological advances in eyewear today the available choices seem endless. I hope that this article helped to enlighten you to many of the new technologies available to you today so that when you buy your next pair of high performance sunglasses you find the best pair for your particular needs and ultimately your comfort.
Before you buy anything online be sure to check out Geoffrey Holdermiller's site for other great articles about eyecare and examples of advanced technologies in High Performance Sunglasses and High Performance Eyewear Don't reprint this article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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