Polarization is a term that's thrown around in the sunglasses market all the time. But do you really know what it means, and why it matters? We asked the SunGod Community, and it turns out lots of you knew that polarization was important - but when it came to understanding what polarized lenses actually do, and when they're the right choice, you weren't so sure.
So, we’ve put together our guide to polarized sunglasses, to explain how polarization works, when it matters, and why you should consider polarized lenses for your next pair of sunglasses.
Table of Contents:
What Are Polarized Sunglasses?
Polarized sunglasses are a type of protective eyewear that feature polarized lenses. They feature a specific type of lens designed to cut out the glare that comes from light reflecting off a flat surface, such as a wet road or the surface of the ocean, causing discomfort and eye strain.
Usually, light will reach your eye from varying directions. But when light bounces off a flat surface, it's often reflected at one single angle. This can cause a bright glare, which is both uncomfortable and dangerous. This glare is what polarized lenses, also known as anti-glare lenses, intend to tackle.
How Do Polarized Lenses Work?
Polarized lenses work by applying a horizontal filter to a lens, which only allows vertical light to pass through.
This filter is achieved by adding a chemical which means objects appear clearer than they would without polarization.
This helps to reduce the eye strain that you'd otherwise experience on a bright or sunny day.
Upgrade to Polarized Sunglasses with SunGod
At SunGod, we know that your eyes are unique, and your sunglasses should be as unique as you are. So, all our lifestyle sunglasses are available with or without polarized lenses (apart from some Limited Edition sunglasses), letting you choose the lens that's right for you.
We also offer 8KO® lens technology across our sunglasses range. This refers to our premium, 2mm nylon lens material that's tougher, clearer and lighter than Standard polycarbonate lenses.
When designing your polarized sunglasses at www.sungod.co, simply choose "Polarized" or "8KO® Polarized" once you've decided on your design. Our team will then build your sunglasses by hand, adding your chosen lens technology to your pair.
All our polarized sunglasses also offer 100% UVA and UVB protection to keep your eyes safe from solar damage, as well as offering triple-layer scratch-resistant coatings and a Lifetime Guarantee.
Are Polarized Sunglasses Best for Every Sport?
Whether you're a professional athlete or a keen amateur, your sports sunglasses need to help enhance your game.
Polarized lenses can help you see better in most sports, and if you're looking for fishing sunglasses, golf sunglasses, or watersports sunglasses, polarized lenses are almost definitely the right choice for you.
However, there are a few sports where we recommend non-polarized lenses instead. These include snowsports and cycling. In these sports, it's really important to be able to see small variations in the snow or road surface, and the anti-glare filter in polarized lenses can make this harder. So, all our cycling sunglasses and ski goggles feature non-polarized lenses as standard. We also recommend non-polarized lenses anywhere you need to see an LCD screen - this could mean sailing or driving, depending on your boat or car display.
If you're looking for a premium lens but don't want polarization, we recommend choosing our non-polarized 8KO® lenses instead. These feature our market-leading 8KO® Nylon lens technology, with enhanced clarity and toughness, just without the polarization filter.
Do Polarized Lenses Protect You From UV?
Not all sunglasses will protect your eyes from UV rays. Cheap sunglasses often just offer a dark filter without UV protection, which can cause your iris to open and become vulnerable to UV damage. To be sure your sunglasses are certified UV protective, look for the CE or UKCA mark on the product (UK & Europe only).
Even if your sunglasses do protect from UV, that doesn't necessarily mean they're polarized. Polarization is an additional feature in some sunglasses, and if you're after polarized sunglasses, you should double check that your sunglasses are labelled as such.
How to Tell If Your Lenses Are Polarized
The easiest way to test if your sunglasses are polarized, is to test your sunglasses against a pair you know are definitely polarized. If you place the lenses over each other, one horizontal, one vertical, and the result is that the lenses combined go very dark - almost black - then they are both polarised. This is because the two horizontal filters are cancelling out the light at perpendicular angles.
Our Mission to Help You See Better
At SunGod, all of our sunglasses are designed to level up your view, no matter where or when you wear them. Hear the stories of our Team SunGod athletes who test our eyewear at the highest level - from ultramarathons, to the Olympics, to the Tour de France - helping us constantly improve our sunglasses. Whether you're after ski goggles, cycling sunglasses or running sunglasses, all our eyewear is both athlete-tested, and comes with a Lifetime Guarantee - to keep your gear in play for longer.
