Jackie Onassis. John Lennon. Nicole Richie. Elton John. What do these people all have in common (besides fame, fortune, and celebrity gossip rags)? That’s right, these eyewear icons have shown us that sunglasses can make signature style statements. While it’s true that sunglasses can complete your outfit or even define your whole look, they also have a more practical purpose: protecting your peepers from the harmful effects of the sun.
Fashion aside, sunglasses are an essential piece of equipment for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. Performance eyewear cuts road glare on a 50-mile bike ride, sheds water when you’re throwing a splitwheel in your kayak, and can even enhance optical clarity to help you better read the putting green.
So does the world really look better through rose-colored lenses (or yellow or polarized)? This guide will help you find the answer—from the lens color that will enhance your outdoor activities to the style of frame that will best suit your face. Sierra Trading Post stocks a wide variety of designer, sport, and performance eyewear from some of the most trusted and innovative sunglass manufacturers in the world.
While this guide will mainly focus on sports-specific eyewear, you can apply the same principles when choosing a pair of fashion sunglasses as you do when choosing a pair of performance sunglasses. With fashion sunglasses, as long as they offer 100% UV protection, you are free to experiment with frame style and lens color until you find that perfect pair.
The Lowdown on UV Rays
Categorized as either UVA or UVB, these invisible ultraviolet light rays from the sun can cause serious damage to your eyes and lead to the development of cataracts, macular degeneration, or permanent retinal impairment. In a word, ultraviolet = bad. Sunglasses with a 100% UV protection rating will safeguard your eyes against both UVA and UVB rays. You may also see sunglasses labeled as ‘UV 400’. These block light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometers; in plain English (what’s a nanometer anyway?), this means that even the tiniest UVA and UVB rays are prevented from ever meeting your eyes. Remember, UV rays penetrate even on cloudy days!
Lenses
The most important elements of your sunglasses are undoubtedly the lenses. Sunglass lenses are made from either composite or glass and both have their advantages/disadvantages. The choice is yours.
composite lenses are lighter than glass lenses, but are prone to scratching. They do, however, offer more shatter resistance than glass. composite lenses are typically made from a polycarbonate material. Polycarbonate lenses are the lightest, and are nearly shatterproof, making them good for impact protection. While most lenses will be labeled simply as ‘polycarbonate’, you may find some labeled ‘CR-39’. CR-39 lenses are lighter than ordinary composite lenses, scratch-resistant and provide 100% UV protection.
Glass lenses have the best optical clarity and scratch resistance, but are heavier than composite lenses. They can also shatter or break on impact.
Here’s a description of the various lens types:
Optical glass lenses are ground and polished to ensure that they are distortion-free.
Polycarbonate composite lenses are generally the toughest and most shatterproof. Polycarbonate is scratch-resistant, lighter, and more impact-resistant than glass.
composite or glass polarized lenses are suitable for water sports, cycling, and driving. Light striking flat surfaces such as water, snow, glass, or pavement is reflected perpendicular to that surface. This reflected glare (or ‘polarized’ light) is much more intense than normal sunlight, irritating your eyes and inhibiting your vision. Polarized lenses, through the horizontal alignment of polarizing micro crystals, block this powerful glare.
Photochromic or photochromatic lenses (either composite or glass) are light-sensitive and grow lighter or darker as lighting conditions change. Some photochromic lenses will even react to changes in temperature as well as lighting variations.
Gradient lenses are tinted from the top down, making the top of the lens the darkest. Gradient lenses can be made of composite or glass and are great for driving because they cut the glare from the sun but don’t dim your view of the dashboard.
Lens Colors
Lens colors play an important role in the performance of your sunglasses. You should choose a color based on the way your eye reacts to it. Different colors can cause different visual sensations in everyone, so choosing your lens color is a very personal decision. To give you a better idea of how each color performs, here are the basic characteristics of each.
Grey is the most popular lens color for general use because you can wear it for simple activities like driving or high-energy outdoor pursuits. Outside colors will remain the truest with grey lenses. Reds will stay red and blues will stay blue. Grey lenses flatten light to help you maintain normal depth perception. Grey lenses are good for everyday, all-purpose wear because they provide true color definition while fighting glare.
Green lenses, like grey lenses, ensure that outside colors remain true. Green lenses also absorb UV rays well.
Brown lenses are especially effective at filtering light in hazy, foggy, or low light conditions. Brown lenses improve depth perception and contrast in various light conditions. These are very popular for skiing, boating, and driving.
Yellow lenses enhance depth perception, although outside colors can be somewhat distorted.
Rose lenses, like brown, effectively filter light and improve contrast (much like a ‘haze’ filter on a camera). Many people consider rose-colored lenses to be the easiest on their eyes over a long period of time.
Some sports-oriented sunglasses have interchangeable lenses. These lenses can be removed from your sunglasses and easily swapped for a different-colored lens to adapt to changes in light conditions or activity.
Frames
Construction Materials
Now that you’ve chosen the color of your lenses, you’ll need a frame to hold them. Sunglass frames are generally made from composite, nylon, metal, or a metal alloy.
Nylon frames are usually used during high intensity activities because they are lightweight and flexible, allowing them to bend slightly and return to their original shape. Nylon frames with wire cores are even more flexible.
Metal frames are usually more rigid than nylon frames and can be more easily damaged when you’re active. Because metal frames are more rigid, some models have spring-loaded hinges to help them stay in place on your face. The ends of the ear pieces and the bridge over the nose may be textured or have rubber or composite grips attached. Metal frames are best for casual use and perfecting your look.
composite frame sunglasses, like nylon sunglasses, are lightweight, strong, flexible, and inexpensive.
Sports Sunglasses
The popularity of outdoor sports like mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, golfing, and fishing has created the demand for sports-and performance-oriented sunglasses.
To meet the various demands of both recreational and competitive athletes, sunglass manufacturers are producing lightweight and flexible sunglasses made of durable materials featuring grip components and high-tech performance lenses.
Sport Lenses
Optical quality and visual enhancement are the most important aspects of effective sport sunglasses because the clearer your view, the better you’ll perform.
Polycarbonate lenses are the most widely lenses used in sports sunglasses because they are strong and impact resistant. Polarized lenses are also in demand because they reduce the sun’s glare reflected off flat surfaces such as water or snowfields.
Glass lenses are used occasionally in sports sunglasses because of their great optical quality. However, many people involved in more extreme sports shy away from them because of the potential for shattering upon impact. Glass lenses are appropriate for low intensity activities like golf, which requires optical clarity with virtually no risk of shattering upon impact.
Follow these guidelines to determine which specs are right for your sport.
Snow and Water Sports
- Polarized lenses reduce glare from the sun reflecting off water or snow.
- Yellow lenses are intended for use in partly cloudy light conditions and offer the high contrast necessary in high-speed, high altitude sports like skiing.
- Rose-colored lenses absorb light in foggy or gray conditions increasing contrast and depth perception—perfect for high-speed activities like snowboarding, skiing, or snowmobiling.
- Interchangeable lenses are a great investment if your sports involve multiple outdoor settings.
- Some manufacturers make lenses that are specifically treated to shed water.
Cycling
- Polycarbonate lenses will give you the durability that you need for cycling without sacrificing your visual clarity.
- The best cycling glasses come equipped with multiple interchangeable lenses (often in three or four different colors) that can be swapped out to adapt to your current riding needs. Typically, these sunglass packages will include brown lenses for high glare conditions, grey lenses for general riding, yellow lenses for clarity when riding in partly cloudy conditions, and clear lenses for times when you don't need sun protection, but still wish to protect your eyes from wind, dirt, and road debris.
- Polarized lenses will significantly cut road glare.
Hiking/Running
- Try to find sunglasses that wrap closely around your head with lenses that cover your entire eye. Wrap-around sunglasses minimize the effects on your eyes from wind, snow, glare, or errant tree branches. This style also minimizes the chance that your sunglasses will slip off mid-stride.
Hunting
- Wearing sunglasses with yellow lenses allows for the greatest depth perception and highest contrast, allowing you to pick up on the slightest movement.
- In places without a lot of direct sunlight (dense forest, for example) you may not want to wear dark sunglasses. Instead consider wearing glasses with clear lenses to help protect your eyes from tree branches or bushes.
You’ve Been Framed:
Choosing the Frame to Fit your Face
Face shapes are categorized into five types: square, round, triangular, oblong, or oval. Follow these guidelines to help you select the frame that will best complement your features.
Square Face: If you have a square face, look for frames that are curved slightly. The top of the frames should sit high enough on your face to downplay your stronger jaw line.
Round Face: To offset a predominantly a round face, look for frames with straight or angular lines. Frames in a darker color also minimize fullness.
Triangular Face: A triangular face is characterized by a broader forehead with a narrower mouth and chin. Frames with a thin rim and straight vertical lines will help balance out a triangular face. Make sure that the frames don’t sit too high on your face or they will exaggerate the shape. Large frames, bold colors, and square shapes should be avoided on triangular faces.
Oblong Face: Oblong faces are longer than they are wide and close to the same width across the forehead, jaw line, and cheekbones. Most frames look good on oblong faces as long as the size of the frames is in proportion to the rest of your face.
Temple-to-Temple Measurements
An accurate temple measurement will ensure that the frames will sit comfortably on your face without sliding down your nose or rubbing behind your ears. Since manufacturers offer slightly different temple sizes on select models of frames, we recommend you use the following guidelines to get an idea of the size you need. (Note that the temple-to-temple measurements will be included in the product details online.)
The temple length is measured in inches across the top of the frame from where the side arm meets the lens on one side to where the side arm meets the lens on the other side. The temple sizes below correspond to the type of fit they provide.
- Frames that measure up to 4 15/16” will provide a narrow fit for narrower faces.
- Frames that measure between 5” and 5 5/16” will provide a medium fit for average-sized faces.
- Frames that measure 5 3/8” and up will provide a wide fit for round or square faces.
Tip: Measure your favorite, best-fitting sunglasses to see what size most comfortably fits you.