Eye and Vision Care

Sunglasses

05/19/2002 12:52PM

Question:

I need to buy a pair of non-prescription sunglasses now that I have contacts. What should I be looking for in terms of UV protection, darkness of lens, etc? If the sunglasses do not have a UV sticker on them, does that mean they don`t have UV protection or are all sunglasses now required to have the necessary protection?

Answer:

There is a lot of variability among non-prescription sunglasses; there is also a lot of price difference between mass produced fashion sunglasses and high-quality optical lenses.

Good sunglasses should block at least 95% of the ultraviolet (UV) rays. Better sunglasses block 99% of these harmful rays. Most sunglass manufacturers know this, and tell the consumer what percent is blocked. If there is no tag or sticker on the sunglasses, you should assume they do not qualify as quality eye protection.

Expensive sunglasses not only block 99% of UV rays, but they are also optically better than less expensive one. There should be no peripheral distortion in a high-quality optical lens. If you view a straight vertical line through the lens, it should look straight and not be crooked. Also, a high-quality optical lens should not have any surface scratches that cause light rays to scatter and cause glare.

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Response by:

Robert D. Newcomb, OD, MPH, FAAO
Professor of Clinical Optometry
College of Optometry
The Ohio State University