I am cheap… no scratch that,… I am fiscally retentive. I first realized that I needed good prescription sunglasses during a 24 hour sailing race. We were 14 hours into the race, and were sailing up the coast – or trying to anyways. The wind had all but left us, and the sun was bright. I had el-cheapo sunglasses, and was admiring those of a crew-mate. Since there was not much to do without wind, I asked if I could try their sunglasses. WOW! I out them on, and suddenly the trees on the shore had leaves. Previously these trees had just been blobs of green. I typically used mild prescription glasses in everyday life, but on the water I just used regular sunglasses. The combination of a prescription, which just happened to be close to mine, with the appropriate glare cutting transformed how I saw the world.
Immediately, I began looking for some good sunglasses to suit my needs. Did I say that I’m cheap? Well… I looked at many different places to get sunglasses, and quickly found that it is not all about money. There are so many choices…
- Different styles
- Coating, scratch resistant, glare reduction, polarized, mirrored….
- Different types of lenses
- Levels of UV protection
- Tint colors
- Interchangeable lenses
I realized I would need to do some research – here are some of my findings;
What you should look for:
With all the choices of functionality and style, it quickly became evident that I’d need to choose wisely. If I did not get the appropriate features to suit my needs, I clearly would not use the sunglasses as much as I should. In addition, if I got glasses with all the right features, but they made me look like a dork, I would not wear them either.
What I was looking for:
- UV Protection – a label that says UV400, or 100% UV protection is a must.
- Lenses that were not too heavy. For sports, or if you have a strong prescription, glass might not be the best choice. I was looking for polycarbonate lightweight lenses.
- I wanted Brown or amber lenses which are recommended for glare. Being on the water, this is important.
- Polarized lenses – for skiing, and especially being on the water these are great.
- Anti-reflective coating
Finding glasses to suit me
Armed with the above list of features, I now needed to find glasses that would personally suit me. To do this, I headed out to an optometrist near me, with a trusty, yet honest friend. Take someone with you who can tell you the harsh truth about what looks good and what does not. A second opinion can be valuable. Here is my approach:
- Make sure that there is no pinching or rubbing when you try on a pair of glasses. If it does this in the store, it will likely not get better.
- The glasses should fit snuggly, but comfortably.
- You should not notice your eyelashes or eyebrows touching the frames or lenses. If you wear “falsies” – make sure to wear them when you go shopping – just in case.
- The weight of the lenses should not be focused on one particular place. Make sure they feel evenly distributed.
- Some lenses have markings recommending them for wide or narrow faces. This might be a good guideline to start with – but allow yourself the freedom to explore.
- Try on lots of pairs, eliminate obvious rejects, and build a group of possible contenders.
- As you try on different glasses, use a digital camera to take a few pictures (front and side) of each, and write down a few notes. Get the opinions of your friend and write those down too.
- Leave the store with your photos, notes, impressions and prices. Make sure to ask about the total end price, because often the optometrist only marks the price of the lens, but has “specials” that make the total end price a bit more realistic.
- Yes – the step above – leave the store – do nothing. Take some time to reflect (unless of course you are anti-reflective already)
Your situation:
Now decide what you need and what you want. Examine a few other information sources to get more advice. Is money tight (yes for most of us)? Does your insurance plan cover any of the costs? How quickly do you need them? Do you know your prescription already (make sure it is current)? Are you obligated to buy at a particular place due to insurance? Does your insurance have a budget? With your above list of contenders choose a pair that work for you.
My results:
- I found a few frames that suited me. That I really liked.
- My insurance covers a percentage of my costs up to a $200 cap every two years. This has to cover both sunglasses and regular glasses – so I needed to be careful.
- I did not want to cheap-out – I knew that the extra quality and features would be important.
- The prices of the complete packages I wanted were a bit shocking (even with special offers), so I decided to look online to see if I could find a reputable place to buy them instead,
I found an online source that had exactly the glasses I needed. They were virtually identical at a fraction of the price. Since I did not mind waiting a bit, and knowing that this place had lots of satisfied customer reviews, I decided to take the plunge. You may find a local optometrist that you prefer, or gives you a great price – so by all means go with what works for you – but try not to give up on features or style solely for cost reasons. If you find a style and feature set that works for you, some investigation might find you a more affordable source.
Jaime enjoys outdoor sports such as sailing and sking. Staying healthy and protecting herself against the harsh impact of the environment are a priority for her. Jaime has also become expert on skin care products, and uses an approach to overall health and appearance that combines multiple factors such as cleansing, eye creams, cosmetics, diet, mental well being, fitness, sunscreen – and of course sunglasses!