Polarized sunglasses have become quite popular in recent years. Retailers today usually offer the most common styles of shades in both polarized and non-polarized versions. But because polarized sunglasses tend to be quite a bit more expensive, most people still opt for regular shades. But are polarized sunglasses worth the extra cost? And what exactly makes them better?
Some Background on Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized lenses were made specifically for the purpose of blocking the glare caused by refracted light. They were made popular fist by boaters and fishermen who used polarized lenses because it helped them (the boaters and fishermen) see better despite the sometimes blinding glare coming from the water surrounding them. Bikers, drivers and outdoors enthusiasts soon started wearing copy this trend also.
How do they work?
Regular sunglasses employ shaded lenses to reduce light intensity. But the glare that comes from light being reflected off smooth flat surfaces easily gets past regular shades. Polarized lenses, however, were specifically made to protect against such glare.
How do polarized lenses accomplish this? They do it through a rather simple mechanism. It works like this: light reflected off smooth flat surfaces becomes horizontally polarized; by being vertically polarized, polarized sunglasses can intercept horizontally polarized light and thus eliminate such glare. This can be especially useful while, for example, driving long distances on a stretch of flat highway, where road glare and glinting light from other car hoods can impair visibility during curves.
Any downsides to polarized lenses?
One of the few downsides of wearing polarized glasses is that, when looking at LCD screens through polarized shades, it’s difficult to make out the images, and sometimes LCD screens disappear altogether when looked at through a pair of polarized shades. Of course, the simple answer to this problem is to remove the lenses when you’re working on a laptop or a GPS device, or when using an ATM or other devices that employ LCD screens.
Another instance in which polarized lenses might not be such a grade idea is when you go skiing or snowboarding. In the snow, polarized lenses tend to reduce contrast, which means that a skier who’s wearing polarized shades might not be able to detect upcoming hazards like snow patches.
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