Sunglasses for Sports
Spending more time outside is one of the quickest ways to reclaim some semblance of normalcy. While the scorching sun is soothing to our skin, it is detrimental to our eye health.
Athletes of all levels, including amateur weekend warriors looking to improve, may benefit from sports sunglasses.
What are the best sunglasses for sports? Choosing the best sunglasses for sports will depend on what sport you play or intend to play. For example, if you’re a runner, you will need something like a rimless style that’s light and stays put.
In an ever-expanding effort to create sport-specific gear, sunglass design has grown as well. So, in this guide, I will help you choose the best sunglasses for your sport.
ROKA Phantom Ti
Expect something a little different from the standard, as ROKA features an aviator running theme. It isn’t your typical gas station variety, though.
The Phantom is rugged and lightweight, and has a style for triathletes. It has an ultra-lightweight titanium frame and a proprietary grip for the nose.
The Phantom is one of the most common running sunglasses. It has a fingerprint-resistant mirror lens, a sweat-proof grip, titanium corrosion resistance, and plenty of styles.
Nike Skylon Ace Sunglasses
You don’t want anything to get in the way of your activity, whether it’s going fishing or running a marathon. That’s why getting a pair of barely-there sports sunglasses, such as the Nike Skylon Ace Sunglasses, is a brilliant idea.
The lightweight wrap style is comfortable on the face, and the nose bridge is ventilated to help prevent fogging. The 100% UVA and UVB come in interchangeable lenses.
Dragon Vantage LL H2O
The Dragon Vantage LL H20 has a sporty frame that is designed for a variety of activities including water skiing and paddleboarding.
Water- and dirt-repellent lens coatings keep the vision clear when swimming by reducing smears and smudges. The Dragon Vantage is also available with premium Performance Polar lenses or as an H2O Floatable option.
Oakley Men’s Oo9416 Split Shot
Oakley Split Shot sunglasses are UV-protective to the fullest extent possible. They also offer polarized safety by the frames and lenses.
The tips of the arms are designed to enable you to attach a strap and secure the sunglasses to your head. If you don’t want to lose your new investment to the next killer wave, these are perfect.
Tsafrer Unisex Polarized Sports Sunglasses
Cycling requires excellent visibility, which is why Tsafrer sports sunglasses are ideal. The shades claim to minimize 65% of injuries caused by bright light. They include six interchangeable no-glare lenses with 100 percent UV safety.
Impact- and scratch-resistant fabrics hold the sunglasses in place as you pedal. An anti-slip rubber nose pad keeps them in place.
Why You Need Sunglasses for Sports
To begin, you must comprehend why you need sports sunglasses in the first place. If you think that traditional sunglasses would suffice, you couldn’t be more mistaken.
Regular sunglasses are meant to be worn only for day-to-day safety. They cannot withstand drops, pressure, or continuous movement. Their hinges and materials aren’t up to the task.
Sports sunglasses, on the other hand, can withstand trauma and still look good. They are made of much more durable materials, both frames and lenses.
They are engineered especially for added safety. Any good pair of sports sunglasses from a reputable manufacturer will not contain any inexpensive or easily breakable materials.
1. Necessary Eye Protection
When it comes to the role of sports glasses, there are primarily two factors to consider. For starters, sports glasses will shield our eyes from potentially harmful objects encountered during various sports, e.g., a fast-moving ball, high-speed racquets in a tight space, or pokes and jabs from team members or opponents.
What’s more, a large percentage of the eye injuries recorded in official statistics are serious and irreversible. Many people have to deal with vision loss for the rest of their lives.
2. Improve Performance
Sports glasses can assist players in achieving high levels of success in both daily training and matches. This purpose is derived from the unique designs of both the frames and lenses used in sports eyewear.
Many sports eyewear manufacturers produce wraparound frames to offer the best security for their customers’ eyes.
Polycarbonate is also used to make lenses for sports eyewear, providing valuable properties such as impact resistance, lightness, and thinness. All of these beneficial lens features help players perform better in their sports.
3. Protect Sensitive Eyes
Squinting is our innate protection against bright rays. Squinting isn’t harmful in and of itself, but it can cause discomfort or exhaustion around the eyes. It can also trigger a headache or migraine.
Those with lighter-colored eyes are more sensitive, so sunglasses or tinted lenses would be particularly beneficial to them. Sun exposure and excessive squinting can cause wrinkles in the skin around the eyes.
4. Help Prevent Cancer and Disease
Long-term exposure to UV radiation in sunlight can lead to eye cancers. These can be either on the eyelid, around the eye, or on the eyeball itself. It can also result in cataracts, macular degeneration, and photokeratitis, a painful sunburn around the eyes.
How Important Is UV Protection?
In terms of sunglasses, protecting your eyes from the sun should be a primary concern. This is because water can absorb up to 80% of the light that strikes it.
This glare will make it difficult to see clearly. Worst, it makes you more vulnerable to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB waves of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Without adequate eye care, you increase the risk of developing snow blindness and other eye disorders. Some are irreversible and may contribute to permanent blindness in the worst-case scenario.
Look for sunglasses with a UV 400 safety rating. UV 400 offers approximately 100% protection against harmful ultraviolet light rays, blocking light rays with wavelengths of up to 400 nanometers.
It also includes UVA and UVB. This level of security should be indicated on the label of sunglasses.
Reduce Glare
To avoid what is known as blinding glare, polarized sunglasses are highly recommended for use during water sports.
Light reflected off smooth, reflective objects, such as water, causes blinding glare, which can lead to potentially dangerous visual impairment.
Glare can cause squinting, exhaustion, and strain in the eyes, as well as headaches. It can make it difficult to see clearly.
An anti-reflective coating on polarized sunglasses and goggles prevents intense reflecting light from the water. It will help minimize glare and discomfort while also allowing you to see more clearly through the water’s surface.
It is very suitable and beneficial for activities like fishing and swimming.
However, keep in mind that not all polarized sunglasses have sufficient UV protection. Because polarization and UV protection are not synonymous, double-check that the polarized sunglasses you’re considering have the appropriate UV protection.
Choosing the Best Sport Sunglasses
1. The Sport You Participate In
The first thing to consider is where you’ll be wearing your new shades. Sports enthusiasts may perform in a variety of situations.
For example, a golfer can expect to see a lot of green, open spaces, while an angler may spend long periods staring into the deep, dark water.
Wind, dirt, and dust will be a concern for the cyclist as he tries to pick out the road surface details. Long-distance runners, on the other hand, will be more concerned with sweat on the face.
They will seek out sports sunglasses that will aid in spotting obstacles on the trail surface.
If you wish to wear your sunglasses in the woods, lenses that work best in dim light will be preferable. Those that pick up surface details on the wide, brightly lit open road, and vice versa for trail bike riders.
If you lead a more active lifestyle, lightweight nylon frames with support and flexibility are a good option. If you’re a runner, a rimless style that’s lightweight and stays in place would be ideal.
If you prefer to go fishing, you’ll need more coverage. More coverage means more protection from the glare and reflected light from water.
2. Materials Matter in Sport Glasses
The lens material should be the second factor to consider. Glass or polycarbonate lenses are the most popular options.
Glass is slightly clearer and less prone to scratching than polycarbonate. But the latter has more impact resistance and is less likely to shatter if you take a tumble.
Another factor to consider is weight. The lighter the sunglasses, the better in sports where split seconds matter, though the difference is minor these days.
In recent years, technological advancements have introduced new features to the arena. Interchangeable lenses that can be replaced in seconds are one of the most useful for sports.
This eliminates the need to wear several pairs of glasses at once. To suit the current weather or other environmental conditions, different lenses can be quickly snapped into place.
Advanced hypoallergenic materials can feel safer on the face. This is particularly important in sports for which glasses must be worn for long periods in stressful situations.
Shield lens designs have also improved significantly in recent years. They claim to provide more wraparound eye protection while maintaining good air circulation.
3. Keeping Fit and Staying in Place
Sports fans may not want to wear glasses that are too tight or uncomfortable. But the glasses must remain in place when the head is shaken, or the face becomes sweaty.
Fit is another critical consideration. Sports glasses are often shaken, particularly in more aggressive field sports like running, jumping, and throwing.
Many sports websites have put various sports sunglasses to the test by wearing them in a variety of environments and weather conditions.
Here is a list of the main requirements for choosing sports sunglasses:
- Wraparound eye safety
- Clear vision
- Durable yet lightweight materials
- Close yet comfortable fit
4. More About Lens Tints
When purchasing sports glasses, other factors to consider include the desired lens color and tint. With their sports models, most manufacturers offer a wide variety of lens tint choices.
The preference should be based on the circumstances and conditions in which they will be worn.
Amber and brown tints are also common options, as they provide more contrast. They make objects appear clearer and improve distance judgment.
The most common option is a grey or smoke-tinted lens. It is ideal for most lighting conditions because it decreases light uniformly across the entire color spectrum. But remember that it does not provide more contrast.
For sports in which there are a lot of blue skies, reddish tints like vermillion, orange, and rose are common. Eye pressure is caused by blue light.
A reddish tint can not only relieve it but also improve distance perception and make objects look clearer.
Photochromic lenses, which change color depending on the lighting conditions, are another useful lens technology. Many sports eyewear manufacturers are now using them in their lineups.
In low-visibility settings, yellow tints improve colors and are favored in dull or hazy conditions. Because yellow-tinted sunglasses boost contrast and depth perceptions, you’ll see a lot of anglers wearing them.
Polarized lenses have been around for a long time. They can significantly reduce glare, especially from wide, flat surfaces like water and sand.
Interchangeable lenses have also grown in popularity. Manufacturers of sports sunglasses will sell two or three single-piece lenses that can be swapped in and out of the same frame.
Most of these sports sunglasses no longer need adjustments because the lenses adjust to the light and weather conditions.
5. Choose What You Like
Frame selection is a combination of science and art. Most glasses frame forms come in a variety of colors and sizes.
In an adult, there is no definite benefit of one substance over another. Above all, somebody should enjoy wearing the glasses because they will most likely be worn every day.
Many lens coatings have been finely engineered to enhance visibility and contrast in unique sports conditions. If you want to excel, you’ll need to adapt your glasses to the activity.
Conclusion
Having at least two separate pairs of sports sunglasses for different lighting conditions is a good idea. For overcast hours, a yellow or amber lens may be best.
For sunny days, a medium or dark brown lens may be preferable. Alternatively, you may choose different tint colors for various activities, but you may want to consult an optometrist first.
