Functions and types of sport sunglasses

Sports sunglasses can help both professional athletes and amateurs improve performance. However, most sports enthusiasts don’t take their vision as a key factor in optimizing the performance while they are trying the latest equipments.

The light is composed of a variety of light rays with different colors and wavelengths, including blue, green, yellow, orange, violet and red. These colored rays create white light when they are combined together. Because rays with certain wavelength can be reduced selectively if they travel to eye, colored sunglasses can eliminate glare and improve contrast sensitivity. Therefore, athletes will have a key advantage from suitable sunglasses during competition. There are several advantages about colored sunglasses, such as enhancing contrast between objects and background, reducing glare, seeing target more clearly and so on.

Different colored sunglasses are designed for different outdoor activities. For example, gray sunglasses are the best choice for color perception with 100 percent of accuracy, while brown and copper-colored lenses are right for enhancement of contrast between objects and background. Also, yellow, amber, orange, and red lenses all have good effects in improving contrast.

As we know, over-exposure to UV rays may lead to the development of cataracts and other disasters. As a result, it is important to make sure that your sunglasses provide 100 percent of UV protection. The colors of lenses have no relation with the ability of UV protection. Yellow and dark gray lenses can have the same percentage of UV protection.

Except for UV rays, high-energy visible (HEV) radiation is another ray which needs to be isolated. For example, Australia professional golfer Robert Allenby has said that the polarized copper-colored lenses provide a good vision. Polarized lenses can reduce the glare and the color can enhance the contrast between golf ball and the green grass. Following Allenby, there are many young players on the PGA tour who wear sunglasses during competitions.

Besides color and UV protection, most people prefer to choose sunglasses with other features. Photochromic lenses will lighten and darken automatically depending on the light condition. Polarized lenses contain a kind of special material which filters and blocks light selectively and therefore reduces the glare from water, snow and sand. Sunglass lenses with an AR coating at the back surface can eliminate the glare from the sunlight that is behind you. Sunglasses with wrap-style frames make the lenses fit closely to wearer’s face and reduce more light. In extremely bright circumstances, lenses with a mirror coating in the front surface can block 10 percent to 60 percent visible light and provide a more comfortable vision.

Generally speaking, two different pairs of sunglasses are enough for daily life. A yellow or amber pair of eyeglasses can be prepared for overcast conditions, and a medium or dark brown pair is right for sunny days.