subject: Polarized Sunglasses - Facts About Polarized Sunglasses [print this page] You have probably come across the term "polarized sunglasses" at some time or another and you likely also wondered just what the difference between them and normal sunglasses is. Aren't all sunglasses the same thing? They are just something to keep the harmful rays of the sun away from your eyes, right? While that is the purpose of any pair of sunglasses, there is actually a fairly big difference between a normal, run-of-the-mill pair of sunglasses and the polarized variety. A regular pair of sunglasses will darken everything, while sunglasses that are polarized will be selective about what they darken and what light they allow to pass through.
So why would anyone bother wearing a pair of polarized sunglasses when they already have a pair of quality sunglasses that do a perfectly fine job of keeping the sun out of their eyes? Without getting into too much technical jargon, the reason most people wear sunglasses in the first place is to reduce glare when looking at horizontal surfaces, such as roads or body of water. This means that the light reflected off of these surfaces is also horizontal. The polarized film used in sunglasses is able to tell the difference between horizontal and vertical light. Sunglasses that are polarized are able to block the horizontally reflected light, while allowing vertically reflected light to come through.
Polarized sunglasses are quite common to find in various professions. Fishing sunglasses that fisherman frequently use are usually polarized, as are sport sunglasses typically worn by athletes. When playing sports, it is crucial sometimes to keep the glare of the sun out of your eyes, but it is also important to not have everything completely darkened. The reason wearing sunglasses that are polarized is so important is because wearing regular sunglasses will darken everything, impairing your vision and potentially causing you problems while playing.
You need to be careful when buying polarized eyewear as a lot of times they will be advertised as being polarized, but they really aren't. Luckily, there is a simple test you can do to tell whether or not they actually are polarized. If you have a pair that is supposed to be polarized, hold them out from you and look through one of the lenses at some type of reflective surface. Slowly turn the glasses about 90 degrees or so and look to see if the glare being reflected from the surface increases or decreases. If you have a phony "polarized" pair, the glare will increase. If you have a legit pair of polarized sunglasses, the glare will decrease significantly.
