Benefits of Wearing Sunglasses Year Round

Sunglasses get put away in October and brought out in May, which does not match what ultraviolet light actually does through the year. UV levels fall in winter but they do not disappear, and low winter sun sits at exactly the angle that gets under a hat brim and past a visor.

The label is what matters, not the darkness

A dark lens with no UV filter is worse than no lens, because the darkness opens the pupil and lets more of the unfiltered light in. Look for the UV rating, not the tint depth.

• UV400 or “100% UVA/UVB” is what you want on the label
• Category describes how dark the lens is, from 0 to 4. Category 3 suits most general outdoor use; category 4 is too dark for driving
• Polarization cuts glare from water, snow and wet roads. It is a comfort feature rather than a protective one, and worth having

Coverage counts

A lens only protects what it covers. Wraparound shapes and larger lenses reduce what comes in around the edges, which is where a surprising amount of it arrives. A wide-brimmed hat does a lot of the same work.

Reflective surfaces

Snow, water and pale sand reflect a substantial fraction of the UV falling on them straight back up. That is why a bright day on the water is harder on the eyes than the same day inland, and why sunglasses on a ski slope are equipment rather than an accessory.

Children

Children spend more time outdoors than most adults and their exposure accumulates over a longer remaining lifetime. Properly rated sunglasses that they will actually keep on — which usually means a strap and a shape they chose themselves — are worth more than an expensive pair in a drawer.

Prescription options

If you wear glasses, prescription sunglasses, clip-ons and photochromic lenses each suit different habits. The dispensary will talk through which fits how you actually spend your day, which is a more useful conversation than which is best in the abstract.