Are polarized lenses for me? - Find out here!

Everybody loves the sun. But having it directly hit your eyes or reflect from a smooth surface like the see, the road or a car can be both annoying and potentially dangerous.

Fortunately, ORIGEM's sunglasses are equipped with the highest protection available commercially - UVA/UVB 400 protection + polarized - so that you can enjoy your sunny days with more comfort and safety.

In this blog post, we are going to dive in on what are polarized lenses and why you should (or shouldn't) prefer them over normal sunglasses.

So, what are polarized lenses and how do they work?

Ok, to answer this question we need to recap for a second: when sunlight hits an object, that object reflects some of it back to you. Very simply, from the object into your eye, light can travel either in vertical or horizontal waves. 

The problem is that while a normal surface reflects some of both - helping you see correctly -, relatively flat surfaces reflect a lot more of horizontal waves. This produces that feeling of glare, blurriness and confusion that obfuscates your view and hurts your eyes. 

This is where polarized lenses come into action.

Polarized lenses are treated with a synthetic filter in which its molecules are lined up horizontally in order to block this type of waves. On polarized sunglasses, the lens will block out all the light rays that approach your eyes directly bouncing off a smooth pond or shiny car hood.

As a result, you see things a bit darker than usual, but objects look crisper and clearer, and details are easier to see. People who use polarized sunglasses frequently often say they are less tired than usual after hours of battling sun glare.

Are polarized sunglasses for me?

In general: yes! But there are a few instances where polarized lenses are not recommended.

For instance, you will have difficulty seeing images on LCD screens—like your car dashboard controls, ATM cash machines, cell phones and some watches - since these devices emit both vertical and horizontal light. 

So if you need to be able to look at LCDs for long periods of times like airline pilots or photographers it might be a good idea to go for regular lenses instead of polarized ones.

Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that while for most people polarized lenses will produce a better optical experience, it might be the case that your eyesight, in particular, does not deal well with this type of filter so be sure to always wear what you feel most comfortable with.