Benefits of Polarized Eyewear

Johnny Nash had it all wrong. It's not the rain that prevents us from seeing clearly. It's the glare. Had Johnny experienced the world through a set of Polarized Sunglasses, perhaps he would have titled that song "I Can See Clearly Now (The Glare is Gone)."

We've all experienced it. The fisherman that spends hours on the water. The golfer hitting a drive right into the sun. Perhaps you're a skier that knows how the sunlight loves to reflect off the fresh white powder. Or maybe you've experienced the potentially life-threatening condition that glare can create as you drive around town and light reflects off your hood, windshield, or street signs- blinding you, preventing you from seeing all of your surroundings. The fact is, we've all been there at one point or another. Glare is annoying. It causes strain on the eyes and prevents us from seeing and enjoying the world.

The good news is that a quality pair of Haber sunglasses or polarized goggles will solve all those problems for you. Polarized eye wear is a marvel of semi-modern technology that has been around for over 70 years. Originally, it gained a foothold among water and snow sports enthusiasts, but the benefits of polarization can be seen everywhere. The properties of glare elimination, color enhancement, and accentuation of contrast and acuity have made polarized lenses appealing to anyone seeking the most comfortable and effective sun and driving glasses and ski or snowboard goggles. In the lighter shades, they are also proving to be helpful indoors for computer users or generally light sensitive individuals. Polarized Sunglasses are available in prescription form as well.

Polarized lenses work by eliminating the light waves that create glare. Light waves travel in every direction. When light hits a surface a reflection results, with the reflected waves vibrating in a particular direction, usually horizontally. This reflected light is called glare. Reflective glare significantly reduces visual acuity and depth perception. It will also color distort and cause temporary blindness and squinting, causing unnecessary strain to the eyes. Conventional sunglasses only reduce the amount of light that is transmitted through the lens on both horizontal and vertical plains. Polarization is the only way to eliminate the glare while still blocking the harmful UV rays that traditional sunglasses and goggles block. Polarized lenses absorb light waves traveling in any direction other than the vertical plane. The transmitted light travels in one direction; hence the glare is reduced or eliminated.

The result is a view of the world that is completely undistorted. Fishermen fishing in clear water are often able to see through the surface of the water and see the fish swimming around beneath when wearing polarized sunglasses. If the same fisherman were wearing a pair of traditional sunglasses, they would only be able to see the reflection of the sunlight on the surface of the water.

Glare naturally causes the eyes to squint. Squinting causes strain on the eyes and prolonged periods of squinting can damage the eyes as well as give you a pretty serious headache. Glare also affects depth perception and distorts colors. Golfers wear polarized sunglasses to allow them to follow their ball and accurately determine how far from the hole they are. Depth perception and color recognition are also important for everyday tasks, such as driving. Glare could create a situation for a driver where they are unable to recognize the color of a stoplight that is illuminated, which is obviously not safe.

In conclusion, the benefits of wearing polarized eyewear are the elimination of annoying glare, reduced strain to the eyes, improved depth perception, and accurate color recognition. Polarized lenses serve a purpose in every outdoor activity from the extreme athlete to the Average Joe that walks his dogs in the park in the afternoon. Although a pair of polarized sunglasses or polarized goggles typically cost a little more than a traditional pair of sunglasses, you can often find great deals on HaberVision sunglasses and get the benefits of polarized eye wear without the additional cost.