Top Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Polarized Sunglasses

From fishing in Florida to multi-day trekking on the Tonto Trail of the Grand Canyon, protecting your eyes is a serious challenge. Here, polarized sunglasses can be an effective shield for your sensitive eyes for spending time doing outdoor activities for fun or simply walking through the city lanes on a sunny day. 

The polarized sunglasses are designed to minimize the impact of glare; be it ice or sand. They also improve clarity and provide better visual perception than ordinary tinted sunglasses. Despite being confident, you are prone to making mistakes when you go to buy polarized sunglasses in the Canton Flea or Pike Place markets. To make yourself aware of how to buy the best polarized sunglasses without overpaying, scroll through the post until the end.

This guide will help you avoid common mistakes when buying polarized sunglasses, such as purchasing ones with poor optical quality, mistaking non-polarized sunglasses for polarized ones, and overspending on a low-quality product. 

Preferring Style Over Quality

The biggest mistakes we make while standing at the NW street vendor outlets are preferring style over the true functionality of sunglasses. Since sunglasses are designed to protect eyes, that should be your priority, not just the trendy designs that suit your face. Unless you are a celebrity, the polarized sunglasses online that offer the most protection should be your top pick. For example, if you are a car racer or driver, large frames will surely help you block glare more than the cat's eye or round glasses. So, to pick the right one, answer these questions:

• Where am I going to use these sunglasses?
• Do these lenses cover my field of vision?
• What are the best polarized sunglasses that fit my face?

If outdoors is your priority, function is the most important factor to consider while buying sunglasses.

Mistaking All Glasses for Polarized Sunglasses

Most of the flea markets in New York City and Venice Beach are filled with “polarized” labels. That doesn’t make all sunglasses truly polarized. There is a difference between tinted sunglasses and real polarized sunglasses that you can know by checking them. 

Check out:

• When you are holding sunglasses in front of your phone screen, do the lenses turn dark at a 60–90° angle? Only truly premium polarized sunglasses turn dark, while tinted ones only show shadow.
• Prefer certifications from established brands because they carry brand value for quality. Some online vendors, like Snap Magnetic Glasses, offer certifications with a detailed label for technology, lens coating, and UV 400 protection with their sunglasses. 
• Check for the patented technologies like Maui Jim’s PolarizedPlus2®, Oakley’s Prizm™, and Smith ChromaPop® are some of the proprietary technologies that cannot be easily claimed by counterfeit products.

Not Considering UV Protection

Most buyers think all polarized sunglasses offer UV protection. However, UV protection and polarization are totally different technologies in sunglasses. Polarization is for reducing glare, while UV coating blocks the harmful UV rays like UVA and UVB. You can avoid making these mistakes to end up with polarized sunglasses that lack UV protection.

See UV certification, like Oliver Peoples’s Proprietary Crystal technology in partnership with Barberini features UV 400+ coatings for blocking UV rays.

Check labels like 100% UV Protection, UV400, CE, or ANSI Z80.3 standard compliance

Polarized sunglasses with UV protection matter most, especially while picking affordable polarized sunglasses from the flea market. They make the best choice for outdoors, especially summer vacations in the tropics or the Outer Banks.

Ignoring Lens Color and Material

Lens color is not just for the looks; it plays a significant role in shielding eyes while staying outdoors. Some common lens colors are chosen with polarized sunglasses specifically for enhancing perception in everyday use. For example, Gray colors are good for clarity, while Brown and Amber enhance contrast, which is good for adventure, sports, and driving. Similarly, Green color reduces the glare, while blue is good for bright light.

Another mistake to avoid while buying polarized sunglasses is not checking the lens material. Some common materials available nowadays in polarized sunglasses online are polycarbonate, glass, and TAC. Polycarbonates are lightweight and also shatterproof, while glasses are more fragile but provide sharper optics. Then comes the TAC, which is Tri-Acetate Cellulose – a common choice for most affordable polarized sunglasses. 

Choosing the wrong material and color may not serve the purpose of buying sunglasses.

Sacrificing Function for Fashion

Some common facts to consider before purchase are – nose bridge, temples, frame shape, and hold on the face. When you buy polarized sunglasses online, checking these things is difficult. Hence, you should carefully read the product specifications that mention each detail. It ensures proper fit, minimal pressure, and the highest effectiveness.

Other Common Mistakes While Buying Polarized Sunglasses:

• Believing that “the higher the price, the better be quality” is a misconception. Some budget options may also come at the same price with better quality, as the newly launched eyewear brands like Snap Magnetic Glasses are more focused on gaining brand loyalty, so they offer affordable prices that are not common with big brands.
• Another common mistake is not reading the reviews while purchasing polarized sunglasses online and buying the product just based on the star rating. You should thoroughly read the negative and positive comments to assess the feature-to-price ratio.
• Next comes the warranty or return policy. Polarized sunglasses often get scratched during poor transit. Checking the return policy is important for warranty coverage, especially with premium luxury eyewear. Look for lens defect warranty and replacement options. For example, good brands like Snap Magnetic Glasses offer a return window of 30 days that shows brand confidence.

To Sum Up

Avoiding common mistakes while buying polarized sunglasses is simple. Taking your time and checking out features one by one helps in avoiding overpaying for defective products that don’t last long. If you are heading outdoors, get the best polarized sunglasses now!