Choosing Sunglasses for Winter Sports
With winter right around the corner, many outdoor fans are looking forward to spending the brief daylight hours in the new snow. There are many out-of-doors sports to get pleasure from: Snowboarding, hiking, cross-country skiing, speed skating, ice fishing and tobogganing are just a few of the alternatives for you.
But what about your eyes? There is a lot of brightness that comes from the icy ground which can cause harsh eye stress by day’s end. There is also the worry of keeping the eyes shielded from the frigid breezes and potential bits that can leap up at any moment.
Which sunglasses are ideal for cold weather activities? There are a number of factors that are the most important to have in mind when deciding.
The main feature is how to aid you to view your surroundings. In the winter outdoors, you are encircled by a couple of basic hues: white and gray. As well, the white is very reflective. The sunlight that gleams down bounces off of the ice crystals as clearly as off of teeny mirrors. Your grandpa cautioned you never to stare at the sun, but when you’re on a snow-covered hill, you really do not have a choice; the sunlight is everywhere.
The best thing you can do is put on sunglasses that absorb most of the reflected glare, and polarized sunglasses are by far the best purchase to make in this regard. By doing away with both the reflected sunlight from the ground and the diffused sunlight that comes directly from the low sun, appropriately polarized sunglasses remove the strain from your eyes and provide a particularly clear view. There will be no need to squint, and whatever outdoor sport you are participating in will become more enjoyable.
Polarized sunglasses work by literally chopping off the light waves at an angle perpendicular to the glare. This allows plenty of light in to view your surroundings, but the bright spots disappear. You can tell if you have true polarized lenses by turning them in a circle. If the glare returns and disappears again, the sunglasses are polarized. If you have two sets of polarized glasses and look through both of them at the same time – with one pair held at right angles to the other – you should see almost nothing. The first pair of polarized sunglasses will let the wavelengths through from one angle, and the second set of glasses will eliminate those waves.
The second important factor to consider when buying sunglasses for the snow is the design. Wraparound lenses offer the most protection from the cold and unexpected flying debris. Most regular sunglasses are relatively flat and allow air and particles to easily get in from the top and sides. Just because the lenses are larger doesn’t mean that the sunglasses are heavier; most glasses designed for sports are very lightweight.
The material that is used in the frames can also be considered, but this is more important for extreme sports, where the strength of the frame may come into play. Aluminum frames are very light and strong, but since aluminum is a metal, it can become cold in the winter air and some people may object to the feeling. Acetate frames are made from a very durable plastic that is used for racing helmets and other protective uses. Since plastic is an insulator, the temperature of the frames does not change much, and these sunglasses can be much more comfortable to wear, especially in extremely cold weather.
To summarize: The best sunglasses for the snow have polarized lenses, a wraparound lens design, and have frames that are made from either acetate (or some other durable plastic) or aluminum.
Happy winter!
In addition to aviator sunglasses, there are many sunglass specialties today such as fishing sunglasses. Whether you are looking for designer glasses, replica sunglasses or just sunglasses in general, TheSunglassManOnline.com has a wide selection of eyewear for sports and fashion.
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