Benefits of polarization
Glare reduction
Glare exposure can cause fatigue, headaches, and eye strain. By tackling glare, polarization increases eye comfort and safety.
Color vibrancy
Polarized lenses stop erratic reflections bounced off tiny particles in humid or polluted air, helping you retain true color perception.
Improved contrast
By reducing horizontal light waves and glare, polarized lenses have the added benefit of enhancing contrast, particularly in shade.
Why use polarized lenses?
Our eyes are adapted to natural light, where vertical light waves travel directly from a source like the sun. When light reflects off a surface, it becomes scattered into horizontal light waves that we perceive as glare. Polarized lenses are designed to filter out light waves while allowing natural, vertical light to pass through.
How are polarized lenses made?
Polarization is a chemical process. A hydrocarbon chain is applied to polyvinyl acetate (PVA), which is heated, stretched, and treated with iodine to form a vertical grid invisible to the naked eye. Positioned near the front of the lens, this layer blocks horizontal light waves while allowing vertical waves to pass through.
Downsides of polarization
Perception on snow & ice
It’s a common misconception that polarized lenses are beneficial in glacial environments. Here polarization reduces our ability to distinguish between layers of snow and ice.
Moire effect
When looking at a screen while wearing polarized lenses you might experience moire patterns - an almost holographic-type effect that can be distracting.
Increased cost
Creating polarized lenses involves one more step during the manufacturing process, incurring an additional cost, and making polarized sunglasses more expensive.
