Are Polarized Lenses Really All That?

There are benefits to polarized lenses, but are they really all that much better than traditional tinted lenses? Are there actual health benefits? Here are some facts below and you can decide for yourself if it’s time to make the switch.



Filter More Light to Reduce Glare

Polarized lenses filter more light than regular tinted lenses. This allows the user to see differently than standard tinted lenses as polarized lenses block that intense light reflected off of surfaces such as roadways and water—they decrease glare. Reducing glare helps give you better depth perception, see colors better, and reduces temporary blindness from bright surfaces.

Reduce Eye Strain

By reducing glare you are also reducing eyestrain. Prolonged eye strain is not only uncomfortable but it can lead to migraines for people with sensitive eyes. If you are going to spend time outdoors you might as well be comfortable.

Improved Vision

A sunny day on a snow covered landscape or a body of water can really stress someone’s eyesight. Such conditions will leave you either squinting if you forgot your shades or less than ideal vision with regular tinted lenses. Due to the light filtering capabilities you can see objects more crisply and clearly, see colors better, and with improved depth perception you may even be able to see further below the surface of the water. This is why fisherman and other water sports enthusiasts love polarized lenses.

Drawbacks

There are some disadvantages with polarized lenses as they may block LED and LCD light displays such as those on your cell phone or dashboard lights. For downhill skiers the glare off of dangerous ice patches might blend into the landscape making avoidance much more difficult.

In most situations it seems the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

We carry a variety of polarized sunglasses in our Vision Pro optical centers. Stop in today and find the right pair of polarized sunglasses for you!

Tips to Keep Your Glasses from Fogging Up

Winter can be cumbersome for a variety of reasons: from waking up on cold, dark mornings to go to work, having to warm up a cold vehicle, to shoveling snow winter can take its toll on us. Factor in your glasses, be it shades or prescription, fogging up so that now you are cold and practically blind, it can all be really annoying.

There are a few tricks that you can utilize to try and prevent your lenses from fogging up. Some are better than others and can be situational, but they are worth a try.

Anti-Fog Products

There are a multitude of anti-fog products out there, and rating them all is beyond the scope of this blog. Some work better than others of course and prices range from several dollars to over $40 for a 30oz bottle of the premium stuff.

One product, Zooke Anti-Fog, is marketed towards active people that wear glasses or sport goggles. They sell spray and wax specific to visors and goggles and for glasses. We recommend that you ask your eye care provider for a brand that they feel would work best for your specific needs.

Dress to Vent

When spending time outside in the winter you want to dress in secure clothing that directs heat away from you goggles or glasses. For example, if you are wearing a balaclava, wear one that has ventilation. For winter hats try to adjust them so that there is some air flow into and out of your glasses.

Try to avoid taking your glasses on and off and allowing sweat to build up in them. By taking them off, letting them cool, then putting them back on you will create more condensation resulting in foggy vision.

Go Fast!

If you are running, biking, skiing the more air circulation the less condensation will build up on the inside (the warm side) of your glasses. So there is some added motivation to push yourself on your next excursion.

Nothing is 100% when it comes to anti-fogging your glasses and reapplication will always be a necessary. We suggest that you try one of the anti-fog products we sell at our Vision Pro stores since being able to see clearly is pretty important.

Stop in one of our locations today to see if we can help clear up your foggy vision!

March's Style of the Month

At Vision Pro Optical we carry a selection of the finest quality brands of eyeglasses, sunglasses, contacts, and accessories. For this Style of the Month we take a brief look at Oakley.

Like many great origin stories the beginning of Oakley sprouts from modest roots. In the mid 1970’s Jim Jannard questioned the industry standard for motorcycle accessories and parts. In 1975, with $300 and an idea, he designed a truly innovative rubber motorcycle grip and Oakley was born. New ideas would evolve and soon he would be making motorcycle racing goggles.

Jim created the created the O Frame® goggle with, according to Oakley, ‘a lens curved in the perfect arc of a cylinder.’ Oakley’s move into the realm of eyewear had begun. Jim began designing sunglasses specific to sports with the moniker of taking sunglasses from ‘from generic accessory to vital equipment.’

Decades later Oakley has become the standard for quality and innovation for goggles and glasses. Follow this link to view some of their iconic products from yesteryear to today:
http://in.oakley.com/innovation/design/iconic-products

We are proud to carry Oakley sunglasses and sport goggles in our Vision Pro stores. Oakley products have that perfect balance of function and form, and they look good too. If you lead an active lifestyle come on in and find the right pair of Oakley’s for you!