Choosing a pair of sunglasses can be a confusing journey. With so many shapes, brands, and styles out there, there’s something for everybody. And with such a vast array of options to choose from, making the right choice is often hard. But there’s one question that always comes to mind - should you go with polarized or non-polarized lenses?

But what’s the difference between polarized and ordinary sunglasses? Are they really better? 

Well, to answer these and other questions about polarization, let’s go over the main things that you need to know about lenses, how they’re polarized and what’s the difference. 

So, what are polarized sunglasses?

First thing, it’s a great buzzword. Go to a near sunglasses store, and you easily see 50+ “polarized” stickers on both $500 and $15 sunglasses. 

But polarization is a lot more than just a price tag. It’s a process, that, when done correctly, will protect your eyes from the harmful sun rays. 

Polarization reduces glare and helps you see details in harsh direct sunlight, that usually you wouldn’t. That’s why polarized sunglasses are great for driving, fishing, skiing and a variety of other activities. 

Simply put, polarized lenses have a plastic film that will filter out all the horizontal orientated light. This means that only vertical sunlight gets to your eyes, thus eliminating glare and reducing the strain in your eyes. 

Okay, I have a pair, but can polarization be added to my sunglasses?

This is kind of a tricky thing to do. The simple answer is “yes”, you can add polarization to a pair of sunglasses that don’t have it applied from the factory.

But is it worth it? 

Adding polarization to a pair of regular sunglasses can be expensive, and sometimes the results aren’t that good. That’s because when sunglasses are made, the polarizing filter is made to precisely fit the lens and its specifications. 

As a company that makes sunglasses, our expertise shows that it’s worth to polarize only prescription sunglasses. 

Can polarization wear off?

This is a common myth going around forums. So, to clarify things, no, polarization film does not wear off with time.

As long as you don’t scratch the surface, or you damage and peel off the polarizing film covering the lenses, you shouldn’t notice any changes. 

If you see your polarization film peeling without any reason, this is most likely due to poor application in the production process, and that’s why you don’t go with the $5 pair.  

How do polarized sunglasses protect your eyes?

Above, we briefly mentioned how polarizing films filter the light that gets through the glass and reaches your eyes. You have a filter applied to each lens. The film filters the horizontal light-waves and lets only vertical light-waves pass through. 

One of the most significant benefits of polarization is that it eliminates glare. If you spend long hours outside in the harsh sun, glare can be pretty frustrating to deal with.

That’s why most fishermen and skiers prefer to wear polarized lenses while fishing or skiing. The glare from the water or snow can be straining on the eyes so, the protective film perfectly solves this problem. 

When you remove the glare and you add darker tint to your sunglasses you don’t have to squint in order to see comfortably. And, in fact, squinting your eyes constantly is what causes headaches, redness in your eyes, irritation, and fatigue. 

Polarized vs non-polarized sunglasses

Because of the way the light is filtered, polarized sunglasses can increase clarity and color when you’re outside, even making the views more enjoyable. Having less light reaching your eyes, however, means that visibility in gloomy weather will be limited with polarized lenses. 

But here it’s also important to point out that when it comes to sunglasses, non-polarized tinted lenses have a darker tint, so opting out for polarized sunglasses is always the better option. 

For example, all Woodies sunglasses are made with polarized lenses (and the industry-best wooden frames) in order to bring the ultimate viewing experience to our customers. 

When we initially conceptualized Woodies, we decided to make all sunglasses with polarized lenses. Not just because it improves the experience, but it also protects the eyes of everyone who wears a pair. 

How to tell if your sunglasses are polarized?

So, you have a pair of sunglasses, but you really didn’t pay attention when you bought them if they were polarized or no. How do you know if they’re polarized?

Well, you may be able to quickly identify if you have polarized sunglasses just by reading this article. Grab your pair and look through the lenses. Try and rotate them a bit just to change angles. Do some parts on the screen disappear or turn black? Great! Your sunglasses are polarized. 

And if your screen continues to look normal, then you can grab a pair of high-quality polarized sunglasses from our store or even from Amazon.