Are all sunglasses created equal?
Clark Howard, WSB-TV consumer adviser
Whether you wear them for fashion or protection, sunglasses can be very expensive. But do higher-priced shades protect your eyes any better than the bargain glasses? Clark Howard puts them to the UV test.
In the glare of the hot summer sun, your first line of protection is a good pair of sunglasses. But does higher price equal better protection? To find out, Clark and his team purchased four pair of sunglasses: A $90 pair of Oakleys, a $70 pair of Killer Loops, a $19 pair of Rec Specs and a $9 no-name pair. Then they had them tested for UV protection. UV is the harmful set of rays from the sun that can damage your eyes.
According to Dr. Shera Draper, "In order for sunglasses to be effective, they need to block 99 to 100% of the UV light in order to protect the eye from various problems, like damage to the retina, cataracts and headache." Clark took the four pair to Lenscrafters, where they will test your sunglasses for UV protection for free.
First to be tested: The $90 pair. They give 100% protection. The $70 pair also give 100% protection. The $19 pair only gives 97.4% protection. Not as good, but still acceptable. And the $9 pair? 100% protection!
Then, Clark took the glasses to Georgia Tech, for a very scientific test. The results were the same: the $90, $70 and $9 pairs all give 100% protection from damaging UV rays.
According to Jarrod Sanders, who's been selling sunglasses for 10 years, all sunglasses provide UV protection, regardless of the price. "It's a chemical they put in the lens during manufacturing. It's really inexpensive, so the manufacturers really don't have a reason not to put it in the sunglasses," says Sanders.
So how do you know if your pair gives UV protection? Look for a 100% protection label, or one that says UV 400. So if you want to spend the extra money for better quality or brand name sunglasses, go right ahead. Just remember that 100% UV protection is available in even the cheapest pair of sunglasses.
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