{"id":9009,"date":"2020-12-06T21:00:36","date_gmt":"2020-12-06T21:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=9009"},"modified":"2022-05-15T08:46:06","modified_gmt":"2022-05-15T08:46:06","slug":"what-do-polarized-lenses-do","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-optical-lenses\/sunglasses\/what-do-polarized-lenses-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Polarized Lenses Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>What are polarized sunglasses?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Polarized lenses are known for their ability to reduce glare and improve color contrast in bright light. These lenses enhance visual clarity, reduce eye strain, and provide maximum protection in bright environments.<\/p>\n<p><b>Polarized lenses are recommended for outdoor use, especially in environments known for reflecting light and producing glare, such as:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>1. Near the water\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Oceans, rivers and lakes are all bodies of water that reflect the sun\u2019s light. Whether you are fishing, sailing, or jet skiing, polarized lenses can prevent the sun\u2019s light from reflecting off the water and shining into your eyes. They can also help you to see more clearly into the water\u2014 a helpful tool for successful fishing.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. On the ski slopes<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Whether you are skiing, sledding, or snowboarding, if you plan to spend the day on snow-covered mountains, polarized lenses will absorb the light reflected off the snow and enhance your visual clarity.<\/p>\n<p><b>Caution:<\/b> Some eyecare professionals caution against wearing polarized lenses while skiing as these lenses can affect your ability to distinguish between snow and ice.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. On the road<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The roads and highways are also known for reflecting light, and can cause a dangerous glare while driving. Polarized lenses reduce the light that is reflected off the surface of the highway, increasing depth perception and decreasing drivers fatigue.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">Contact an eye doctor<\/a> near you to discuss how to achieve the best vision possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>SEE RELATED:<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-optical-lenses\/sunglasses\/what-do-polarized-lenses-do\/going-skiing-remember-your-polarized-sunglasses\/\"> Going Skiing \u2013 Remember Your Polarized Sunglasses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>How do polarized lenses work?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>When the sun\u2019s rays shine in different directions, the light is called<i> unpolarized<\/i> light. When unpolarized light hits a reflective smooth surface, such as a mirror, car window, water or even snow, the reflected light causes the light rays to point in <i>one<\/i> direction. This transforms the light into <i>polarized<\/i> light.<\/p>\n<p>Reflected polarized light can be harmful for your eyes\u2014 and without the right kind of protection, can cause glare, reduced vision clarity and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/optical\/sunglasses\/\"> UV light exposure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Polarized lenses prevent reflected light from shining directly into your eyes and make it easier to see when bright light is reflected off of smooth surfaces.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Polarized lenses are created differently than regular lenses due to their \u2018sandwich\u2019 design. A polarized lens contains three layers: two outer layers made of plastic or glass, and a middle layer containing the polarized material which is stretched into long vertical strands.<\/p>\n<p>This \u2018sandwich\u2019 design allows the polarized lens to absorb the horizontal light that is reflected off smooth surfaces, preventing it from reaching your eyes.<\/p>\n<h2>When to use polarized lenses<\/h2>\n<p>Polarized sunglasses can make a world of difference when it comes to certain activities, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Fishing<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Boating<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Golfing<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Snow sports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When not to use polarized lenses<\/h2>\n<p>Wearing polarized lenses can make it difficult to see the images on LCD screens, such as the screen on your cell phone or car dashboard, or the ATM machine at the bank.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, wearing polarized lenses can interfere with your visual clarity.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some situations when wearing polarized lenses is NOT recommended:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Looking at digital screens or mobile phones<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Driving on icy roads<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Nighttime driving<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In these situations, the reflected light and increased glare can signal oncoming danger and help you to avoid accidents.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Polarized vs. regular sunglasses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Regular non-polarized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-optical-lenses\/sunglasses\/\">sunglasses<\/a> rely on the dark tint of the lens to reduce glare.<\/p>\n<p><b>Polarized lenses have the ability to reduce light energy without increasing lens color density, and are therefore available in a variety of lighter shades<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><i>Note: While most polarized lenses provide 100 percent UV protection, be sure to read the label on the sunglasses before purchasing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Polarized lenses can be beneficial in bright light environments and help to improve your visual clarity for many different activities.<\/p>\n<p><b>LEARN MORE: <\/b>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/\">Optical and Contact Lenses<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule an appointment<\/b><\/a> with an eye doctor <i>to learn more about polarized lenses and how they can benefit your lifestyle.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are polarized sunglasses? Polarized lenses are known for their ability to reduce glare and improve color contrast in bright light. These lenses enhance visual<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9010,"parent":5467,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[386,439,267,457,453,389],"class_list":["post-9009","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-optical-lenses","tag-polarized-lenses","tag-sunglasses","tag-tinted-lenses","tag-transition-lenses","tag-visual-acuity"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Do Polarized Lenses Do? - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-optical-lenses\/sunglasses\/what-do-polarized-lenses-do\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Do Polarized Lenses Do? - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What are polarized sunglasses? 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