When the sun is bright and you put your sunglasses on do you ever think about how they work? The thought has probably never crossed your mind. Although if you were to go shopping for a new pair of high performance sunglasses that thought may pop into your head when you see how many choices there actually are today. Lets explore the technological advances in todays eyewear so when that day comes around you will be better equipped to make that decision.

The choices available to you in the high performance eyewear market are seemingly endless. The simple sunglasses of years prior have turned into a complex maze of choices. Probably the most important feature to look for in a good pair of sunglasses is the protection from ultraviolet rays but they should also protect you from light itself. Quality shade can also protect your eyes from glare and eliminate specific frequencies of light. Some of those frequencies of light can actually blur your vision while other enhance contrast.

Today high performance sunglasses use a variety of advanced technologies to control light. These technologies include tinting, polarization, mirroring, anti-reflective coatings, scratch resistant coatings, and UV coatings. The color of the tint used in lenses determines what part of the light spectrum they absorb. Polarized filters are a chemical film applied to the lens to eliminate glare. Mirroring is also an applied coating easily scratches. Anti-reflective coatings are used to reduce the light that hits the back of the lens and bounces into the eyes and UV coatings eliminate harmful UV radiation from reaching your eyes.

Light is polarized when the light waves are aligned into one or more planes of direction. The chemical compounds used in the films which are applied to the lens are composed of molecules that align in parallel relation to one another. When they are applied evenly to a lens, the molecules create a microscopic filter that absorbs light which matches their alignment. When wearing high performance eyewear with polarized lenses you will enjoy a clearer view and eliminate glare.

Most high performance sunglasses now use polycarbonate lenses. This new technology is actually a synthetic plastic which is very strong, lightweight and impact resistant. Another advanced technology is CR-39 that is a plastic made from hard resins that meet optical quality standards. Glass is still used but rarely even though it is the most scratch resistant.

You will find that glass and polycarbonate lenses have their colors evenly distributed across each lens and that there are no distortions. Cheap sunglasses will commonly have distorted lenses. You can easily check to see if the lenses are distorted by holding them a shot distance from your face and moving them slowly from right to left and up and down. Look through the lens with one eye closed at a straight line. If the line does not stay straight than the lenses are not of optical quality.

Glass is a naturally scratch resistant material but most plastics are not. Manufacturers have developed a variety of ways to add films to lenses that increase their scratch resistance. These films are made of materials such as DLC or diamond-like carbon and polycrystalline diamond. Through ionization a thin but very durable film is created on the surface of the lens. These coatings surely don't have the scratch resistance of glass but they go a long way in helping to keep your lenses scratch free.

High performance sunglasses are available to aid in the comfort of your eyes. That is made possible due to the control of visible light or white light. Sunglasses provide various levels of protection from this type of light. Many types of tints are also available today. Yellow lenses are available which brighten hazy days. Smoke lenses provide true color reproduction and brown lenses help with depth perception and contrast. Clear sunglasses are available which block 100% of UV radiation.

With so many technological advances in eyewear today the available choices seem endless. I hope that this article helped to enlighten you to many of the new technologies available to you today so that when you buy your next pair of high performance sunglasses you find the best pair for your particular needs and ultimately your comfort.