Problems With Polarized Sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses are glasses with special lenses that differentiate between horizontal and vertical light angles. The object of this is to only allow vertical light from the sun to enter the glasses, while blocking horizontal light from glare or other reflections. This increases visibility on flat surfaces like roads and water, which are susceptible to glare.

  1. Screen Viewing

    • Because of the light reflective properties of polarized lenses, it can make seeing a screen on a cell phone, GPS or other digital readout difficult. In many cases, glasses will need to be removed to see LCD and other screens, which can be difficult while working or driving.

    False Advertising

    • Many sunglass manufacturers will claim a product is polarized, but in many cases it is not. A simple way to be sure is to look at a reflective surface through the lens, rotate the glasses 90 degrees and look for variations in the intensity of the glare. If you see changes in intensity, the glasses are not polarized.

    Time of Day

    • Polarized lenses are designed to operate best when the sun is exactly 37 degrees from the horizon. They are able to limit glare when the sun is in the 30 to 60 degree range but not very effective if the sun is very low or very high from the horizon.

    Snow Glare

    • In some cases of winter sports, such as downhill skiing, it is necessary for a person to be able to see reflections on ice patches and other slick surfaces to avoid injury. Polarized lenses may also limit visibility of things like broken glass or metal which could cause injury or damage to a vehicle.