What Are Polarized Goggles?

What Are Polarized Goggles?

• Polarized goggles typically are used in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding, where glare can be irritating or dangerous. Outdoor swimmers, especially backstrokers who look up at the sun as they swim, often use them as well, although they can be useful in almost any outdoor activity. A special coating is applied to the lenses to reflect intense light that might hamper vision.

  Goggles sit flush to the face, creating a seal to keep out the elements for sports such as snowboarding and swimming. However, polarized sunglasses are also available for sports in which that seal is not as important, such as baseball and golf.

How Polarized Goggles Work

• Polarized goggles are designed to reflect glare away from your eyes. They are made with a filter that blocks strong reflected rays. This includes winter sports, where sunlight can reflect off snow to create glare, and aquatic sports, where the water might make it difficult to see. However, they can be used even in non-athletic activities, such as driving, to cut down on glare and to protect eyes.

  Lenses for winter and water sports often have an orange or rose-colored tint for more contrast against glare, eye doctors say. Lenses for other sports, such as baseball or golf, are more suited to differentiating between the green of the grass and the blue of the sky. These lenses have a blue or green tint. Gray is a good choice for general use, as it maintains normal color recognition.

Health Benefits of Polarized Goggles

• For the most eye protection, look for goggles that offer 100 percent protection against ultraviolet rays. Our eyes are sensitive to these rays, and exposure to them can cause inflammation, cancer and vision loss, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. It is possible to get prescription polarized goggles and bifocal polarized goggles as well.

Performance Effects of Polarized Goggles

• In athletic activities, polarized goggles can be an advantage. The heightened contrast they provide makes it easier to see your surroundings and plan a safe path. Wide lenses give athletes more peripheral vision. It is also possible to find polarized goggles that have special anti-fog vents or coatings.

  However, polarized goggles can make it difficult for downhill skiers to see the texture of the snow or ice they are about to reach. This can limit their ability to make adjustments or avoid a dangerous area altogether. It is also harder to make out an LCD screen---to read a digital map, for instance---when wearing polarized goggles.