How to buy a good pair of sunglasses

Getty Images Stock Photo by Jacobo García Queiruga, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and Verónica Noya Padín, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Nowadays you can buy a cheap pair of sunglasses just about anywhere – from supermarkets and petrol stations to corner shops and online fashion retailers, but such ubiquity may prompt doubts as to the protection they can offer. While their lenses usually meet certain minimum UV protection requirements, their quality in other respects, such as visual clarity, is dismal. Opticians, however, are governed by national health regulations, meaning that they have to meet higher standards such as the CE and UKCA marks. Professional opticians are therefore much better equipped to help customers find sunglasses that not only meet their practical demands, but which are also comfortable and well suited to their facial features. Rules for protection European law classifies sunglass lenses as “personal protective equipment”, outlining five levels of protection. Category 0 lenses allow 80-100% of light through, while those in category 4 only let 3-8% through, meaning they are not suitable for driving. Category 3 is the most commonly used, as they are appropriate for most situations, including driving. So, do darker lenses protect you better? The...