We all love to travel – from warm beaches to city breaks, hiking across the Andes, or heading north for the Northern Lights.
Whatever you choose to do, whether it is heading to the beach to relax basking under the sun or skiing in the Alps, without the proper protection, it can be harmful to your eye health. Whether on the sun-kissed beaches of Aruba or the windswept coast of northern England, you need to take care of your eyes. This is because you can become more susceptible to various factors that can contribute to vision problems. Exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, glare, or reflected light from water and buildings can all irritate or damage your eyes in the long run. Wearing sunglasses is a step in the right direction if you want to not only look good but protect your eyes as well.
According to research, overexposure to UV rays increases your risk of developing cataracts and permanent vision loss. Since this condition already affects the eyesight of millions of people and costs billions in medical care every year, wearing sunglasses is especially crucial. However, not all sunglasses are created equal.
Here are some features that you should prioritise when buying sunglasses for travel.
Polarised sunglasses
When you’re at the beach, you are easily exposed to reflected light from the water–also known as glare–which can cause eye discomfort and even a painful eye condition called photokeratitis (eye sunburn). Buying polarised sunglasses can effectively reduce your risks of running into these conditions because they have a special coating that blocks harmful glare. The same can come from traffic on the streets of Florence or skyscrapers towering above you in New York. Glare is everywhere, so prepping with polarised eyewear is important. You can check if sunglasses are polarised by simply tilting them and seeing if the lenses turn darker.
You can even add polarised coatings to any prescription or traditional sunglasses, along with the colours, tints, and gradients of your choice. That means you can choose any frame and lens style you want, and some designer brands make this not only functional but also about style. Oakley’s sunglasses are designed with sports in mind, running, cycling and skiing, so they come with polarised lenses, but you can add tints and mix and match frame colours, giving you complete control over your protection, but also your fashion!
100% UV protection
Staying at the beach for a whole day can damage your eyes when they become overexposed to the sun’s UV light, which is why wearing sunglasses with UV protection can help you take care of your vision. Similarly, if you’ve gone north, bright winter sunshine can be just as damaging – it doesn’t have to be warm for UV rays to get into your eyes, and it’s rare to imagine a holiday where there isn’t a degree of sun – even cold weather holidays are better if the sun pokes out! Look for a “100% UV protection” or “UV 400” label to ensure that the sunglasses you want to use can fully protect your eyes. Cloudfield’s Wood Sunglasses are a great pair to try here: their lenses are coated with a double UV-blocking film to ensure extra protection.
Bigger frames
Sunglasses with bigger frames are perfect for providing your eyes with maximum protection from the sun. They also provide ample protection to the delicate skin around your eyes, which is vulnerable to wrinkling and burning when overexposed to the sun–especially in destinations close to the equator, where the sun can be fairly consistent. For the best look, consider the right frame shape for your facial features and make sure that your sunglasses’ frames are big enough to cover the skin around your eyes by trying them on before purchasing. You can also try the SUNGAIT Oversized Vintage Polarised Cat Eye Sunglasses, which come closest to being a one-size-fits-all solution. They have extra-wide frames that are bigger than most sunglasses, providing better coverage for your eyes and the surrounding skin.
Floating sunglasses
Floating sunglasses are made of low-density materials that do not sink underwater, which gives you extra assurance that you won’t lose them if they fall off while you’re on a boating holiday. You can check the label of the glasses to know if your sunglasses can float. Rheos Wyecreeks Round Floating Sunglasses are a great pair you can try: their trademark featherlight floating frames technology makes them unsinkable.
Spending your time travelling can be varied, but almost always a fun-filled experience. Taking extra precautions as simple as wearing sunglasses will ensure that eye problems won’t get in the way of your trip. Be sure to look for the above features to pick your perfect travelling eyewear companion!