Sunglasses are essential for sun protection, so they should be selected with care. They are also a fashion accessory in their own right. Here is a short guide to navigating the different types of glasses and choosing the ones that are best suited to them.

Sunglasses should be chosen as sunscreen because they each have a sun protection factor. 

There are four categories of protection, varying from 0 to 4.

Category 0 should be avoided because it does not protect enough from the sun, it is only aesthetic.

Category 1 and 2 sunglasses provide protection from the sun as long as the sun’s rays are weak.

Category 3 offers good protection and can be preferred at the beach and skiing.

Category 4 is reserved for cases of extreme light, when surfing or mountaineering for example.

Good to know: UV protection has no relation to the tinting of glasses: dark glasses do not necessarily protect from the sun while some, almost transparent, are effective against the sun’s rays. 

The glasses must correspond to quality and conformity requirements. They should ideally bear the CE mark, this ensures that the level of UV protection is respected.

The choice of lenses is important, you must choose a lens that prevents the passage of UV. There are several types of filter glasses.

– Mineral glass offers comfort and resistance to scratches but little impact, hence the fact that organic or polycarbonate glass is increasingly favored.

– Organic glass is lighter and more impact resistant, but it is more easily scratched. It filters 98 to 100% of UV rays.

– Polycarbonate glass is stronger than organic glass and very light. It also offers 100% UV protection, it is the most suitable lens for sports sunglasses.

A treatment can be requested on sunglasses, just as on prescription glasses. The main treatments that can be useful for a pair of sunglasses are anti-scratch, anti-fingerprint, anti-static, anti-fog, thinning of the glass and the tinted effect. 

Tinted glasses have different effects depending on the color chosen. Gray, for example, restores a natural vision of colors in any sunny situation, brown increases contrasts while yellow increases the perception of contrasts. 

On the frame side, prefer light, solid and non-oxidizing materials such as titanium, aluminum or carbon fiber. For eco-friendly glasses, cellulose acetate or wood are environmentally friendly materials.

For comfortable wearing of sunglasses, be careful when trying on them that the lower edges of the frame do not come in contact with your cheeks and that the upper edges do not obscure your eyebrows.