It's one thing to have trendy sunglasses, but it's quite another to ensure they fulfill their primary purpose: protecting your peepers against the sun's harmful rays, especially ultraviolet rays—UV for those in a hurry.
Don't panic; there are a few tricks to know to figure out whether your sunglasses are safe or not, and we're sharing them with you in this article.
Why protect yourself from UV rays?
So yes, your sunglasses are there to protect your eyes from the sun—that's a given. But their role is both to fight against glare caused by brightness and against the damage UV rays can cause to your precious eyes.
UV rays: invisible but harmful
The sun's UV rays are harmful to your eyes. Their wavelength is between 100 and 380 nanometers, which is the shortest part of the light spectrum and invisible to the human eye. There are 3 types of ultraviolet rays:
- UVC: from 100 to 280 nm
- UVB: from 280 to 315 nm
- UVA: from 315 to 380 nm
The big villains in this story are primarily UVA and UVB; UVC rays are filtered by the ozone layer—saving it was a great idea, by the way.
Exposing your eyes without protection is dangerous for your retina but especially for your cornea (basically, you risk catching keratitis, and that is far from pleasant). And that's not all! UVA rays can reach the crystalline lens and, in the long term, increase the risk of cataracts due to opacification.
Finally, UV rays increase the risk of developing AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), just like the artificial blue light emitted by screens.
💡 Good to know: It's not just your eyes that are at high risk from UV rays. Make sure to also effectively protect your skin if you are exposed to the sun regularly, throughout the year.
Sunglasses: complete protection for your peepers
Be careful to distinguish between protection against ultraviolet rays and protection against glare!
When we talk about glare, it concerns the portion of visible sunlight that blinds us and prevents us from seeing well on sunny days. Not only is it unpleasant, but it carries short- and long-term risks:
- Decreased visual acuity
- Eye strain
- Afterimage phenomenon (this is what happens when you can still see that lightbulb after looking at it for too long)
As for blue light, it refers to the portion of the wavelength between 380 and 500 nm, with a beneficial spectrum between 450 and 500 nm, and a harmful one below. If you want to know more, we invite you to read our complete guide to everything about blue light, to understand it and better protect yourself from it.
How to know if my glasses are UV-blocking: Standards and categories
Not all sunglasses are created equal: beyond choosing the best sunglasses for your face, we advise you to pay attention to certain points when buying sunglasses. Indeed, these criteria are far from being details and play a determining role in the UV protection offered by your sunnies (nothing less).
CE standard and type of UV protection
If we had only one piece of advice to give you, it would be to check for the CE standard, which is mandatory in the EU and guarantees 100% UVA and UVB filtration. The UV400 standard that you may find on some labels does not replace the CE standard, but it remains a guarantee of good protection against UV rays up to a wavelength of 400 nanometers.
Sunglasses lens categories: an indicator of glare protection
As we told you above, you have to distinguish between anti-UV and anti-glare protection.
The categories you can see on sunglasses refer to the percentage of sunlight filtered by the lenses, and therefore the glare:
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☁ Category 0: very low filtration, between 0 and 20%.
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⛅ Category 1: filtration between 20 and 57%.
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☀ Category 2: filtration between 57 and 88%.
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🌞 Category 3: between 82 and 92% sunlight filtration. In our opinion, the most suitable for protecting you in everyday life.
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🏔 Category 4: 97% filtration, for use in very sunny conditions (seaside, mountains), prohibited for driving.
But this info is also useful for knowing if your glasses are UV-blocking! Indeed, all categorized lenses protect 100% against UVA and UVB rays.
💡 Good to know: clear lenses (not categorized) are not subject to any anti-UV protection requirement.
How to know if my sunglasses meet the standards?
The CE standard: mandatory marking on your glasses frame
At the risk of repeating ourselves: check that your glasses meet the CE standard! This indelible marking is usually found on the arms of your glasses. We therefore advise you to take a look at the inside of your glasses' arms to be sure you are well protected.
To know which lens category your glasses are equipped with, the same applies: it is written on the inside of your glasses' arms.
So to summarize: CE marking + category = 100% protection against UV rays.
⭐️ Important note: A marking is just a marking. If a company has falsely placed the logo and the glasses have passed customs (it happens because they can't check everything!), then the logo won't guarantee anything. If you have any doubt, you can request a test report from the brand.
The Horus X choice against UV rays and glare: category 3 lenses
To protect yourself against glare, category 3 is what you should aim for: it protects effectively without hindering your perception of your environment, unlike category 4 lenses, which are ultra-filtering but intended for truly extreme conditions (hiking on a glacier, for example) and are therefore prohibited for driving.
To ensure you have quality, durable sunglasses that perform well against both UV rays and glare, don't hesitate to take a look at our online store: we offer a selection of sunglasses designed in France that are beautiful and durable so that you don't have to choose between style and protection!
We have of course chosen category 3 lenses for your future glasses, with anti-reflective coating, 100% protection against UV rays, and excellent filtration against glare, without ever harming your visual comfort. All our models are available with our innovative Dark Matter® lenses (which protect from the sun's rays AND blue light), or our polarized X-Pol® lenses (also designed for driving).
Other criteria for ensuring high-quality sunglasses
Protection against UV is important, and buying a pair of sunglasses requires preparation! We have therefore prepared a very complete guide to help you choose the best sunglasses at this address, but let's go back to some frequently asked questions.
Focus on polarized sunglasses
Polarized lenses are very popular because they offer good vision quality on sunny days and protect against reflections. If your sunglasses are polarized, they also offer good eye protection against UV rays, provided you choose high-quality lenses.
Very effective against glare, they are also, as we said, suitable for daytime driving.
For our selection of sunglasses with polarized lenses, click here.
What about anti-reflective treatment?
Anti-reflective sunglass lenses are designed to reduce glare and improve your visual comfort in sunny conditions. So it doesn't have much to do with UV, even though it's a significant asset for protecting your eyes from the sun. And since anti-reflective is great, all our glasses come equipped with it, hop hop hop.
A little bonus: this treatment makes sunglasses more durable! Their lenses resist better over time, and that is a significant aspect for the planet and your wallet.
Anti-UV, anti-glare, and anti-blue light sunglasses: the winning combo
So yes, outdoors, you might think blue light doesn't matter much. But there are some very specific cases where wearing an anti-UV and anti-blue light pair can be very useful: if you decide to work remotely from a terrace or if you are waiting at the bus stop while scrolling on your phone, for example.
We therefore decided to offer the first anti-UV, anti-reflective, and anti-blue light glasses for all-in-one protection, thanks to our patented Dark Matter lens technology. To choose your pair, click here.
Final word: how to know if sunglasses are anti-UV?
- A good-quality pair of sunglasses is one that will protect you against both UV rays and glare, will allow for better vision on sunny days, and will even effectively filter blue light.
- The best way to determine the degree of protection of your sunnies is to check for the presence of the CE standard. Some manufacturers also indicate UV protection on their labels, such as the UV400 standard. You will find the CE logo on the inside of the arms of your glasses, next to the lens category.
- Which glasses offer the best UV protection for your eyes? In summary: choose good-quality glasses that meet current standards, are polarized and/or anti-reflective to be sure that your precious peepers are well protected. The lens category will depend on your use, but know that category 3 is the most versatile for everyday life, while ensuring solid protection.
- Finally, it's not just the lenses: the quality of the sunglasses matters too. At Horus X we have chosen durable, lifetime-guaranteed frames to protect you on all your adventures. And we don't just offer sunglasses; we also have screen glasses and gaming glasses, all anti-UV, for the health of your beautiful eyes!
Comments
Bonjour, sur les branches de mes lunettes de soleil Made in China il est inscrit CE puis
Uk
CA
Ai-je fait un bon choix en les achetant ?