How to tell whether your sunglasses are polarized

Polarized sunglasses are all the rage these days. And why not? There are many benefits to wearing polarized lenses, such as reducing eyestrain and improving vision by blocking excess glare.

All of which is great if you are planning to buy new sunglasses. But what if you already own a pair and don't know or remember whether they are polarized? Do you have to just buy a new pair? Not necessarily. There are several easy ways to determine whether or not your current sunglasses are already polarized. Check out our guide to determining whether or not your sunglasses are already polarized—these tips might save you more than money—they could also save your eyesight.

Read This Article: This is so meta it may just blow your mind, but if you wear your sunglasses while reading this article, you may be able to determine whether they are polarized. That's because most modern computer screens utilize the same glare-reducing technology as polarized lenses. If you tilt your glasses while looking at a computer monitor through polarized glasses, portions of your screen will become blank or go dark. The same is true of LCD display screens such as the ones on a gas pump. Crazy, right?

Go Fishing: One of the primary benefits of wearing polarized lenses is cutting down on glare, such as the glare you get off a car windshield. Polarized sunglasses are also great at reducing the glare of the sun reflecting off water. If your sunglasses are polarized, instead of only seeing the surface of a lake or river, you will suddenly be able to see through the glare and into the water below. Catching all those fish down there, on the other hand, is up to you.

Phone A Friend: If you know somebody who owns polarized sunglasses, figuring out if your own lenses are polarized is as easy as phoning a friend. All you need is their cooperation - and, of course, their glasses. First, hold up your glasses and theirs simultaneously and look through both pairs at the same time. Then, rotate one pair of sunglasses about 60 degrees. If both pairs of glasses are polarized, the overlapping area will darken as they filter out excess light. If your pair isn't polarized, however, you won't notice any difference.

If you determine that your sunglasses aren’t polarized, a trip to see us can solve this problem. We can swap out the lenses in any frames for polarized lenses. For those full-time glasses wearers, you can even have us add your prescription to your polarized sunglasses.

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