Sunglasses are not a simple fashion fashion accessory. They are the key to good eye health.

Good sunglasses effectively protect your your eyes of ultraviolet rays UV. These UV rays can have strong harmful effects on the eyelid, the cornea, the lens and the retina.

Find the right pair of sunglasses is the key to your comfort. Whether you are driving to work or climbing a mountain!

Our optometrists suggest 3 essential elements to take into account when to choose the sunglasses that best suit you.

1. UV protection

Repeated exposure to UV radiation can cause serious eye problems.

The sunglasses you choose should offer 100% protection against UVB and UVA rays. Although UVB is known to be more harmful to the skin and eyes, doctors suggest avoiding both types of radiation. The lenses should also block UV rays up to a wavelength of 400 nm (nanometers).

In addition, you can take care of your eyes by choosing glasses with sunglasses polarized and anti-reflective. They reduce glare and offer the best UV protection, blocking all rays ultraviolet horizontal.

How to choose the right protection?

When choosing your sunglasses, make sure they are marked “CE”, followed by their sun protection factor. A number from 0 to 4 means that the tint of the lenses corresponds to the European legislation on UV protection. So it’s not just tinted lenses.

The filter index or sun protection category is pretty much the same thing. Both are determined by the amount of light filtered through the glass.

The higher the index, the more it reduces light intensity.

Category 0

These glasses are usually comfortable sunglasses or fashion accessories. They hardly protect against glare. The filtering of UV A and UV B rays is too low to ensure a high level of sun protection effective.

Do not wear these sunglasses in strong sunlight or in the summer sun!

Category 1

These glasses usually have a slight tintoften gray or pink-purple. They offer limited reduction of solar glare and have little UV protection.

The index 1 protects the eyes in case of weak sunlight or cloudy days.

Category 2

These sunglasses offer good UV protection UV protection and a medium level of solar glare reduction.

Category 3

Category 3 offers good protection against visible light and UV rays. These lenses block more than 80% of the light. Ideal glasses for places with strong sunlight such as the sea, the mountains, sunny cities or during winter sports.

Category 4

Category 4 sunglasses are special purpose glasses that provide a high level of solar glare reduction. They offer exceptional UV protection, as they block more than 90% of the light.

They are therefore suitable for extreme light where the sun is reflected in the snow (mountaineering, glaciers, etc.).

Be careful, these glasses should not be worn while driving, they are too dark.

2. The shape of the face

Round face

The round faces have the same height and width. It is better here to choose sunglasses a little wider.

Rectangular or square sunglasses are good options for this face shape.

Oval face

If you have an oval-shaped face, you can wear almost any frame you want. Darker colored lenses will accentuate your cheekbones.

You can even try the “Cat-eye” frames, back in fashion!

Square face

Square faces often have angular features that form a straight, clean line from forehead to jaw.

Slender, rounded frames that are slightly wider on the side can give a harmonious, natural look to square faces.

The frames round or oval will be ideal for this face shape.

Heart-shaped face

Heart-shaped faces are wider at the forehead and narrow to the chin, with high cheekbones.

Cat eye frames, round glasses, small rectangular glasses and rimless glasses are good options for this face.

3. The color of the sunglasses

Colored sunglasses are not only a fashion accessory: they help filter the light!

The right lens tint improves your depth perception. It also reduces eye strain without affecting your ability to see clearly.

Grey or black lenses

Darker lenses reduce glare, protect the eyes and prevent fatigue. These glasses are a good choice if you are involved in outdoor activities such as jogging, biking or fishing. Perfect glasses for the driving.

Blue glasses

They reduce glare, help you see details more clearly and are suitable for both sunny and cloudy conditions.

Green glasses

Green lenses reduce glare, make colors lighter and shadows darker. They make it easier to see what’s going on around you. Good lenses for conditions where clouds and sunshine alternate.

Brown or amber glasses

Brown lenses add brightness to your vision. The red tint of these sunglasses improves depth perception. This makes them ideal for activities where you need to judge the distance. They are less tiring to the eyes than other lenses while improving contrast.

Yellow or gold glasses

Yellow lenses offer greater clarity. They can also reduce eye strain for computer users. These goggles are perfect for activities like skiing, mountain biking, hunting and flying. They offer greater clarity in fog, haze or other low-light conditions.

Remember to protect yourself effectively against the sun and sunburns!

Consult our catalog to find a wide collection of sunglasses from brands.

Do you have any questions? Contact our team at at Lindegger Optique Rive, Geneva, we will be happy to answer you.