Polarized sunglasses: how do they work and what are they for? How to test polarized glasses

What is the difference between polarized glasses and regular sunglasses? Even the best sunglasses for protection from the sun's rays do not replicate the properties of polarized ones, since they are designed to protect the eyes from dazzle. Even glasses with mirrored and coated lenses cannot block glare to the maximum.

What is polarized light

Glare - spots of light that are visible on a convex or flat glossy surface illuminated by light. Most objects are capable of creating glare at a certain angle and in sufficient light.

Polarized light is a beam that strikes a suitable surface and is reflected. Such light propagates vertically and horizontally. The vertical part of the radiation helps a person to see the world as it is: colors, shades, contrast. Vision is essentially the ability to perceive reflected light.

The horizontal part of the polarized light creates optical noise (shine, spots). The degree of influence of glare on vision is determined by the reflectivity of the surface that creates them. Therefore, the brilliance of the water surface or snow is perceived by the eye worse than the light reflected by wooden surfaces.

It is noteworthy that glare occurs not only in good lighting. Even under conditions that reduce visual contrast, polarizing light still occurs (rain, fog).

Strong glare can cause visual impairment, distortion of shapes and colors, and a decrease in contrast. Absorbing horizontal polarization radiation, the visual system gets tired faster, symptoms of asthenopia (eye fatigue syndrome) occur.

In the fight against radiation, it is not enough to reduce the intensity of light with sunglasses. It almost does not solve the problem of glare. The only effective protection against the horizontal component of polarized light will be special polarized glasses.

The difference between polarized and anti-reflective glasses

Do not confuse polarized glasses with anti-reflective ones. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they themselves do not create glare. To make an anti-reflective surface, you need to reduce its reflectivity.
Anti-reflective lenses are usually more transparent. For this reason, they are also called anti-reflex and enlightened.

The transparent coating increases the light transmission of the glasses and reduces the reflection of light rays from the surface of the lenses. This improves contrast and visual acuity. You can recognize them by one of their types: looking at the person who put on such glasses, his eyes are clearly visible, since the surface of the lenses does not reflect anything.

Polarized lenses are designed to block glare coming from surrounding objects. Their task is to provide clear vision in all conditions, and not to increase its sharpness. It turns out that these two concepts are fundamentally different, even opposite.

Anti-reflective lenses are needed for better light access, and polarizing lenses for its filtering and neutralization. Since these concepts are often confused even in optics stores, you need to carefully study the properties of glasses before buying.

Features of polarized glasses

Lenses for polarizing optical systems are made using a special technology that allows you to neutralize the harmful effects of reflected light on the eyes. Polarized lenses have three layers. The middle one is represented by a transparent film, and the outer ones are tinted glass. The film acts as a kind of grating, which allows only the vertical part of the light beam to pass through and blocks the horizontal one.

Glasses in polarized glasses are covered with a film that contains liquid crystal particles, the molecules of which are oriented in one direction. Due to the strong magnetic field, gaps (optical axes) are formed between the molecules. Neutralization of polarized light occurs at the moment when the microslits are parallel to the reflecting surface.

Polarized lenses reduce the negative impact of reflected light on the eyes by 50%. With additional dimming (glass tinting), this figure can be increased.

How do polarized glasses affect vision?

Many visitors to optics salons doubt that polarized lenses do not affect vision. In fact, such optical systems do not inhibit the visual function, but, on the contrary, support it, since they reduce the negative impact of ultraviolet radiation on the eyes.

The sun's rays reflected from light and shiny surfaces greatly tire the visual system. When using polarized glasses, the eyes get tired more slowly.

However, it must be remembered that polarized lenses are not an alternative to glasses for vision correction. Theoretically, it is possible to combine polarization properties and vision correction, but such glasses would be too expensive. Therefore, there are glasses with diopters, which can be worn with polarizing pads. They are made in the form of special pince-nez.

Polarizing pads can be attached to the frame of glasses with diopters using clips. In addition to fixing, these clips provide the working and non-working position of the pads.

Optical systems are also produced in which a polarizing film is deposited on glass without protection by a second lens. This allows you to reduce the cost of production, but such glasses cannot serve for a long time - the film is quickly scratched and dirty.

Who needs glare protection

Polarized glasses are recommended for drivers, anglers, photographers and those involved in skiing and water sports. When driving a vehicle, it is very important to have a good view of the road. Different weather conditions can interfere with normal orientation, especially glare from wet asphalt, snow, puddles, and even the body of your own car. To avoid dazzle from glare and headlights, drivers often use polarized glasses with multi-colored lenses.

Even the best models cannot meet all requirements, so it is better for the driver to have two or even three pairs of glasses with different tints that would suit different circumstances.

Daytime driving requires brown or copper coated optics. They absorb ultraviolet radiation and reduce contrast, thereby relaxing the eye muscles and not allowing the eyes to get tired. When driving at night, it is better to wear yellow-tinted glasses.

How to choose real coated glasses

When choosing polarized glasses, you should seek help from an ophthalmologist or a reliable optician. True optical systems with polarized film vary in price, but it is worth checking further.

When choosing lenses, you need to ask for a second pair of polarized glasses and attach them to each other, turning them 90 degrees. The image on the tested pair should darken. A similar check can be carried out using a mobile phone, because its screen is also polarized.

When choosing polarized glasses, you should also pay attention to the material of the lenses. Ordinary glass is considered ideal, but it makes glasses heavy. In addition, glass lenses break easily and can damage the eyeball. Yes, and changing glass lenses is an expensive pleasure.

Plastic lenses are cheaper and safer, but optically worse. They are lighter, so they do not put pressure on the bridge of the nose, rarely break, and do not break into fragments upon impact, but plastic lenses wear out quickly. The main problem with lenses made of plastic is scratches.

A common disadvantage of lenses for polarized glasses is their high cost. At the same time, the price may be indirect evidence that the glasses are indeed polarized.

Fishing glasses

Professional anglers need to be able to see the smallest details well. Near water, this is especially difficult, as the glare hits the eye directly.

What polarized glasses to choose for fishing:

1. Grays are considered neutral. Such tinting reduces the level of illumination without changing the color balance.
2. Dark greens make long-term work in bright sunlight more comfortable.
3. Dark browns enhance clarity and clarity of depth.
4. Yellow enhances contrast in twilight and bad weather conditions.

Polarized glasses are indispensable when fishing with spinning, because they allow you to follow the bait. The glasses correct vision so that the angler can easily see and unhook the tackle from obstacles on the bottom. During bottom fishing, polarized glasses make it possible to more accurately recognize the movements of the rod tip. Without them, these light movements will be lost in the glare from the water surface.

Winter fishing is also not complete without glasses. They significantly reduce the intensity of light reflected from snow and ice. These features of polarized glasses will be provided for any activity that requires clear vision.

Advantages and disadvantages of popular brands

Polarized glasses are really do-it-yourself. To do this, you need to have two polarizing filters and regular sunglasses. According to the shape of the lenses from the glasses, you need to cut out the lenses from organic glass. Using a ballerina drill, round holes for fastening should be made in the filters.

The free parts of the glass must be sketched in black. Glasses with filters can be fixed in the frame with glue. Such glasses are heavy, but allow you to adjust the position of the optical axis individually for each eye.

The best brands of polarized glasses

Daiwa Outblaze

The glasses are made with high quality, but they have a too “formal” shape. Since this model is considered universal (polarized, sunscreen and anti-glare at once), effective glare protection is provided at a low level. The indisputable advantage of the model lies in the wide spectral range.

Shimano Diaflash

Lightweight, but not very durable. It is characterized by low cost and weak polarization capabilities.

Salmo Sport

Glasses show 70% polarization, but operate in a narrow spectral range. This means that under certain conditions, the lenses will be absolutely useless. Image distortion is not observed (despite the shape).

Salmo

The optical system provides 81% polarization, but has a modest spectral range. There is almost no distortion of the picture. In terms of quality and price, the model is the most optimal.

Agua Reef

The model gives 86% efficiency and operates in a wide spectral range with a light yellow filter. Glasses are expensive, but in this case, the price justifies the quality.

The design of the model is solid, the set includes a good case. When worn, you can notice point distortion.

Agua Red

Optimal model in terms of build quality and durability. Protects well from polarized light and works in a wide range of colors. Despite the high cost, glasses are sold without additional equipment.

Polaroid

The model is of high quality and thoughtful design. Polarization abilities are high, although there is a slight distortion of the picture. This model operates in the widest spectral range, which leads to a relatively high cost of the product.

Fitover Aviator

The best model on the list. In terms of polarization, the glasses are identical to the Polaroid model, but the range is wider. They are fully equipped and reasonably priced. Image distortion is negligible.

Caring for polarized glasses is easy. Care rules are the same as for conventional optical systems. Lenses can be cleaned with special wipes soaked in the solution. Usually, in combination with glasses, they give a case and suitable napkins.

The most harmful effect on human eyes is provided by light that reflects from surfaces with a sharp change in direction. While driving and fishing, even a short-term loss of clear vision is dangerous with consequences. Polarized glasses, due to their features, will always be relevant for people of various professions.

A person perceives most of the incoming information with the help of vision, and the eyes are able to work normally under very different lighting conditions. However, with an excess of light, the eyes must be protected. To do this, use sunglasses that reduce the amount of light reaching the retina and filter out UV waves. Yes, these glasses cope with this task quite successfully.

However, it is often not the bright light itself that interferes with the eyes, but its reflection on the water surface, snow, and wet asphalt. Under these conditions, ordinary glasses, even with anti-reflective coating, will not give the expected effect - glasses with special polarized glasses are needed.

What is polarization

When developing the polarization technology, the features of the movement of a light wave were used.

It turned out that the glare, which is the light reflected from flat surfaces, unlike the usual rays of the sun, have horizontal polarization, that is, the oscillations of the light wave occur mainly in the horizontal plane. Therefore, if you use special filters that cut off horizontally oriented waves and let only vertically oriented waves through, then the glare effect can be removed.

How does a polarizing filter work?

The main element of polarizing glasses - a polarizing filter - is a thin liquid crystal film located between layers of plastic or glass. Its molecules are oriented in a certain way, and parallel vertical slots are formed between the columns of molecules - optical axes, and light passes only through them.

The features of polarizing filters have long been used by professional photographers, varying color depth and contrast with their help. So, a high-quality polarizing filter cuts off up to 95% of polarized light.

"From what, from what, from what..."

The cost and quality of glasses depend on what materials they are made of, and products from well-known manufacturers (Polaroid, Salmo, Ray Ban) will be more expensive than unknown Chinese products. When buying cheap models, you should be careful: due to poor-quality polarization, the optical axes in their filters can be shifted relative to their working position, and there will be little benefit from such glasses.

Today for the production of polarized glasses are used:

• plastic unknown to science;
• certified plastic (for example, having an ANSI Z87.1 certificate);
• polycarbonate;
• mineral glass;
• special polymer CR-39;
• other materials patented by manufacturers (ORMA, Trivex, etc.).

All of these materials have their own disadvantages and advantages.

As you can see, models made from modern polymers are lighter and more impact resistant, and as a result can be better than glass models - and more expensive than them. If you choose cheaper glasses, they will last no more than one season, or even less. Although, perhaps in some cases this is exactly what you need: for example, if you are going to go skiing for the first time in several years and do not plan to repeat this adventure in the coming years.

Checking whether polarized glasses are in front of you or not is quite simple: take two pairs of glasses and put their glasses on top of each other at an angle of 90 degrees: the lens should become completely opaque. You can also look through the lens, rotating the glasses around its axis, at the phone screen, calculator, monitor - any LCD display. When rotated 90 degrees, you should not see anything on this display.

Layers of polarized polaroid glasses

The latest models of polarized glasses are chameleon glasses that darken or brighten depending on the lighting conditions, the ultraviolet content of the sunlight and the ambient temperature.

Polarized glasses with diopters are quite rare. This is due to the fact that, ideally, each pair of corrective glasses should be made individually, after which a polarizing filter is applied to the lens with diopters, and then the lens is darkened. Of course, the cost of a quality product will be quite high. Therefore, those whose vision fails can wear glasses with a polarizer along with lenses or use polarized overlays for corrective glasses: such overlays are attached to the frame and, if necessary, lowered onto the lenses. Before lowering the pads, you need to thoroughly wipe both them and the lenses of the glasses, otherwise every speck of dust between the glasses and the pads will be noticeable in side light.

Lens color

Although polarized glasses do not let all the sunlight through, their lenses are often additionally darkened and / or stained. At the same time, lenses of different colors have their own characteristics:

• copper and amber lenses soothe and relax the eyes, while they cut off the blue part of the spectrum and make the image clearer;
• pink lenses help the eyes adapt when the "picture" changes quickly - for example, when fishing from a moving boat;
• blue lenses - used for sea fishing;
• yellow lenses improve contrast and filter out the blue part of the spectrum, they are used in low light conditions - in the morning, in the evening, at dusk, overcast or rainy days;
• iridescent lenses (gray on top and pink on the bottom) reduce brightness and at the same time improve contrast, this feature is convenient, for example, when working at a computer in bright sunlight;
• gray or brown lenses are versatile and are best suited for permanent use because they retain natural color reproduction by simply reducing the amount of visible color. At the same time, gray lenses are comfortable in bright sunlight, and brown lenses are comfortable in partly cloudy conditions, as they increase contrast.

Seeing the world through glasses without and with a polarizing filter

Each manufacturer of polarized glasses produces its own line of lenses: KBco, along with the traditional gray and brown lenses, produces apple green and sky blue lenses; Specialty Lens Corporation - eleven color options; Vision-Ease Lens" SunRx - three colors.

"And the eye is like an eagle's"

Polarized glasses have long gained popularity, especially among fishermen, athletes and drivers. And if anti-headlight glasses are better suited for driving at night, the lenses of which are coated with a highly reflective coating that protects the driver's eyes from blinding by oncoming or reflected headlights, then during the day polarizing filters do more than just increase comfort.

Reflected light glare distracts, annoys and dazzles the driver. According to tests, the use of polarizers reduces the response time to a hazard. So, at a speed of 50 km / h, the stopping distance of the car increases by 35% if the driver does not use sunglasses at all, and by 57% if he wears regular sunglasses.

Some requirements for polarized driving glasses:

• such glasses should sit comfortably so as not to distract from driving;
• in order not to limit the field of view, the arms should be no wider than 6 mm and attached not to the center of the frame, but from below or above;
• gradient shading will allow you to better see the dashboard through the lighter lower part of the lens.

Polarizers enhance the visibility of the red part of the spectrum and involuntarily make you notice prohibitory traffic signals, the stops of a car in front, or the smallest movement of a float.

Fishermen note that polarizing filters reduce eye strain, dampen sun glare and allow you to view the water column to great depths (of course, this trick only works in relatively clear water and within a radius of up to 15-20 meters). Fishing goggles often have side panels for better protection from bright sunlight.

Polarized glasses are also needed for those who go in for skiing and other outdoor sports. Sports glasses with polarizers often have pads made of elastic material (silicone, rubber, nylon, etc.) that help the glasses keep their shape in the cold and increase their impact resistance, as well as removable or one-piece side shields to protect the eyes from snow. The lenses of ski goggles are larger than usual, to increase the angle of peripheral vision, they are made of polycarbonate - this allows you to reduce the weight of the goggles and at the same time increase their impact resistance.

The color of the lenses in sports glasses is better to choose depending on what kind of sport their wearer is engaged in: for golf, in order to notice the ball against the background of grass and sky, copper-colored lenses are recommended, for shooting - contrast-enhancing yellow, for tennis - blue or green, for cycling - glasses with a mirror finish.

The color of the lenses in winter sports glasses should be brown, amber or copper-colored - in such glasses the relief will be clearer, because they filter out blue tones, which create a romantic haze around objects, making the outlines blurry.

Polarized glasses are also used in hunting - here they not only improve the picture, but also protect the eyes from dust and debris, which abound in the forest. In addition, for the safety of the hunter, such glasses must meet a number of requirements:

• the frame should be rounded to protect the face from accidental damage;
• on the bridge of the nose must be protected from sweat;
• the temples must be fastened with special spring loops so that the frame is more flexible and, accordingly, reliable;
• the frame itself must be impact-resistant - made of titanium or polycarbonate;
• Requires elastic nose pads
• the color of the lenses can be light purple, bright red, amber, copper - in such glasses a light target is clearly visible against the background of dark trunks. Gray lenses, effective in bright sunlight, are not suitable for forest hunting.

The first polarizing glasses were produced in 1937 by Polaroid. It was a rather expensive and fragile invention, its glasses quickly became cloudy and stratified due to the imperfection of the technology, so the novelty aroused not only interest, but also a lot of complaints. Since then, progress has gone far ahead, and today these glasses have become both cheaper and better. I think this article will help you keep a clear eye in any conditions.

Polarized glasses protect the eyes from blinding glare, which is light reflected from various surfaces. Light rays are reflected from the roadway, snow lying on the ground, from the water surface, from the walls and roofs of houses. These reflected light rays form glare. Glare degrades the quality of vision, makes it difficult to see details, bright glare blinds.
The reflection is stronger, the higher the reflectivity of the surface. For example, the sun's rays are strongly reflected from a wet roadway, especially when the sun is low on the horizon. Blinding the driver in these situations increases the risk of an accident on the road.
Polarized sunglasses have the ability to block reflected light rays and thus improve the quality of vision, increase image contrast, and increase visual comfort in general.

Polarized glasses device

Polarized glasses are equipped with special polarized spectacle lenses that have the ability to block sunlight reflected from horizontal surfaces.
Polarizing lenses are usually a multi-layer structure, inside which is a transparent polarizing film. The polarizing film is installed in the lenses so that it transmits light that has only vertical polarization (for more details, read the article "Polarizing Spectacle Lenses"). Light rays reflected from horizontal surfaces (snowy field, water surface, etc.), on the contrary, have horizontal polarization and therefore do not pass through polarizing lenses.
At the same time, rays coming from other objects are unpolarized and therefore pass through polarized lenses and form a clear image on the retina of the eye.

The difference between polarized glasses and sunglasses

Polarized glasses are both sunglasses and polarized. They protect from bright sunlight, as they significantly weaken the flow of light entering the eyes. Polarized glasses let less than 50% of the sun's rays through, and if they have additional darkening (coloration), then the light transmission will be even less.

Sunglasses, even with anti-reflective coatings applied to them, do not protect against glare on the surface of water, snow, road surfaces, etc. They do not have the ability to block polarized light. Sunglasses only weaken the light flux that enters the eyes.

Polarized glasses and anti-reflective coatings for spectacle lenses

Antireflective (anti-reflective) coatings are applied to spectacle lenses in order to minimize the reflection of light waves from the surfaces of the lens itself. As a result of reflection from the surfaces of a spectacle lens of light rays emanating from light sources (lamps, windows, etc.), glare and false images are formed on the lens, which significantly impair the quality of vision in the lenses. The use of antireflection (anti-reflective) coatings increases the light transmission of the lens, eliminates glare and false images on the lens, and significantly increases visual comfort and quality of vision.

Polarized glasses and driving

Glare is the driver's enemy. Drivers can experience glare any day. Sunlight reflects off the roadway, especially when the road is wet and the sun is low on the horizon. In addition, large water or snow surfaces encountered along the way (lakes, rivers, reservoirs, snow-covered fields, etc.) can be sources of reflections. Light can also be reflected from the horizontal planes of the car (for example, the hood).
In severe glare, the driver may momentarily become "blind" and lose control of the situation on the road. Blinding light blurs the driver's vision, makes it difficult to see the road clearly, reduces attention, and can even cause a headache. As a result of glare, the reaction time of the driver increases, which negatively affects his personal safety, the safety of pedestrians and other road users.
The use of polarized glasses while driving eliminates these negative aspects and thus improves road safety and improves the visual comfort of the driver.

Benefits of polarized glasses

Polarized sunglasses are widely used by athletes (read article " Sports glasses"), anglers, drivers, as well as anyone who loves outdoor activities and wants to have high visual comfort and high-quality vision.

Currently, many of the world's leading sunglasses manufacturers offer high quality polarized glasses, which are in the high price category of sunglasses.

Articles related

Glasses with polarization, or otherwise they are also called anti-reflective glasses, can not only save you from bright light. Thanks to them, the eye is able to more clearly see the picture that was illuminated by the sun's rays, while correcting all the resulting distortions.

About polarization

The sun's rays, reflected from different surfaces, can continue their path further in a horizontal or vertical direction. With a vertical continuation of the reflected rays, the human eye is able to distinguish the surrounding objects without any difficulty. With horizontal reflection, the rays overlap the image to some extent due to the glare that is formed. It is in order to eliminate light distortion that polarized glasses are used. For easy perception of what polarized glasses are, you just need to imagine a certain filter blocking horizontal rays.

A polarized surface is a material that is covered with a protective thin film. When ultraviolet rays hit the surface layer, the rays are absorbed by them. As a result, only vertically directed waves of light are visible to a person, which do not interfere with the examination of objects. Due to the absence of horizontal beams, the contrast of the image is increased and the brightness is reduced, which in general reduces eye strain.

Who needs anti-reflective lenses

Among consumers of glasses with polarization, most of all motorists. When traveling, they simply need perfect clear visibility to reduce the risk of accidents. Polarized lenses are able to eliminate the following visual interference: glare from the dashboard, windshield, wet asphalt, they also cope well with the blinding light of the headlights of an oncoming car. If the glasses use lenses that absorb UV rays, even on a very sunny day, the motorist will see all the objects on the road without problems. It is worth noting that experts have already proven that the driver's reaction is significantly increased when using polarizing glasses.

The second in the ranking of the popularity of the use of anti-reflective glasses are fishermen. Everyone knows that the sun's bright light on the surface of the water leaves significant glare. It is for this reason that avid fishermen use polarized sunglasses when fishing. What is it for them? Thanks to anti-reflective lenses, the fisherman excellent view of the water surface even on a clear afternoon.

Polarization also plays an important role in the process of training athletes. While skiing or surfing, the sun's rays can create some interference, which is completely unacceptable. After all, in the absence of excellent visibility for athletes, continuing to train may be unsafe or may lead to injury.

Benefits of polarized sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses have several positive features. Important advantages of polarized lenses are:

• reducing the load on the nerves of the eyes;
• protection of vision from the negative effects of ultraviolet rays;
• natural color rendering;
• improved visibility as a result of reduced brightness.

Negative points

Polarized lenses do not have and, in principle, cannot have flaws. They are easy to use and safe for the eyes. Yet There are a few downsides to these glasses. which include the following points:

• driving lenses sometimes distort the image on the navigator screen;
• inexpensive polarized glasses have a thin polarizing layer, which quickly wears out during operation and begins to peel off;
• quality-manufactured anti-reflective lenses cost far more than conventional framed sunglass.

How to choose the right polarized lenses

You can't buy only polarized glasses and they are suitable for different occasions and conditions. When choosing anti-reflective lenses, it is recommended heed the advice of experts:

How to check polarization

Not all manufacturers are engaged in the manufacture of genuine and high-quality goods. That is why it is necessary to have knowledge how to check polarization when buying anti-reflective lenses. In fact, it is very easy to determine the presence of anti-reflective lenses in the model you have chosen. What needs to be done?

It's simple: the selected polarized sunglasses must be brought to any LCD monitor. If the polarizing lens is turned to the display at an angle of 90 degrees, the image will darken. If the lenses are not equipped with polarization, then the experiment will not work - it will be possible to clearly see the monitor through the glasses. For authentication, instead of a liquid crystal monitor, you can use another polarized glasses. The effect should be the same - one of the lenses will darken.

If you wear regular medical glasses

If you have visual impairments, then wearing polarized glasses is more difficult. Of course, this is not to say that the problem cannot be solved. However, in such a case, the use of lenses with anti-reflective effect is quite expensive. Ordinary polarized glasses will not work - they are not able to correct vision. In this situation, you can use two options: wear contact lenses or use special anti-reflective pads.

Using the first option is not very convenient, since this method involves regular costs for replacing lenses. In addition, some people simply cannot wear contact lenses.

The more profitable option is use of anti-reflective pads. They replace polarized sunglasses. Not everyone knows what it is. A polarizing pad is a pair of anti-reflective lenses that attaches to medical glasses. It is very simple to perform all the manipulations - the product can be easily removed and put on your frame, while the user does not feel discomfort.

Where could I buy

To protect yourself from purchasing fake polarized glasses, you should contact only verified online stores. For example, you should not amuse yourself with the reliable fact that on the Aliexpress website for 300 rubles with free delivery you will purchase the original model of anti-glare glasses.

In addition to the Internet, polarized lenses can be found in specialized opticians. So, you can not only be convinced of the quality of the glasses, the polarization layer on the lenses, but also choose the frame model that suits your face type.

Polarized glasses are glasses whose lenses have a polarizing filter (polarized). While everything seems to be clear or vice versa, nothing is clear, but let's figure out what polarizing glasses are and why a polarizing filter is needed.

I must say right away that all the tests for the polarization of sunglasses that are described in this article were tested on this model of glasses. This model of polaroid glasses is inexpensive and very popular, so it was chosen for the test.

How to determine if there is a polarizing filter in the lenses of your sunglasses or not? First you need to understand what polarization is, and why this same polarizing filter protects your eyes.

Please do not confuse a polarizing filter in sunglasses (the use of this filter in sunglasses is not necessary), and a filter that protects the eyes from ultraviolet radiation (must be present in all sunglasses, otherwise why are they needed).

Some scientific facts about polarization

Daylight propagates in the form of electromagnetic waves oscillating in all directions of three-dimensional space.
polarizing light propagates already in two-dimensional space, in horizontal and vertical directions.

In simple terms, light propagating in a vertical direction allows the eyes to perceive important information, recognize colors and contrasts. Horizontally propagating light creates optical interference (glare). For those who wish to study in more detail the process of polarization of electromagnetic waves, it makes sense

As early as 1929, it was clear how to control light to reduce glare. The founder of the Polaroid Corporation was the first in the world to invent polarized lenses for sunglasses. Today, almost all polaroid brand sunglasses come with a polarizing lens filter.

Who cares about polarization in sunglasses

Polarized lenses in sunglasses are loved by many, a very strong effect from them is noticeable for those who spend a lot of time on the water. Glasses with a polarizing filter are very fond of people who are fond of fishing, read more about this in the post "How to choose polarized glasses for fishing". It is the waves on the water that create a huge amount of blinding glare, which polarizing lenses in sunglasses do an excellent job of.

Also, everyone who drives a car can remember the blinding effect of wet asphalt in sunny weather, etc. So many motorists use polarized glasses for driving and they really like such glasses.

Where to buy polarized glasses

To avoid buying fake polarized glasses (of which there are many on the Internet), try to buy sunglasses in trusted online stores.

Where to buy original polarized glasses:
In RuNet, the leader in sales of original sunglasses is Lamoda, this online store has a large selection of original polarized glasses (lamoda does not sell fakes).

Where to buy fake polarized glasses:
If you purposefully want to buy a fake, then the undisputed leader in this business is the Aliexpress website.

AliExpress has a huge selection of fake sunglasses, you can choose from over 30,000 models. For example, fake sunglasses of the famous Ray Ban brand on Aliexpress can cost 300 rubles and free delivery to the post office.

Before buying Ray Ban brand sunglasses, be sure to read the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of polarized glasses

The price of high-quality polarized glasses can be very high, and it makes no sense to buy cheap fakes. Let's figure out if it's worth paying a high price for glasses with a similar filter, or is it better to buy ordinary sunglasses with a UV filter.

It is worth noting that along with the advantages, polarized glasses also have a number of disadvantages that can negate all usefulness. Some people who wear polarized glasses complain of constant headaches. Is it related to wearing polarized glasses or not? Without a medical examination and examination of such glasses, it is impossible to understand the causes of headaches.

Read about all the other usefulness of polarized glasses below.

Benefits of polarized glasses

• polarized glasses perfectly remove glare and reduce light intensity;
• when using glasses with polarization, the contrast of what is seen increases;
• polarized glasses reduce eye fatigue;
• polarized glasses are simply indispensable for certain activities (driving a car, fishing, skiing, etc.);
• glasses with a polarizing filter are recommended for people with light hypersensitivity.

Disadvantages of polarized glasses

• the price of polarized glasses is much higher than ordinary sunglasses;
• polarized glasses reduce the readability of road signs (weaken reflected light), parking lights and brake lights;
• polarized glasses make it difficult to see information (darken the image) on the liquid crystal display (LCD mobile phone, GPS navigator, tablet, etc.).

Two easy ways to tell if your sunglasses have a polarizing filter

It should be remembered that a polarizing filter is a thin film that is contained in the lens of your glasses, depending on the quality of the lenses in your glasses, the life of the filter also depends.

For example, the polarizing layer (polarizing film, polarizing filter) in the original glass lenses of ray ban glasses is sealed between two external lenses (), such a filter serves throughout the life of the glasses. Oakley's patented polycarbonate lenses have a polarizing filter at the molecular level of polycarbonate (essentially the entire lens is a thick polarizing film). Inexpensive Polaroid glasses also have their own technology for the production of polarized lenses, about polaroid lenses, read the link.

Counterfeits of famous brands and cheap glasses use a filter in the form of a thin film on the surface of the lens, which eventually wears off and the polarizing effect disappears. Try to buy glasses in trusted online stores that sell original products.

It is very easy to determine the presence of a polarizing filter in the lenses when buying sunglasses! There are two easy ways to do this.

First polarizing filter test.

Before buying, ask the seller for another pair of polarized glasses and align them lens to lens. Next, turn some glasses 90 degrees relative to the others and look at the clearance (the axis of rotation should pass through the centers of the lenses). If the glasses are polarized, then the clearance in the lenses will become dark, if simple glasses, then nothing will change.

Second polarizing filter test.

Take polarized glasses, look at any liquid crystal monitor (cell phone display or payment terminal monitor) and turn the glasses 90 degrees relative to the monitor. If the lenses of the glasses have a filter, the image will darken or become completely dark. If the glasses are simple, then nothing will change.

One small note, this test only works with LCD screens.

Where else are polarizing filters used?

The use of polarized light and polarizing filters in everyday life is much wider than just wearing sunglasses. Here are some everyday examples that many people use at home and do not think about the fact that this is polarization.

3D glasses- Glasses for watching movies with 3D effect, work on polarization separation of the image. Everything works very simply, the visible image (on the TV screen) is divided into stereo pairs (into two separate images), which have different polarizations (for example, the left image has vertical polarization, and the right one has horizontal polarization).

The 3D glasses also have two lenses with different polarizations (for example, the right lens is vertically polarized and the left lens is horizontally polarized). The eyes each see their own image, and the brain combines it all together and creates the illusion of volume.

Polarizing filters for cameras- the filter consists of 2 rings, in one of them there is a polarizing filter, by rotating which you adjust the degree of polarization. It works in the same way as in sunglasses, your pictures will be more saturated. For example, if you are shooting a landscape, then the clouds will stand out more contrast against the blue sky, and the vegetation will look more juicy.

Video how to check polarized glasses

Watch a short video and everything will become clear. This polarization test works exclusively with LCD screens.

Everything is extremely simple!