Perhaps the most important elements of effective sports sunglasses are the optical quality and visual enhancement properties of the lenses. Many lens tints such as brown, green, gray, yellow and orange are now available, with each color suitable for specific circumstances.
Skiers in snow would want the high contrast provided by amber lenses, whereas gray lenses are best for preserving "real world" colors in bright sunlight. Polycarbonate lenses are the best choice for high performance sunglasses because they are lightweight, super strong and more impact-resistant than most other lens materials.
Polarized lenses also are in demand because they reduce glare from light reflecting off flat surfaces, such as water or a field of snow.
However, debates continue about advisability of polarized lenses for sports such as downhill and mogul skiing, because you may need to see sunlight reflecting from icy patches on the slopes to avoid accidents.
Though glass lenses have the best optical quality of conventionally produced lenses, they are not recommended for rugged activities because they are more likely to shatter on impact than lenses made of polycarbonate or other materials.
For the best possible visual acuity during outdoor activities, consider new eyeglass lenses made with wavefront-guided design technology. This exciting new lens technology creates a 100 percent customized lens prescription that can correct minor optical imperfections (aberrations) of the eye that regular eyeglass lenses can't address.
Wavefront-guided lenses may be particularly helpful in optimizing visual acuity in low light. But they also may provide slightly better visual acuity during the daytime. Ask your eye doctor or optician for details.
