What’s the Difference Between Polarized & Non-Polarized Sunglasses?

Polarized lenses have one thing going for them, glare cutting. Even the darkest lenses have limited effect on the ultrabright light messing with your sight. Polarization changes all of that. Find out what polarized lenses can do for you and when to wear them with our guide below.

Polarization Explained the SPY Way

Let’s cut through the pedantic science bullsh*t. Light appears brighter after bouncing off a flat surface because the light waves are coming at you from one direction. This uniform pain in the ass is glare, and it messes with our ability to see.
Polarization chops up those uniform light waves and eliminates glare. Granted, not everyone does polarization lenses right.

SPY Trident Polarization

Effective polarization is twofold: high polarization efficiency, and the location of the polarized film.
Trident TM has a 99.9% polarization efficiency. It’s not record breaking, but it’s the standard only the best strives to achieve. Our lens is all about maximizing benefits and minimizing the drawbacks of having fun in the sun.
Second, where brands put that polarized film changes the polarization effectiveness over the lifetime of the frame. Why? Polarized films placed on the outside of the lens can scratch, delaminate, or haze over time. And how does the film stay on? Adhesive glue. Yeah, no thanks. We like to see out of our sunglasses.
Instead, Trident is layered and sealed within our lenses using a special bonding process. Clean and clear for the lifetime of your frames.

When to Choose Polarized Lenses

Sometimes you don’t want a polarized lens getting in the way of your game. Activities that require your attention on fast moving objects, like golf or baseball, might opt for non-polarized lenses. Polarization can distort depth perception, but that’s just one reason why you might consider going without.
The other situation is terrain management. Glare is a great differentiation when calculating the path you’re carving through whether it’s on snow capped peaks or mountain dirt roads.
On the other hand, some people prefer the increased visibility. The choice is yours.

Happiness Guaranteed

We started crafting better sunglasses over 20 years ago, because we surveyed the industry and weren’t content with standard eye-wear. But building the best is only half of what makes us great. Our customer service is fueled by the passion we have for getting our sunglasses out to everyone. When people choose SPY, they stay with the SPY family for life. It starts with the lifetime warranty on all our products. Give SPY a try and never settle ever again.


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