I love to be outside now that the weather is nice. Whether it is warm or cold, however, it is unbelievably important to make sure you protect your eyes as much as you protect your skin!
Most of my sunglasses have come from The Dollar Tree. They have a great selection of glasses and they seem to protect my eyes as much as more expensive glasses. I've also splurged on designer glasses at TJ Maxx. The importance is not how much you pay, but just be consistent in their use. Not only do glasses protect your eyes, but also the delicate skin around your eyes.
Here's some fast facts about sunglasses (wikipedia)
Sunglasses offer protection against excessive exposure to light, including its visible and invisible components. The most widespread protection is against ultraviolet radiation, which can cause short-term and long-term ocular problems such as photokeratitis, snow blindness, cataracts, pterygium, and various forms of eye cancer. Medical experts advise the public on the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes from UV; for adequate protection, experts recommend sunglasses that reflect or filter out 99-100 % of UVA and UVB light, with wavelengths up to 400 nm. Sunglasses which meet this requirement are often labeled as "UV400." More recently, high-energy visible light (HEV) has been implicated as a cause of age-related macular degeneration
The only "visible" quality test for sunglasses is their fit. The lenses should fit close enough to the face that only very little "stray light" can reach the eye from their sides, or from above or below, but not so close that the eyelashes smear the lenses. To protect against "stray light" from the sides, the lenses should fit close enough to the temples and/or merge into broad temple arms or leather blinders.
Dark lenses do not automatically filter out more harmful UV radiation and blue light as compared to light lenses. Blue blocking lenses are commonly yellow or brown whereas blue or gray lenses cannot offer the necessary blue light protection. However, not every yellow or brown lens blocks sufficient blue light. In rare cases, lenses can filter out too much blue light (i.e., 100 %), which affects color vision and can be dangerous in traffic when colored signals are not properly recognized.
High prices cannot guarantee sufficient protection as no correlation between high prices and increased UV protection has been demonstrated. A 1995 study reported that "Expensive brands and polarizing sunglasses do not guarantee optimal UVA protection." One survey even found that a $6.95 pair of generic glasses offered slightly better protection than did expensive Salvatore Ferragamo shades.
You need to check the labels of the glasses you buy to determine the protection they are giving. Here are some stylish suggestions.
Sunglasses Warehouse.com has great prices and selection
SW Cat Eye Style #31139
Price: $15.95
'These unique celebrity inspired shades have a cat-eye look to the oversized lenses and curved temples for a comfortable fit. UV400 protection included and featured in the May 2011 issue of People Style Watch'
SW Celebrity Style #511
Price: $14.95
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