The popularity in outdoor sports activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, kayaking, golfing and in-line skating, to name just a few, has created a niche for sport and performance-oriented sunglasses.
To meet the needs of the demanding sports person, eyewear manufacturers have invested much time and resources into technology research and investigated ways of providing the best possible sunglasses for all the different environments and conditions for which people need eye protection from the sun. From these efforts have come fantastic advances in durable and flexible materials for sunglasses which never fail to give the utmost performance to the casual sportsman or the professional outdoorsman.
Unquestionably the most significant feature to be developed in recent years of sports eye wear has been the optical clarity, panoramic field of view, and visual acuity of the lenses. There are many lens colors to choose from, each designed to be effective in some specific outdoor condition. The available choices range from brown, to green, gray, yellow, pink and, can you believe it, orange.
Even more phenomenal are the advances in polarized lenses. These lenses are in high demand because of their ability to lessen glare produced from flat surfaces such as standing water or a snow covered field. There are those who will argue that polarized lenses are not for everyone. For instance, downhill skiers need to see contrast and definition of the terrain to avoid holes and depressions to prevent falls and injuries.
Although glass lenses are still available they are rarely used in sports eyewear. The exception is sunglasses used for golfing which provide superior optical excellence. However, many sportsmen involved in outdoor recreation avoid glass because of the inability of glass to really resist impact from hard objects or debris.
There are numerous sports-related eye injuries each year. Many could have been avoided if the athlete used protective eyewear such as goggles with polycarbonate lenses. Skiers know that goggles are a necessity. So too are baseball or softball catchers, hockey, football players and even paint ballers learning that polycarbonate face shields can prevent eye damage. Ultraviolet light and glare bounce off snow and ice even on overcast days making it necessary for skiers to always wear tinted goggles or sports sunglasses.
Fishermen and boaters also require protection from UV light reflected off the water. You might even find some contact lenses that also provide extra UV blocking. If you plan on using contact lenses also wear sunglasses since the contacts only provide protection for the center part of your eye and may not provide the necessary full eye coverage.