Choosing the proper sunglasses is greatly dependent on what you plan to be doing in the sunglasses and how often you are going to wear them. There are many types of tints, materials and lenses that sunglasses are available in and each specific type is geared toward what activities will be done in the glasses. It is a good idea to choose at least one pair of sunglasses that can suit your everyday needs.
There are many types of lens material that sunglasses come in. Lenses come in glass, polyurethane, polycarbonate and acrylic. Glass lenses are traditional ones that provide scratch resistance and clarity for the wearer. They are not impact resistant and will spider or shatter when they are impacted. Polycarbonate and acrylic lenses are the least expensive type that still provide protection, but do not have as good clarity as other types of lenses. Polyurethane lenses are the most impact resistant with the highest clarity, but are much more expensive than other brands.
The color of your lenses depends greatly on what you will be doing in them. Green, gray and brown are the most common types of color lenses for everyday wearers. They will cut down on the amount of glare without distorting the color around you. Gold or amber colored sunglasses give less protection, but provide more depth perception for the wearer. These hues are good for conditions of lower light. Rose colored glasses work to make contrasts more evident. They also provide depth perception and are great to use if there is a lot of green areas. Mirrored sunglasses help reduce the amount of glare that users see by reflecting the incoming lights. They are excellent for bright conditions.
While lens colors are important, the coating on the lenses are even more important. More expensive sunglasses have many layers of coating, while less expensive have fewer layers and less protection for the eyes. It is important to decide whether a more expensive pair is worth it for the health of your eyes or if you would rather go with a less expensive pair that will not provide as much protection and will likely have to be replaced.
Whether you are choosing prescription sunglasses or your sunglasses just for looks, the most important aspect is to ensure that they provide UV protection and that they will suit your particular lifestyle.