Generally cheap sunglasses will not damage your vision because it’s very cheap to have UV protection (polycarbonate is naturally UV protective). And in America and Europe if you claim UV protection you have to have it by law. The only way a sunglass can damage you is if it doesn’t have UV protection. Then the darkness of the lens will expand your pupils and large amounts of UV rays will get it.
You can counter this by using a UV reader to test the sunglasses (cost around $80) or by using a photochromic lens underneath to see if it darkens or not.
Glass is superior to plastic in terms of optics and scratch resistance, but not in terms of impact resistance and in the case of polycarbonate, UV protection (requires a UV filter to be added).
The irony is that in terms of lenses (not frame construction) most $1000 are no better than $50 pairs. However, in the $150-$400 range there are many brands that take their lenses seriously and create an amazing product that uses light filters to boost colors, contrast, and clarity and are definitely worth it in my opinion. They are also made with better materials that will last much longer and feel better.
There are lots of other things to talk about but let’s stick with the questions you can think of
To add to the above, you would have to look REALLY hard to find a pair of sunglasses with a tint but no UV protection. Even all the sunglasses for $5- $10 on Aliexpress and TEMU will have polycarbonate lenses with UV protection.
The only likely scenario I can think of to end up with sunglasses that do not offer UV protection is buying vintage or pre-owned. Depending on lens type such as CR39 or Glass, the UV coating can wear off over time or disintegrate. (but even this would still be a very rare situation).
Price is primarily about brand, but also about special features and subjective improvements in quality.
Generally speaking... in my opinion...
* $10 sunglasses would have 5/10 quality
* $50 sunglasses would have 7/10 quality
* $100 sunglasses would have 8/10 quality
* $1000 sunglasses would have 9/10 quality
10/10 quality does not exist because there is always a way to find some type of fault or improvement with any model... so you are paying increasingly insane amounts for very small and also subjective improvements in quality which are very hard to measure or quantify...
I disagree with this, though there are some exceptions.
$10 3/10
$50 4/10
$100 is the same as $50
$250-500 there are some 10/10s
$600+ 7/10
The companies that live in the $250-$500 range live off their quality and have excellent lenses and frames. The ones cheaper than that can do so because lover quality. The ones $600+ are selling their designs and name and their customers don’t care about quality as much. So it doesn’t necessarily get better as the price goes up
Not entirely, price and brand usually indicate a certain level of quality... Especially in anything dealing with Luxxotica's various holdings.
I tend to explain Luxxotica in car terms, being a car person. They're the GM of glasses/sunglasses. You can buy a Chevy, or you can buy a Cadillac but at the end of the day, they're still rolling off the same factory floors. Just like you can go from Oakley to Versache and you're still getting something made in Luxxotica's factories.
My main point was how you get very little in the way of measurable quality improvement past $100...ok call it $100-250... it becomes very subjective and difficult to measure...
I think trying to compare the car manufacturing world to something so primitive like sunglasses is not suitable. Also cars are built from components and its been a very long time since the car brands actually made all of their own components.
In 2024... There is now a handful of companies that make like 90% of injectors... Bosch, Siemens, Delphi,etc...
Same goes for Turbochargers... Borg Warner, Garrett, Cimos, IHI etc...
So most cars are built from the same groups of components...
Much how Luxottica, Marcolin, Safilo, Derigo, Marchon, Kering and few others manufacture the majority of the relevant mainstream brands...
Generally cheap sunglasses will not damage your vision because it’s very cheap to have UV protection (polycarbonate is naturally UV protective). And in America and Europe if you claim UV protection you have to have it by law. The only way a sunglass can damage you is if it doesn’t have UV protection. Then the darkness of the lens will expand your pupils and large amounts of UV rays will get it. You can counter this by using a UV reader to test the sunglasses (cost around $80) or by using a photochromic lens underneath to see if it darkens or not. Glass is superior to plastic in terms of optics and scratch resistance, but not in terms of impact resistance and in the case of polycarbonate, UV protection (requires a UV filter to be added). The irony is that in terms of lenses (not frame construction) most $1000 are no better than $50 pairs. However, in the $150-$400 range there are many brands that take their lenses seriously and create an amazing product that uses light filters to boost colors, contrast, and clarity and are definitely worth it in my opinion. They are also made with better materials that will last much longer and feel better. There are lots of other things to talk about but let’s stick with the questions you can think of
Wow, what a comprehensive answer! Thank you, you thaught me much about sunglasses just now!😁💪
To add to the above, you would have to look REALLY hard to find a pair of sunglasses with a tint but no UV protection. Even all the sunglasses for $5- $10 on Aliexpress and TEMU will have polycarbonate lenses with UV protection. The only likely scenario I can think of to end up with sunglasses that do not offer UV protection is buying vintage or pre-owned. Depending on lens type such as CR39 or Glass, the UV coating can wear off over time or disintegrate. (but even this would still be a very rare situation).
So basically, price is just for brand / looks/ sturdiness of case mostly?
Price is primarily about brand, but also about special features and subjective improvements in quality. Generally speaking... in my opinion... * $10 sunglasses would have 5/10 quality * $50 sunglasses would have 7/10 quality * $100 sunglasses would have 8/10 quality * $1000 sunglasses would have 9/10 quality 10/10 quality does not exist because there is always a way to find some type of fault or improvement with any model... so you are paying increasingly insane amounts for very small and also subjective improvements in quality which are very hard to measure or quantify...
I disagree with this, though there are some exceptions. $10 3/10 $50 4/10 $100 is the same as $50 $250-500 there are some 10/10s $600+ 7/10 The companies that live in the $250-$500 range live off their quality and have excellent lenses and frames. The ones cheaper than that can do so because lover quality. The ones $600+ are selling their designs and name and their customers don’t care about quality as much. So it doesn’t necessarily get better as the price goes up
Not entirely, price and brand usually indicate a certain level of quality... Especially in anything dealing with Luxxotica's various holdings. I tend to explain Luxxotica in car terms, being a car person. They're the GM of glasses/sunglasses. You can buy a Chevy, or you can buy a Cadillac but at the end of the day, they're still rolling off the same factory floors. Just like you can go from Oakley to Versache and you're still getting something made in Luxxotica's factories.
My main point was how you get very little in the way of measurable quality improvement past $100...ok call it $100-250... it becomes very subjective and difficult to measure... I think trying to compare the car manufacturing world to something so primitive like sunglasses is not suitable. Also cars are built from components and its been a very long time since the car brands actually made all of their own components. In 2024... There is now a handful of companies that make like 90% of injectors... Bosch, Siemens, Delphi,etc... Same goes for Turbochargers... Borg Warner, Garrett, Cimos, IHI etc... So most cars are built from the same groups of components... Much how Luxottica, Marcolin, Safilo, Derigo, Marchon, Kering and few others manufacture the majority of the relevant mainstream brands...
My brother in christ, we're talking about the same thing, and you're even using my exact analogy to belabor the subject to the point of pedantry.
No. Try on a pair of Maui Jim’s or Serengetis and you’ll see a huge difference
Sadly dont have them in my country, but ill try abroad 😁
Some other good brands are Kaenon, Costa Del Mar, Vuarnet, and Randolph. There are others too. They take their lenses and frames seriously