European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse A a a a a a a a v7 a a 7 7� a. W. A a a shedding Light on Quality of sunglasses by Phyllis Brill the Baltimore evening Sun f f using a pair of non prescription sunglasses used to be a simple task slipping into a dime store on the run and picking up something inexpensive or spending a few pennies More for a pair that would last through August. Now with heightened Public concern about damaging sunlight expanded technology in plastics and a deluge of designer labels a and prices a shop in it a for sunglasses is turning into a monumental chore. Is it necessary to spend $80in a specially store or even $30 at a department store for a.,designer look the Airis wer is no. But it does help to go shopping armed with a Little knowledge. A a for the most part the Quality of the frames a and any designer names they sport a determine the Price. But the lenses by far Are most important to vision and Protection from the Sun. It even with non prescription lenses there Are important Points to consider says Brad Bowers of Bowers and Snyder opticians in Baltimore. The most obvious is How much Glare Protection they provide. Bowers suggests wearing the glasses and looking in a Mirror. If you can see your eyes looking Back at you Quot you re getting Only a fashion tint a he source general vision services says. Quot they re probably not dark the color of the lenses also affects Glare Protection. The Best tints Are Gray Brown and dark Green says Bowers. Bright colors like Pink Blue Light Green and yellow intensify the Glare he says. Mirrored lenses that do not Flake or Chip also Are acceptable. A a Curry Quot important Factor to consider in sunglasses is Protection from ultraviolet Light. While it is generally believed that overexposure to us rays can make a person susceptible to cataracts the jury is still out on just How much us Protection one needs in sunglasses. Quot it probably depends on How much Sun you Are exposed to Quot says Bowers. The. Average person driving Back and Forth to work daily May not need 100 percent us Protection he says. Quot but if you re spending two weeks on the Beach yes you should get the ultimate regardless of Cost Quot most sunglasses have a Good Deal of us Protection Quot says Bowers. In a simple test using a photometer a machine that measures ultraviolet Light Bowers found that nine out of a dozen pairs registered 100 percent ultraviolet Protection including a half dozen purchased for $5 or less. The other three pairs offered at least 70 percent Protection. The randomly selected glasses All had the recommended Gray Brown or dark Green lenses and ranged from $80 designer models to $1 discount store purchases. V Many designer sunglasses today boast of cr-39 lenses meaning Teauhey Are made of the same folded and ground plastic As prescription glasses. But such precision Isnit necessary for a distortion free image Bowers says the simplest test for distortion Bowers says is to look at the glasses from the front and Rock them Back and Forth. If reflected Light changes shape then Quot you probably have a cheap piece of plastic Quot rather than Quality material he says. But remember the greater part of the Cost of sunglasses is for the frames. Most designer glasses Are made of High Quality folded plastic or Metal and Are put together to last. Good frames also have a Metal reinforcement strip running Down the Center of the earpiece says Bowers and their hinges Are probably made of stainless steel or another non corrosive material. Also beware of Brittle plastic that threatens to crack under extreme conditions he warns. the Tabels mean almost All major manufacturers of sunglasses now use a Labelling system that tells How Well their glasses protect against ultraviolet rays and what conditions they Are Best suited for. The labels carry an Ansi Symbol meaning that they have been rated under criteria set by the american National standards Institute. Sunglasses fall into one of the following three categories cosmetic general purpose or special purpose. In the explanations below Uva denotes ultraviolet a rays and Uva denotes the Shorter and potentially More harmful ultraviolet b rays. Physicians suspect that both types can cause cataracts and that Uva rays also contribute to Retina damage. Recommended colors Are Gray Brown and Green because they distort colors the least. Blue lenses can cause the wearer to misinterpret the reds and greens of traffic lights. A a cosmetic blocks at least 70 percent of Uva and at least 20 percent of Uva. Adequate for non harsh sunlight. A general purpose blocks at least 95 percent of Uva and at least 60 percent of Uva. Adequate or boating and hiking. E special purpose blocks at least 99 percent of Uva and at least 60 percent of Uva. Needed on ski slopes and beaches. Sources the american optometric association and the sunglass association of America in. July 2, 1991the stars and stripes a Page 15
