It’s summer, and sunglasses are the first accessory you reach for every day. Right!? If not, it’s time to start.

Daily exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays can lead to unwanted conditions as you grow older, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and even cancer of the eye or eyelid. You can help prevent these outcomes by wearing a high-quality pair of sunglasses whenever you go outside. Yes, even on cloudy days, the sun’s harmful rays are always present.

If you are among the 64% of adults who wear prescription lenses, why not treat yourself to a pair of prescription sunglasses? It’s convenient and safe to see well while shielding your eyes from the sun’s rays and glare. Less squinting, more joy all year!

If you are in the eyewear minority and don’t need prescription lenses (yet!), our optical department can outfit you with high-quality sunglasses that look great and are guaranteed to protect your eyes from 100% of the sun’s damaging UV rays.

Wherever you get your sunglasses, it’s critical to ensure that they block 100% of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Unfortunately, some “cheap sunglasses” may not block 100% of UV rays. That can be dangerous and cause damage to your eyes.

Ready to find your favorite new pair of sunglasses? Come in and “see” us. Whether you need prescription sunnies or non-RX lenses, we have a huge selection of frames and lenses. Our friendly, talented optical department staff are ready to help you choose the perfect pair!

These five questions will help you find your next favorite pair of sunglasses:

1. What outside activities do you enjoy?

• Sports sunglasses or sun goggles stay put as you move. Made from lightweight materials with a stronger fit, they’re ideal for fast-paced sports and activities. Whether you love biking, boating, tennis, or team sports, their grip-enhanced temple and nose pads won’t slide down your nose when you sweat.
• Casual sunglasses. If your outdoor activities are more chill, choose a pair of casual sunglasses. While sitting by the pool with friends, walking, socializing, or beaching, our high-quality sunglass options protect your peepers in style!

2. What lens choice is ideal for you?

Sunglass lenses serve to protect your eyes from the sun while offering vision-enhancing features. These include:

• Polarized lenses minimize glare, that near-blinding light reflection that bounces off metal, sand, water, and other horizontal surfaces into your eyes.
• Scratch-resistant lenses. Don’t be shy about admitting that you often drop your sunnies. We do, too! We recommend scratch-resistant lenses to minimize damage.
• Photochromic lenses. These “smart lenses” are the Siri of modern eyewear: They automatically darken as they sense brighter light when you walk outside on a sunny day and get lighter when you go back inside where the light is less bright. Photochromic lenses are a simple, elegant solution if you’re tired of juggling prescription eyewear and sunglasses when transitioning between outside and inside.

3. What lens material is ideal for you?

• Ophthalmic-quality plastic. Offering great clarity that pairs well with polarization and non-glare coatings, plastic lenses are a solid choice. They are not as shatter-resistant as polycarbonate, though.
• Offering shatter-resistance and impact-resistance plus optical clarity, polycarbonate lenses are a lightweight, affordable choice.
• Acrylic is inexpensive, but it can sometimes distort vision. The material is on the lower end of sunglass lens materials. It doesn’t offer the ideal optical clarity or durability that other options do.

4. What frame material is best for your lifestyle?

• Featuring high impact-resistance for sporty lifestyles, nylon is inexpensive, lightweight, and durable. Note: Nylon frames are not adjustable unless they feature a wire core.
• Metal frames are hot! They feature ease of adjustment for ideal fit; on the downside, they can be expensive and aren’t super durable. But, if you love the sleek look of an aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel frame, we’re here for that. Fair warning: When we say they’re hot, we mean it. Metal frames can heat up in the hot summer sunshine!
• Plastic (acetate). The sky’s the limit on shape and color combinations with acetate frames. While they don’t fare well during high-impact sports, they offer the perfect sun protection in low-impact or social situations.

5. What frame fits your unique face shape?

Maybe the most exciting part of choosing sunglasses is finding which shape fits your face. We have experience helping you find a comfortable, flattering style and are happy to help.

As you try on frames, keep in mind that opposites attract. In other words, square shapes generally look good on a roundish face, and round frames look good on a square-ish face. Some guidelines on frames and face shape:

• Heart-shaped face: This gorgeous face shape features a wider forehead. Try aviator frames (or anything round), or consider rimless options and even butterfly-shaped styles.
• Oblong face: Oversized frames or wraparounds reduce the visual perception of face length to give you a great look.
• Square-shaped face: Curved, rounded, or oval frames are your go-to.
• Round-shaped face: Think angular, square, or rectangular frame shapes.
• Oval-shaped face: Lucky you: Almost every shape looks good on an oval face. Just make sure the frame size doesn’t overpower your face.

Come in soon to see the exciting new frame styles arriving daily in our optical department. Our experienced staff will help you select the best frame, materials, lenses, and coatings to make your next favorite pair of sunglasses – and we’ll have fun while we do it. We can’t wait to help you see your best this summer!