Are polarized lenses always dark?

If you've worn sunglasses before, I'm sure you've heard the term polarized tossed around. Other people seem to like them, so a lot of sunglass-wearers jump on the polarized bandwagon. But, what are polarized sunglasses? 

Does polarized mean dark?

One of the biggest misconceptions with polarized lenses are that they are always dark. You might think that dark sunglasses offer more protection, but that simply isn't true. Even clear lenses can offer 100% UV protection. 

Fuse lenses offers a wide selection of polarized and unpolarized sunglasses. Darkness of a lens comes more from the tint color and intensity, rather than the polarization. A lighter polarized lens we offer is G15 and a darker option would be Carbon Mirror. Both lenses will come with glare-blocking polarized power, but the lighter polarized option, G15, will be best in overcast or mixed light situations and a darker polarized lens, like the Carbon Mirror, will perform best in bright, full sun. 

So... then what are polarized sunglasses?

Polarized lenses aren't necessarily dark because they aren't designed to block MORE light, they actually block a certain type of light - glare. Polarized sunglasses feature a filter in them that blocks horizontal light that produces glare. You know, the blinding light that gets reflected off roads, cars, snow, water, and other flat surfaces. 

How can I tell if my sunglasses are polarized? 

Look Around Outside

One of the coolest things about polarized lenses is that you can see the effects on flat or reflective surfaces! This is true especially looking at water or something like a car windshield. 

Without your sunglasses on, surfaces will be overall brighter and look almost like a sheet of white is on top. With polarized lenses, that sheet of white is removed - meaning you can relax your eyes and even see into the water! 

Do a Polarized Test

Since polarized sunglasses work by blocking a certain directional light, you can test polarization by turning your sunglasses! The easiest way to do this test is to find a LCD screen (think - a computer monitor). Looking through the glasses, start to turn them and if they are polarized they will start to darken and eventually black out.

To see this test in action and learn more about polarized lenses, you can head to our Youtube! 

Have more questions about polarized lenses? Let us know!