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The fact is: If you don't wear glasses while exercising , you're taking a risk . Especially when hiking, trail running, or mountain biking, it's important to be able to see the path, including all its bumps and obstacles . If you don't, you risk falling or potentially endangering other athletes. Additionally, the wind can more easily get into your eyes , causing them to water. If we still haven't convinced you to wear sports glasses, here are three more good reasons .
- Sports glasses protect the eyes: In addition to eye protection, the skull is also protected from injuries, dust, wind, flies, bright sunlight and UV rays.
- Sports glasses ensure good and stable vision: High-quality sports glasses score points above all with a secure fit for all sports and long training sessions.
- Sports glasses are a fashion must-have: There are now many different shapes, colors and sizes on the market and they have become an indispensable part of sports.
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Sports glasses tested: Why is wearing them so important?
Excessively intense sunlight is not only annoying, but can also cause conjunctivitis or keratitis . The rays that are invisible to humans are particularly harmful. UV rays are very dangerous for outdoor athletes and are divided into UVA, UVB, and UVC rays . The wavelengths of UV rays are measured in nanometers (nm) . When engaging in outdoor sports, you are particularly exposed to UV rays in high mountains, at lakes, or on the beach. You can find a detailed overview of UV rays in this blog article .
Good to know : Did you know that UV rays become more intense the further south you are? The further south you are and the closer you get to the equator, the more intense the UV exposure.
Sports sunglasses with tinted lenses: The best sun protection
The important functions of sunglasses are to reduce glare from sunlight and protect us from UV rays. This allows us to see contrasts better , which is why lenses are tinted. Sports glasses can have a single gradient or a two-tone gradient (which gets lighter towards the bottom) . During tinting, the lenses are dipped in the dye and then vaporized until the desired shade is achieved. The properties of the different tints can be seen in the table below.
|
Glass color |
Characteristic |
Suitable for |
|
Clear |
Although clear sports lenses do not protect your eyes from glare from the sun, they are still a good alternative if you do indoor sports or are out and about at dusk or at night. |
Colorless lenses are very suitable for indoor sports such as squash or when biking on trails in the insulation. |
|
Brown Red-brown |
The brown/red-brown tint of the lenses filters out the short-wave blue component of light, making our surroundings appear brighter. This makes contrasts more visible and also enhances warm colors. |
Red and brown lenses are suitable for almost any weather and are therefore a good all-rounder for trekking riders. |
|
Orange |
Orange lenses work similarly to brown lenses, but offer better attenuation of blue light and ensure that contrasts are even easier to see. |
Orange lenses are especially popular with mountain bikers and downhill bikers and are ideal for cloudy and dark conditions, fog or at dusk. |
|
purple-green |
The purple-green tint of the sports lenses enhances contrast, making contours even clearer than orange lenses. |
Lenses with a purple-green tint are especially recommended when biking in the forest. |
|
Yellow |
A yellow tint also provides a brightening effect and filters out the blue light component. |
Caution: Sports glasses with yellow lenses are suitable for tours with a gray sky and are less recommended in sunny conditions. |
|
Blue |
Blue lenses are characterized primarily by the fact that they enable clear vision and the visual impression becomes more contrasty. |
Lenses with a blue tint are particularly suitable for mountain tours in winter or during activities in bright and dazzling conditions. |
|
Green |
Green-tinted lenses are less contrast-enhancing than other tints, but they are excellent at reducing light reflections. |
Sports glasses with green lenses are particularly popular among anglers because they reduce reflections and lighten shadows. |
|
Red |
A red lens tint has a very warm effect and enhances contrast. Red lenses also filter out blue light, ensuring optimal visibility in a variety of lighting conditions, such as sunny, cloudy, or snowy conditions. |
Red lenses are ideal for cycling in rural areas. Note : Red lenses are not recommended for road use. |
|
Black |
Lenses with a black tint offer particularly strong darkening. This is important for activities when the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly. |
Very dark lenses have similar properties to grey lenses and are less suitable for light-shadow situations, but rather for very bright conditions. |
|
Gray |
Lenses with a gray tint primarily transmit blue light. Furthermore, the lenses do not offer any contrast enhancement. |
Grey tints, for example, are less popular among cyclists because the lenses are too dark for the light-shadow change. |
The tint level of sports glasses: What do I need to know?
Generally speaking, the more tinted the lenses, the darker the field of vision becomes. Therefore, the tint has a significant impact on the field of vision . The tint level of the sports glasses can be determined by the VLT% value (light transmission). The VLT% value shows how much light is filtered out. For better orientation , light transmission is specified in categories (CAT) . You can find a brief overview of the exact classification in the table.
|
Category (CAT) |
Light transmittance (VLT) |
Suitable for |
|
0 |
80-100% |
Clear glass |
|
1 |
43-80% |
Suitable for cloudy and foggy days. |
|
2 |
18-43% |
Suitable for sunny days with changing conditions. |
|
3 |
8-18% |
Suitable for bright light conditions. |
|
4 |
3-8% |
Suitable for very sunny days on glaciers or snowfields. |
Want to learn more about the filter categories ? Check out our blog post about lenses for more information .
No compromises: sports glasses with self-tinting lenses
Did you know that there are glasses with self-tinting lenses that adapt to the lighting conditions ? This is especially beneficial for outdoor activities in changing conditions, as the lenses automatically become lighter or darker depending on the light . Photochromic sports glasses are therefore particularly popular with trail runners and cyclists, who often encounter varying conditions.
Sports glasses with interchangeable lenses: Prepared for all conditions
Anyone who enjoys being outdoors or doing sports knows how quickly weather and lighting conditions can change. So that you don't have to buy separate glasses for every situation, there are also sports glasses with interchangeable lenses . These are equipped with a simple interchangeable lens system that allows you to adapt to the external conditions in a snap .
😎 NAKED Optics Insider Tip: 😎 We also prefer to wear one of our sports sunglasses , The VOLT , The FALCON , or The HAWK , when biking, running, or hiking. Six different lenses with different tints are available for each pair, and they're available in a bundle in the shop at a great price.
Polarized sports glasses: What are the advantages and disadvantages?
In recent years, sports glasses with polarized lenses have become increasingly popular and important. Polarized sports glasses are refined with a filter layer . This layer reduces reflections from reflective surfaces , such as water or wet roads . Polarization is so helpful because glare makes our eyes tire more quickly and contrasts less sharply perceived . Sports glasses with polarized lenses, also called polarized glasses, help us see colors more clearly. Light reflections are also reduced . You can read exactly how the polarization filter works here . Polarized sports glasses are particularly popular with outdoor athletes such as hikers, mountaineers, water sports enthusiasts and anglers.
❗️ Caution: ❗️ Wearing polarized sunglasses also has disadvantages . Sports glasses with polarized lenses filter out not only vertically polarized light, but also blue light. This is problematic because it makes it harder to read car dashboards, smartphones, or navigation displays .
Do mirrored sports glasses also have an effect?
The mirror coating of eyeglass lenses is often confused with tinting, but they are not the same. Unlike tinting or polarizing filters , mirroring has no function but serves purely aesthetic purposes.
Sports glasses for glasses wearers: What options are there?
Finding the right sports glasses is particularly important for recreational athletes with poor eyesight. If they don't wear glasses or choose a model without the appropriate prescription, they are taking easily avoidable risks. The sports glasses market has the right product for all athletes, even for those who wear glasses. On the one hand, there are sports glasses with prescription lenses . On the other hand , insert clips are available for some models . These clips can be adjusted by an optician to suit your individual prescription. Are you wondering how much sports glasses with prescription lenses cost? That depends on the type of vision problem and the quality of the sports glasses. However, you can sometimes have to dig deep into your pockets for some models. Alternatively, you can also try contact lenses . Daily disposable lenses are ideal for sports and can be worn while cycling, running or even swimming.
Why can't I just wear my everyday glasses while exercising?
It's true that prescription glasses protect the eyes from wind, dust, and foreign objects just as much as sports glasses. However, everyday glasses ca n't protect the eyes from harmful UV rays or bright sunlight . Furthermore , everyday prescription glasses don't sit as securely on the head as sports glasses. This means that the glasses can slip significantly and, in the worst case, even fall to the ground and break. Therefore, it's important to put your everyday glasses aside when exercising and switch to sports glasses designed for prescription wearers. 🥸
What options are there for people who wear glasses when swimming?
Prescription goggles are also available. However, you shouldn't order these online; it's better to visit your trusted optician. Prescription goggles require a different lens strength than normal, as the refractive index and density in water are different. 🏊♀️
My sports glasses are fogging up. What can I do about it?
In some sports, the lenses of sports sunglasses can fog up, impairing vision. This is not only annoying, but also a clear competitive disadvantage in sports. If you are often affected by this problem, you should definitely check whether the glasses fit properly and are perfectly sealed against your helmet. If this does not improve the situation, you should definitely get sports glasses with effective ventilation . This prevents the lenses from fogging up. You can also get an anti-fog spray . Using the spray, you can apply an anti-fog coating to the lens and repel water. This protects the glasses from fogging up. Anti-fog sprays are particularly popular in combination with medical face masks (oral and nose protection) and prescription glasses.
In which sports should I not wear sports glasses?
Sports glasses are an important piece of equipment, but not for sports involving a lot of physical contact , such as boxing or judo . Wearing glasses during a fight would increase the risk of injury . Furthermore, sports sunglasses should also be avoided in ball sports such as handball or soccer .
Which sports glasses are the best?
With the sheer number of sports glasses available, it's easy to get lost. We completely understand that. That's why we're always here to help you make your purchase decision. Simply email our support team at support@nakedoptics.net 🤝
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