Often we at Betty's are posed questions that we are not afraid to admit we don't know the answers to. Sometimes these queries have to do with things in the store...sometimes not. Alas, home girl pictured below asked us what the UV numbers mean on the $15 sunglasses we sell means. This is what Google told us:
Some manufacturers of sunglasses are as shady as the products they offer. Labeling can be ambiguous concerning the level of UV protection, and even seemingly straightforward proclamations, such as "100 percent protection," can be outright false, according a new study. In fact, most of these studies have shown that labeling is often false and that mislabeling occurs regardless of the price of the sunglasses, from cheap $15 shades to $400 designer sunglasses.
Apparently, only in Australia are sunglass manufacturers regulated as to what they claim on their labels!
For full protection, wrap-around shades are best. Your 100-percent protection must be averaged with zero-percent protection if unfiltered light enters in from the sides.
Polarized lenses reduce glare but offer no additional UV protection. Similarly, lens darkness means little; darkness is related only to the extent you want to look like a blind blues musician.
Should you be geeky enough to possess a UV laser, you can shine it through your sunglasses to estimate the level of protection.
A new blog subject has been born! Stay tuned for more "Things we learned today at Betty's" posts.
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