There’s been a lot of talk of what the best driving glasses are, but we’re here to tell you that there isn’t one “best” pair.” In fact, the most appropriate pair will vary according to what kind of driving you are engaged in.
If driving during the daytime, you’ll be dealing with a lot of glare on the road, in this case, your best choice is a pair of glasses with polarized lenses. Polarized lenses have a special filter on them which makes them good at filtering out low angle sun reflection on the road, especially in wet, icy, or sandy conditions (for those of your that go off-road).
Also if you need corrective eye-wear, make sure you get glasses with prescriptions in them or wear high-performance inserts/clip-ons to make you don’t sacrifice your vision for the sake of glare protection. Also, if they are not optically correct you could suffer from headaches after wearing them for prolonged periods of time.
Wearing Sunglasses at Night
Although it may seem cool to wear your sunglasses at night – heck there is even a classic song about it and they have been worn by actors in many action movies… don’t do it.
Experts at most motoring associations advise against wearing sunglasses while driving at night. Any ting in your glasses will cause additional contrast and reduce your vision at night. If you need to wear glasses at night make sure to choose a pair with clear lenses that don’t have any tint to them.
Wraparound Sunglasses
If the sun is coming at an angle, flat sunglasses don’t always provide the best protection. In this case, it is best to get a pair of sunglasses that actually wraps around your face to provide protection from all sides. This will solve the irritating feeling of the sun seeping through the side of your glasses which actually puts a lot of strain on the eyes and some drivers even complain of getting headaches because of this.
Are Photochromic Lenses Driving-Appropriate?
Photochromic (light-reactive) lenses react to light sources and become darker. However, they can be tricky when used while driving. They could be useful during the day but should be avoided at night. It’s best to stick to polarized lenses rather than photochromic sunglasses, at least for driving.
Sunglasses with Interchangeable Lenses
Some sunglasses, especially those which are designed for sports in mind, come with a series of interchangeable lenses. Our favorites are the Oakley Jackets due to the wide variety of lenses and shades you get with them. With a little bit of work, you can have the right lens for every condition.
Dust and Sand Driving
If you are driving a convertible car or motorcycle then chances are that you will encounter unclear visibility at times with possible dust and debris flying at you. In this case, even regular wrap-around sunglasses won’t cut it. What you need are foam sided sunglasses or goggles. As an added bonus, if you have problems with really dry eyes, this will slow down that uncomfortable dry eyes feeling.
Clip-Ons and Inserts
If you need prescription lenses for your eyes, then getting a pair of sunglasses made with your prescription is a good investment. Your eyes won’t need to adjust to different lenses and you won’t have to adjust to too many different frames. However, if that is not an option, you can also look into inserts for your sunglasses or clip-ons for your eyeglasses to make them more versatile. Both do the job of cutting out the sun and letting you focus on the driving.
Finally, the most important thing – make sure they are comfortable!
You will be wearing the glasses for prolonged periods at a time and you want to be sure that they will be comfortable… and that you will actually want to wear them for a long time. In fact, the best glasses will even let you forget that you are even wearing them at all!
These lenses have been developed also to enhance color contrast, depth perception, and detail recognition in medium to low light conditions, reducing squinting and resulting eye strain.
