Differences Between High End Sunglasses And Low End Sunglasses   by Corey Rozon

in Shopping / Fashion Style    (submitted 2011-08-12)

What's the biggest difference between high end designer sunglasses and low end replica ones? As an old television ad that used to run when I was a kid so aptly informed me, 'the price is the difference'. I can't remember what the television ad was actually for, but the message is clear - designer anything costs more, but it doesn't necessarily mean it is better.

So are you really paying upwards of $100 or more just for the name of a brand, or is there more to this story when it comes to sunglasses. As it turns out, as long as the pair of sunglasses contains any combination of the four following qualities, a pair of low end replica sunglasses can be just as good as their high end designer counterparts.

1) UV Protection
Most sunglasses provide some level of protection from ultraviolet rays, but not all sunglasses are created equally when it comes to this quality. This doesn't mean that a high end pair of sunglasses are any better at protecting your eyes against UV rays than a cheap pair of sunglasses. It all depends on how much the lens is rated for UV protection. When buying a pair of sunglasses, whether you are going to shill out over $100 or pick a cheap pair at the drugstore, make sure they are rated for 100% UV protection.

2) Light Protection
Not only can UV rays damage your eyes, but so can good old fashion sunshine. The amount of protection that a pair of sunglasses will provide all depends on the level of tinting; a darker tint typically means more protection for your eyes. A good pair of sunglasses, this is not to say a high end, but rather a pair of quality sunglasses, can block up to 97% of lighting entering your eyes. This quality may be a little harder to gauge, as unlike UV protection, there are not any standards on the level of tinting. You'll just have to go the manual route and check each pair of sunglasses yourself by looking through them.

3) Glare Protection
Glare can cause a great deal of light entering your eyes, resulting in eye strain, potential damage to your eyes and can even be unsafe in certain situations, such as driving. Glare occurs when light is reflected off of a smooth surface, such as water or snow. Many high end and low end sunglasses alike can help to reduce glare through the use of polarization. A good pair of polarized sunglasses will block the horizontal polarized light that causes glare, resulting in better vision for the wearer.

4) Vision Enhancement
The human eye can only detect as certain aspect of the visible spectrum of light. These different frequencies result in the colour we see, some of which can help to enhance our vision, while others tend to blur or distort it. Different coloured lenses can help to remove the distortions and enhance what we see, such as yellow lenses, which help to increase depth perception, brown lenses that help to increase contrast and grey lenses that help to minimize colour distortion. Coloured tinting of lenses can be achieved equally with both high end and low end sunglasses alike. Again, as there is no standard as in UV protection, the only way you will be able to determine if the pair of sunglasses is right for you is to try them on for yourself.

So in the end, is there really any difference between high end designer sunglasses and low end replicas? As long as any combination of the four above qualities is met, the only difference in a good pair of sunglasses is the price.

About the Author

Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada. This article about the differences between high end designer sunglasses and low end ones was written on behalf of CTS Wholesale Sunglasses, a manufacturer of high quality replica sunglasses.