How Sunglass Lenses Impact Eye Health

It’s never fun to find a new nick on your sunglasses, especially when you need them for a day in the sun. When choosing new sunwear lenses, scratch resistance should always be a key consideration.  

A blemish-free lens surface is not simply more visually appealing — it also helps to prevent eyestrain and to promote better eye health. Poorly made lenses that scratch, warp, and transmit UV rays can actually pose eye health risks and cause eyestrain and headaches. 

Risks of Poorly Made Lenses

UV Exposure

With any sunglasses you purchase, it’s important that they provide UV400 protection. Anything less will leave your eyes exposed to damaging UVA&B rays. Ultraviolet radiation affects our eyes the same way it does our skin, causing sunburns and increasing our risk for cancer and cataract formation. Proper sunglass lenses do much more than dim bright light — they act as sunscreen for our eyes, protecting them from harmful UV rays. 

Sunglasses with poorly made lenses can leave us worse off than if we were wearing no sunglasses at all. The tinting on cheap sunglasses will dim bright light, causing our pupils to dilate and let in more light. Without the proper level of UV protection, they also let in higher levels of harmful UV in the process. 

So when considering a new pair of sunglasses, be sure to verify the protection level. Look for either “UV400 Protection,” “100% UV Protection,” or “UVA and B Protection.” 

Scratching and Warping

Softer, poorly made sunglass lenses are prone to scratching and warping. When lenses scratch or warp, it puts major stress on our eyes. Because a scratch distorts our vision, our eye registers it as blur and our brain signals to our eye to squint to try to refocus. Our eye, of course, can’t bring the scratch into focus, so the loop continues, which burns out the muscles responsible for that reflex. Over the course of a day, that strain can cause headaches, fatigue, and blurred vision. 

Optical-grade lenses are made from rigid, strong materials that maintain a consistent lens curve. This will prevent the lenses from warping and flexing that can cause distortion. 

Polaré® Lenses — See the Difference

In every pair of Cocoons fitover sunglasses, clip-ons, and flip-ups you’ll find our Polaré® lens systems, engineered for UV400 protection, glare-free polarization, and lasting performance. 

Polaré lenses are optical grade and scratch resistant with an added hard coat for durability. Our tinting process uses permanent dyes that chemically bond to the lens material — no coatings that can peel and wear off. We also ensure that our polarizing film is properly aligned at 90° for maximum polarization efficiency. The lenses maintain a consistent shape and uniform base curve for rigid strength and optimal clarity. 

Simply put, Polaré® lenses are built to last and deliver exceptional performance day after day. The quality of our lenses is backed by a one-year scratch resistance warranty.