So, you’ve ordered a nice pair of sunglasses online, but now you don’t know whether they are polarised or not? Don’t worry. These simple methods allow you to easily tell if you’ve got polarised sunglasses. If you’re someone who drives a lot in full daylight, or goes for a vacation on the beach or ice, putting on polarised shades is crucial. It reduces the glare from reflective surfaces such as roads, large water bodies, or ice, offering a seamless viewing experience. But if you are not sure about the shades you ordered online, then keep reading the article to know how to tell if your sunglasses are polarised or not.
The Single Pair Method
If you have a single pair of shades with you and no other pairs to compare with, you can try this method to tell whether your sunglasses are polarised or not.
Check against the reflective surface
First, find a reflective surface which produces glare when lights shine on them. You can use a reflective tabletop, mirror, or other flat and shiny surfaces. Make sure the glare is noticeable from 2-3 feet away. You can produce it with a torch or overhead lights if there is no glare. Turn them on and place them so the light goes to the surface, creating a glare. Now hold your shades in front of your eyes at about a 6-8 inch distance. You should be able to see the surface through one of the lenses at a time. You might have to move the shades closer to your face according to the lens size.
Rotate the sunglasses
Another way you can find the polarised shades is by placing your sunglasses at a 60-degree angle. Your sunglasses should be at this angle, with one of the lenses raised slightly higher than the other. Since sunglasses are polarised in only one direction, you would notice a difference in glare by rotating the shades. However, depending on how the glare is hitting the surface, you might have to adjust the angle of your shades to notice the difference.
Check out in bright light
If you’re first time checking out sunglasses, whether they are polarised or not, this is a much easier test to conduct. You just have to position the sunglasses in front of the bright light. You can use natural light coming in from windows or artificial indoor light sources. If you distinguish the difference between the intensity of glare and brightness from other tinted glasses, you certainly have polarised sunglasses in your hand.
The Two-Pair Method
Checking if your sunglasses are polarised or not becomes much easier when you have another pair of polarised sunglasses with you. The only condition is that you should be sure that the other pair is polarised because the test is only effective with other polarised sunglasses.
To check, hold the polarised sunglasses out and the other pair in front of them. Align the lenses in your eye line, keeping a 1-2 inch distance between them. You will want to keep the new sunglasses you’re not sure about to the closest to you and the polarised ones far away. Ensure the lenses don’t touch each other, as they can cause scratches.
Hold up both glasses and look through them simultaneously. Then rotate one pair of shades at about 60-degree angles. If both pairs are polarised, the overlapping area will darken as you look at them straight on. This is because polarised lenses block significant light. However, you won’t notice any difference if the pair isn’t polarised.
The Digital Screen Method
The computer screen can also help you tell whether your sunglasses are polarised. For this, increase your computer’s brightness to the fullest. And open a white screen. The brightness will make the effect more prominent. Once you’ve done that, put on your sunglasses. Make sure you’re sitting directly in front of the screen. If your computer screen is lower, you want to elevate it to your eye level.
Now, tilt your head 60 degrees to the left or right. If your shades are polarised, the screen will turn black as anti-glare properties cancel each other. If one side does not work, try tilting your head to the other. If that also does not work, your sunglasses are probably not polarised.
End note
Polarised sunglasses are crucial for almost every daylight outdoor activity. It helps you have a clear and comfortable vision. If you’re searching for polarised sunglasses in South Africa, you have come to the right place. At Global Eyes, we provide a wide range of polarised shades from brands like Ray-Ban, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, etc. Visit our exclusive stop to purchase the stylish shades personally. Or check out our range of sunglasses at our online store and get your pair delivered right to your doorstep with our country-wide shipping facilities.
