Motorcycle Sunglasses - An Introduction

Riding a bike wearing motorcycle sunglasses and no helmet is definitely the cool Terminator style that has made Arnold Schwarzenegger famous. Definitely dark shades look great on motorcycles, but what about real life usage? Well, we have to be critical here and say that the Terminator-style is not relevant or practical for motor riding but rather for casual wear. Motorcycle sunglasses are meant to withstand high speeds on the road and be compatible with the use of a helmet. Durability, quality and rigorous protection are the features to expect from really good motorcycle sunglasses. They have to be durable because of the high speed impact with road debris that often hits the biker in the face.

Shattering and chipping result from the contact of poor quality motorcycle sunglasses with small pebbles for instance. Glass lenses are a no-no for bike riding because of the risk to break and injure the biker. The best motorcycle sunglasses lenses are made of polycarbonate that is resistant and very lightweight matching extreme travel conditions. All the companies that produce eyewear for motorcycle use pass their products through very rigorous testing so that the resistance to temperature variations, wind and impact with debris is assured.

Polarization is another key feature of motorcycle sunglasses. The glare as well as the bounces off from the pavement have to be solved by the anti-glare coating. A special element that receives no attention for other kinds of sunglasses is the vibration of the light waves, which could be a health risk at high speed conditions; in fact, the shock it produces has to be absorbed by the polarized lens layer. Squinting against the sun or road brightness is unacceptable for a biker. From this perspective motorcycle sunglasses play a major role for road safety and health protection if we consider the impact of reflected light on vision.

As for the ultraviolet protection in the entire light spectrum, motorcycle sunglasses should have a filer UV level of 400. This means that polarization should combine with ultraviolet protection. You don’t really need anti-glare features on overcast days, but the presence of clouds does not exclude the action of the ultraviolets. Bikers use motorcycle sunglasses even on not so bright days both for eye comfort as well as for protection. Eye disorders and the risk of getting cataract or macular degeneration have a reduced incidence if the eyewear is adequate and of good quality.

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