Motorcycle Sunglasses
Everybody remembers the cool Terminator style with dark sunglasses on, day or night. 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. Rigorous protection, quality and durability 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. Moreover, glass is never used for the lenses because of the possibility to break and harm the biker's eye. Polycarbonate is the best material for motorcycle sunglasses design because of its light weight and resistance to superficial collisions. All the manufacturers that design 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. The relevance of such features is very high given the fact that it is unacceptable to ride the bike when the road is too bright or you have to squint against the sun. From this perspective motorcycle sunglasses are important for health protection and road safety given the eye damage that the glare may cause.
As for the ultraviolet protection in the entire light spectrum, motorcycle sunglasses should have a filer UV level of 400. This means that there should be a balanced combination of UV protection and polarization. Although the anti-glare feature is only useful on sunny days, the ultraviolets affect you no matter whether if the weather is fine or overcast. Bikers use motorcycle sunglasses even on not so bright days both for eye comfort as well as for protection. Macular degenerations, cataract and lots of other eye disorders are less likely to develop if the eyewear is right.