Polarized sunglasses are a popular choice among people of all ages and they’re quite useful. Besides protecting your eyes from UV rays, polarized lenses reduce the sun glare that you see while you’re outside. Here’s how to tell if the pair you have your eye on is really polarized.
Compare them to a pair that you know is polarized
If you have a legit pair of polarized sunglasses already, you can use them to compare to the new ones. Take the pair that you’re unsure of and hold it in front of the polarized sunglasses, keeping about two inches of space between them. Look at the lined-up lenses at different angles. If you notice that they’re darker when looking at them head-on but they get lighter as you change the angle, then they’re polarized. It helps to have both pairs in front of a brighter light source.
Test them against a screen or monitor
Go to a computer or television screen and turn the brightest settings all the way up. It helps to look at a white or light-colored screen if possible. Put on your sunglasses and look directly at the monitor, preferably at eye level. As you’re looking at the screen, tilt your head to either side. If the lenses really are polarized, then the screen will appear to be dark due to the glasses’ anti-glare coating.
Try a mirror test
Grab a mirror and shine a bright light on it. Hold the sunglasses about six inches away from your face so that you’re looking into only one of the lenses. Now, look in the direction of the glare and tilt the sunglasses about 60 degrees. If the glare goes away, then the lenses are polarized.
Make sure that you go to a reputable seller to get polarized sunglasses and remember that you might have to pay a bit more for quality.