How to Identify Polarized Sunglasses

In addition to shielding your eyes from the sun, polarized sunglasses are highly favored for their ability to reduce glare. However, they may be pricier than regular sunglasses, so you want to ensure you're getting your money's worth. You can check the anti-glare technology of polarized sunglasses by looking at a reflective surface, comparing two pairs of sunglasses, or using a computer screen.

Find a reflective surface that produces glare when light hits it. You can use a reflective table, mirror, or any flat, shiny surface. Make sure the glare can be detected from a distance of 60 to 90 cm.

• If you need to create glare, you can turn on an overhead light or shine a flashlight on the reflective surface.

Hold the sunglasses 15 to 20 cm away from your eyes. You will be able to see the reflective surface through one of the lenses at a time. Depending on the size of the lenses, you may need to bring them a bit closer to your face.

Rotate the sunglasses to a 60-degree angle. Your sunglasses should be angled with one lens raised slightly higher than the other. Since polarized sunglasses work in a specific direction, rotating them can enhance their glare-reducing effectiveness.

• Depending on how the glare interacts with the surface, you may need to adjust the angle of the sunglasses slightly to notice the difference.

Look through the lens and check the level of glare. If the sunglasses are polarized, you will see the glare disappear. Looking through one of the lenses will make the area much darker, with little to no glare, although it will still appear as though light is shining on the surface.

• If you’re unsure of the anti-glare effect, move the sunglasses around and compare your usual view with what you see through the sunglasses a few times.

Identify a pair of sunglasses that you know are polarized. If you already own a pair of sunglasses with anti-glare coating or are in a store with multiple polarized options, you can perform a comparison test. This experiment works best with another pair of polarized sunglasses.

Hold the polarized sunglasses up and place the other pair in front of them. Align the lenses within your line of sight, ensuring they are about 2.5 to 5.1 cm apart. The pair you want to check should be closest to you, with the polarized sunglasses positioned further away.

• Make sure the lenses don’t touch, as this could scratch the anti-glare coating.

Place the sunglasses in front of bright light to get a clearer result. This will make the test a little easier, especially if it's your first time comparing sunglasses this way. The light will highlight the differences in glare reduction.

• You can use natural light coming through a window or artificial light like overhead lights or desk lamps.

Rotate the sunglasses to a 60-degree angle. One lens should be angled in relation to the other lenses, while the polarized sunglasses remain stationary. Only one lens is aligned with the other pair.

• The direction you rotate the sunglasses doesn’t matter, but make sure both pairs stay stable.

Look at the overlapping lenses to see if they appear darker. If both pairs of sunglasses are polarized, the overlapping lenses will appear darker when you look straight at them. If the pair you're testing lacks the anti-glare coating, the color won’t change.

• You can compare the overlapping lenses with the non-overlapping lenses to see the difference in darkness.

Set your computer screen to its brightest setting. Most electronic devices have anti-glare technology similar to polarized lenses. You can test the polarization by looking at the screen.

• Open a white screen, as the brightness will make the effect of the test clearer.

Put on your sunglasses. When sitting in front of the computer, simply wear your sunglasses as you normally would. Make sure you are seated directly in front of the screen.

• Raise the computer screen to eye level if it’s not already positioned there.

Tilt your head 60 degrees to the left or right. While sitting in front of the screen, tilt the top of your head to the left or right. If your sunglasses are polarized, the screen will appear black due to the anti-glare properties canceling each other out.

• If tilting to one side doesn’t work, try tilting your head to the other side. If that still doesn’t work, the sunglasses likely lack an anti-glare coating.