Sunglasses: Tips for buying the right kind

• Anti-reflective lenses. Lenses with an anti-reflexive coating don’t provide much protection from rays, but reduce glare coming off glasses, a benefit to people looking at you. These coatings also provide the added benefit of protecting lenses from scratches.
• Blublockers. These typically amber-colored lenses, as the name implies, block blue rays from the sun and prevent glare from snow and water.
• Fashion-tinted. Although not very good at blocking out UV rays, fashion tints can provide stylish protection on hazy days, or can be worn indoors, and come in most colors, like blue, pink, yellow and green.
• Gradient lenses. These lenses are tinted, also as the name implies, in a gradient from top to bottom. Gradient lenses allow enough light in to provide good vision, especially while driving, but provide the most protection from rays coming in from above.
• Mirrored lenses. Like a one-way mirror, you can see out, but powerful UV rays can’t come in. Mirrors can come in silver or gold hues, as well as a variety of colors and are highly reflective.
• Polarized Sunglasses. Popular with sports enthusiasts, as the plastic lenses won’t easily break, these lenses reduce rays horizontally polarized from glare from snow, water and roads.
• Photochromic lenses. For people who are in and outdoors often, or who require prescription glasses and sunglasses, these lenses darken or lighten depending on the amount of sunlight coming in.
• Wraparound lenses. For extra protection from harmful UV rays, wraparound lenses literally curve around the face, providing protection from the side. These lenses are typically plastic, making them good choices for outdoor action.