How to Choose Sunglasses for your Skiing Holiday

The holidays have arrived and they are best spent with family & friends. It’s also the time to plan your winter vacation – whether it’s heading south to the beaches or up north into the snowy landscape. If you have a skiing holiday planned this year, remember to pack your sunglasses. Here’s why.

Skiing Fun

It’s not just your skis, boots and poles that should be an essential part of your ski kit. It’s incomplete without a good pair of sunglasses or goggles. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are just as damaging during winter as they are in summer; and the thinner air in the mountains allows more light (and UV rays) to pass through. While skiing this become even more dangerous when UV rays from the bright blue sky reflect off the snow, straight onto your eyes. This can lead to eye damage such as cataracts and photokeratitis – kind of like a sunburn on the eyeball tissue. Another risk is the prevalent windy conditions on the ski slopes. Not only can they dry out your eyes, but tiny particles and debris can fly right into your eyes, causing inflammation.

Choose Right

Here are some tips for you to consider while buying your skiing sunglasses or goggles:

UV protection should be the first & foremost consideration. Look for sunglasses that state specifically about protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Skiing is a relatively high-impact sport, so make sure your sunglasses have the tough polycarbonate or NXT lenses. Glass and plastic lenses can shatter on impact and the lens particles can enter the eyes. Polycarbonate and NXT lenses are highly impact resistant. Both lenses also offer 100% UV protection. Of the two, polycarbonate lenses are more lightweight and resistant to fogging.

Look for sunglasses with plastic frames, instead of metal. Metal frames can become brittle in cold weather conditions and can snap.

Wrap-around styles in skiing glasses or goggles are ideal as they provide better protection. These glasses offer a wider field of view, will not bounce or shift while skiing and will block the wind and snow effectively. This is especially imperative if you wear contact lenses.

Pay attention to the colour / tint of your sunglasses. Generally grey or smoke tints are perfect for all-weather use, as they block out the glare without affecting colour perception. Brown tints provide the best contrast against a white background and can help you perceive snow shadows and ridges or bumps on the ski slope better.

Where to shop

Your local Leightons Opticians store has a wide array of sunglasses for you to choose from. Browse through various styles and pick the one that suits the shape of your face.

Our friendly and trained dispensing opticians are at hand to help you make the right decision. They will also help you with advice on how to care for your sunglasses, as well as give you vision care tips. While you’re at the store, why not take an eye examination? Your prescription may have changed, which will impact your choice of skiing sunglasses. Regular eye tests are a way of making sure that your eyes are in perfect health. Any vision problems can be detected and corrected at an early stage.

So drop in at a Leightons Opticians store and experience our best-in-class products and services.