Monday, July 21, 2008
Cheap Sunglasses - Resist the Urge to Shop at the Gas Station
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According to a recent investigation, the UV coverage for many cheap pairs of sunglasses is not what it claims to be. The report tested several different models which were purchased in Tampa Bay, at various locations. They tested two dozen models – 12 cheap and 12 designer brands.
Now, this is no scientific test, I know that. The sample is too small, and we don’t even know where they were bought or what brands the “designer brands” were. However, this is still a little evidence about the quality of cheap sunglasses. If you made a graph for the correlation between quality and UV protection of cheap versus expensive glasses, there might not be much of a relationship. But like the article mentions, there are other things which could give more expensive sunglasses the advantage. For example, cheaper polycarbonate may provide UV protection, buy might be littered with bumps and imperfections, which could cause unclear vision and lead to headaches.
What I take away from this story is support for a long-held personal rule of mine. That is, where I buy my gas, I buy my gas. I don’t buy my food where I buy my gas, I don’t buy my clothes where I buy my gas, and I shouldn’t buy my eyewear there either.
Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Source: ABC Tampa Bay
Now, this is no scientific test, I know that. The sample is too small, and we don’t even know where they were bought or what brands the “designer brands” were. However, this is still a little evidence about the quality of cheap sunglasses. If you made a graph for the correlation between quality and UV protection of cheap versus expensive glasses, there might not be much of a relationship. But like the article mentions, there are other things which could give more expensive sunglasses the advantage. For example, cheaper polycarbonate may provide UV protection, buy might be littered with bumps and imperfections, which could cause unclear vision and lead to headaches.
What I take away from this story is support for a long-held personal rule of mine. That is, where I buy my gas, I buy my gas. I don’t buy my food where I buy my gas, I don’t buy my clothes where I buy my gas, and I shouldn’t buy my eyewear there either.
Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Source: ABC Tampa Bay
This post was written by: Sunglasses Guy
The Sunglasses Guy is a shallow but driven blogger who knows the ins and outs of the eyewear industry. Get ahold of him via e-mail or his Twitter
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2 Responses to “Cheap Sunglasses - Resist the Urge to Shop at the Gas Station”
July 22, 2008 at 10:32 AM
seriously, the best glasses with UV protection are costa del mar or something like that. my parents buy their sunglasses from them, and my brain just spazzed so i can't remember the name. its costa del somthing so idk lol.
blech, i had cheap sunglasses once upon a time and those things were HORRIBLE. and they were from a gas station.
July 22, 2008 at 6:50 PM
It's Costa Del Mar, you are right.
They focus a lot on optics and polarized lenses, but they are for the fishin' crowd, so I wouldn't wear them on Rodeo drive.
I've bought cheap gas station sunglasses before too, and it was a mistake. The lenses fell out.
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