Sunglasses add comfort and help keep your eyes protected from harmful UV rays in all your outdoor activities. Martin Street Optometry has been committed to protecting eye health for more than 40 years. Dr. Klaming believes that everyone needs a pair of sunglasses to help protect themselves from harmful UV rays. Our Optical Boutique offers a large selection of sunglasses for both prescription and non-prescription, including Oakley, Maui Jim, Serengeti, Ray-Ban, Adidas, Hugo Boss, Carrera, Kate Spade, Burberry, Coach, Guess, Dolce & Gabbana and many more!
Nonprescription Sunglasses
Fashion sunglasses with nonprescription lenses are called “plano” sunglasses in the eyewear industry. This category of sunglasses is huge and offers many choices in styling, designer names and frame materials, but most importantly helps to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Browse some of the designer eyewear brands we carry!
Non-prescription sunglasses are particularly important for contact lens wearers. Anyone who wears contacts needs plano sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Sunglasses help keep contacts from drying out when outdoors, and shield the eyes from windblown debris.
And, of course, sunglasses look great!
Prescription Sunglasses
If you currently wear eyeglasses for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, you should strongly consider purchasing a second pair of glasses: prescription sunglasses.
Why? Because prescription sunglasses are often the best solution when you want clear, comfortable vision outdoors or when you’re driving on a sunny day. They eliminate glare and the need for squinting in bright conditions, which can reduce vision and cause eye strain.
Even if you normally wear contact lenses and nonprescription (plano) sunglasses, there will be times when your contacts dry out or become uncomfortable – especially on the beach, where you battle the effects of sand, sun, wind and water. Prescription sunglasses enable you to be outdoors all day without these discomfort problems or the hassle of dealing with your contacts.
Sunglasses for Kids
Children may not be as interested as adults are in wearing sunglasses as a fashion accessory. In fact, some experts say we get up to 80% of our lifetime exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation by the time we’re 18 years old. We are a proud retailer of Real Kids Sunglasses, which offer 100% UV protection. But because kids spend so much time outdoors in direct sunlight, they need sun protection even more than adults.
Prescription Sunglass Treatments
If you spend a lot of time outdoors or driving in the car, and still need vision correction, prescription sunglasses are perfect for soothing the eyes. Since most prescription sunglasses manufacturers block 100% UV, prescription sunglasses are a healthy way to enjoy the outdoors (especially the beach) and driving using the darkest lenses available to protect against the brightness of the sun.
Polarized sunglasses
For reduced glare and increased clarity in your vision, a pair of polarized sunglasses can’t be beat. An invisible filter is built into your lenses—making images appear sharper and clearer while reducing the intensity of the sun’s glare. Make sure your polarized sunglasses block 100% UV, and remember that polarized sunglasses are available with or without a prescription.
Performance & Sport Sunglasses
The boom in outdoor sports activities like mountain biking, snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, golfing and in-line skating has also created a demand for sports- and performance-oriented sunglasses. These special-purpose sunglasses are designed to be exceptionally light and comfortable, able to withstand extreme conditions and stay comfortably in place during any activity. At Martin Street Optometry, we specialize in sports related sun-protection which is why we are proud to be an authorized retailer of Oakley, Maui Jim, and Adidas sports sunglasses.
Lenses
Perhaps the most important aspect of effective sports sunwear is the optical quality and visual enhancement properties of the lenses. In particular, sports and performance lenses are available in a wide variety of tints to modify light in certain ways to enhance contrast. This allows you to see certain objects (a tennis ball, for example) with greater clarity to enhance your reaction time.
Polycarbonate lenses are the lens of choice for most sport sunglasses because they are lightweight, super strong and more impact-resistant than lenses made of other materials.
Polarized lenses are also in demand, because they reduce glare from light reflecting off flat surfaces such as water or a field of snow. There is, however, some debate about the advisability of polarized lenses for sports like downhill and mogul skiing, since seeing sunlight reflecting from icy patches on the slopes is often beneficial.