Motorcycle Sunglasses - An Introduction
Riding a bike wearing motorcycle sunglasses and no helmet is definitely the cool Terminator style that has made Arnold Schwarzenegger famous. Definitely dark shades look great on motorcycles, but what about real life usage? Well, we have to be critical here and say that the Terminator-style is not relevant or practical for motor riding but rather for casual wear. Motorcycle sunglasses have to be compatible with the helmet and protect the biker at high speed traveling. Rigorous protection, quality and durability are the features to expect from really good motorcycle sunglasses. They have to be durable because of the high speed impact with road debris that often hits the biker in the face
Even if we are talking about contact with very small pebbles, low quality motorcycle sunglasses will not resist the impact and will chip or shatter. Glass lenses are a no-no for bike riding because of the risk to break and injure the biker. The best motorcycle sunglasses lenses are made of polycarbonate that is resistant and very lightweight matching extreme travel conditions. All the companies that produce eyewear for motorcycle use pass their products through very rigorous testing so that the resistance to temperature variations, wind and impact with debris is assured.
Polarization is another key feature of motorcycle sunglasses. The glare as well as the bounces off from the pavement have to be solved by the anti-glare coating. The vibration of light waves is an element that poses no kind of problem with other types of eyewear, but in the case of motorcycle sunglasses the shock has to be absorbed by the polarized coating. Squinting against the sun or road brightness is unacceptable for a biker. From this point of view motorcycle sunglasses are important for road safety and health protection given the eye damage that the glare may cause.
Last but not least, motorcycle sunglasses need maximum ultraviolet protection for the entire light spectrum. This means that there should be a balanced combination of UV protection and polarization. You don’t really need anti-glare features on overcast days, but the presence of clouds does not exclude the action of the ultraviolets. Bikers use motorcycle sunglasses even on not so bright days both for eye comfort as well as for protection. Eye disorders and the risk of getting cataract or macular degeneration have a reduced incidence if the eyewear is adequate and of good quality.