Beware the dangers of wearing ‘no brand’ cheap sunglasses.

6th April 2018

Some current media coverage of a 20-year-old University student who whilst on holiday in Tenerife was sunbathing with her sunglasses on. She wore sunscreen to protect her skin but assumed her sunglasses would protect her eyes. She suffered severe “sun poisoning” (severe sunburn) all around her eyes which became badly swollen. Almost certainly this points to sunglasses without any UV filters. Cheap sunglasses that you might buy on holiday from a beach vendor or market stall might look good but are very unlikely to have UV filters. Ironically wearing cheap sunglasses with no UV filters poses an even greater danger than wearing no sunglasses at all because the pupils will dilate allowing more harmful rays into the eye. When choosing sunglasses make sure they are UV400 rated (this should be marked on the sunglasses, usually inside the temples). All good quality sunglasses with UV filters will also have a ‘CE’ mark. Last, but not least, stick to established, reputable brands. Every single sunglass sold on our website (over 1000 different models) are UV400 rated, providing the maximum protection from harmful UVR.