Polarized sunglasses. Why are they not standard?

[Cubsfan]

Or at least more common. If you go into a sunglass store and look through their glasses only 2-3% of them are polarized. And normally they are some of the ugliest glasses on the shelf, or the most expensive. Now I know polarization shouldn't come at a premium cost because I can buy a $10 pair of (ugly) polarized shades at Target or something, so it shouldn't be that.

Is it just that people have never really used polarized shades outside before? Once you have it's hard to go back to just plain old shaded lenses. I know polarized glasses are bad when you need to read LCD type displays, but they are FAR superior in every other way.

Why aren't MOST sunglasses polarized?

[flex727]

Personally, I don't like them. I find that often the amount of glare reduction will vary from one eye to the other and it's disconcerting. This is especially true, when in traffic and due to the various angles, the sun will glance off car windshields in a way that will be reduced in one eye and not the other.

[muldoonthief]

There's a thread floating around somewhere from a poster who worked in a sunglass store. I seem to remember him talking about polarizing a bit.

The simple answer is - for most people & sunglasses, they're a fashion accessory first, and protection from the sun second. Lots of high end fashion sunglasses have mediocre optics. If you go for optic-oriented glasses, like Maui Jim or Oakley, polarizing is much easier to find (or even standard). It is possible to find cheap polarized glasses though - try a boating or fishing store. Lots of fisherman & boaters like polarized because the glare off the water can be so blinding.

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by muldoonthief

There's a thread floating around somewhere from a poster who worked in a sunglass store. I seem to remember him talking about polarizing a bit.

Really Not All That Bright would be the doper to search for.

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by flex727

Personally, I don't like them. I find that often the amount of glare reduction will vary from one eye to the other and it's disconcerting. This is especially true, when in traffic and due to the various angles, the sun will glance off car windshields in a way that will be reduced in one eye and not the other.

I love my polorized glasses, you might want to try another pair. With my first pair of Oakleys I could see my car radio display, but my XM display was all dark. With my second pair of Oakleys I can see my XM display just fine, but if I need to look at my radio display I either have to look over/under my glasses or cock my head to the side so the angles change.

ETA what I was getting at is that apparently not all sunglasses, even from the same manufaturer have the lines at the same angle.

[DrDeth]

I try to get them in all my sunglasses. But I have some Zeiss yellow glasses for driving in weird fog and such, and AFAIK, they don't come polarized.

[Tenebras]

If I wear polarized sunglasses under my motorcycle helmet the face screen ceases to be clear. Because the plastic of the face shield is under stress I get a lovely rainbow effect. While rainbows are pretty to look at in the sky or in parades, they are not so much fun when you would prefer to see the cars around you and/or the road upon which you are driving.

[mwbrooks]

Originally Posted by Tenebras

If I wear polarized sunglasses under my motorcycle helmet the face screen ceases to be clear. Because the plastic of the face shield is under stress I get a lovely rainbow effect. While rainbows are pretty to look at in the sky or in parades, they are not so much fun when you would prefer to see the cars around you and/or the road upon which you are driving.

Could be the face screen is polarized, either intentionally or inadvertently. Wearing two layers of polarized optics can be bad juju. I've seen something similar with tinted car windows and polarized glasses--the shade varies as you tilt your head. With some windshields the shade is nice and even, and others are mottled in a pattern. I assume the difference is from different tinting techniques.

[rowrrbazzle]

Tempered glass shows mottling when viewed with polarized lenses. The mottling indicates stress points introduced by the cooling process. This is done intentionally so that if the glass shatters, it does so into small pieces, not large knife-like shards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempered_glass

[iwakura43]

Just pointing out a link I found through the Tempered glass article link above:

Prince Rupert's drops demonstrate how tempered glass can explode into tiny pieces. Very cool.

[St_Ides]

I really can't stand polarized sunglasses. As previously mentioned, sometime you get different glares in different eyes, which bothers me to no end.

Also, in the aviation industry (me being a pilot) the whole being able so see some LCDs without tilting your head but having to tilt them is considered by many to be a safety hazard, so that's why you won't see polarized glasses marketed to pilots. They also might interfere with the canopy/windscreen (which may be polarized or crazed) I seem to recall being told that they aren't legal to wear them while flying, but I never bothered looking it up. Because of this thread, I looked it up and while it is indeed legal to wear them, the FAA in the US has sent out memos discouraging it.

Apparently it is also discouraged because they may block the glare coming off another aircraft and prevent you from noticing it in time to react. On that same note they're also not recommended for skiers (seeing glare off ice patches, making it difficult to avoid them) and bikers (Not seeing the glare off wet, slippery pavement)

So there are a whole lot of situations they really aren't good for, which many people may not be aware of. Thankfully I like dark lenses, which are not often polarized.

[Richard Pearse]

I wish the opposite. When I go into a sunglass store I have difficulty finding a pair I like that aren't polarised. I'd say half the Raybans* I see in store would be polarised. I can't wear polarised glasses while flying for the reasons St_Ides gave.

*I mention Raybans just because they're the brand name I can remember, I look at others as well and have the same problem--too many polarised glasses!

[medstar]

I'd like to hijack this thread and ask, "why aren't there any true black-lensed polarized sunglasses"? The darkest sunglass lens tint I could find was a dark gray. Are there any polarized sunglass lenses that are really black?

[TROY TEMPEST]

With my scrips, my left eye is polarized more than the right. I am "glare sensitive" and tinted lenses sure help out quite a bit.

[Richard Pearse]

Originally Posted by medstar

I'd like to hijack this thread and ask, "why aren't there any true black-lensed polarized sunglasses"? The darkest sunglass lens tint I could find was a dark gray. Are there any polarized sunglass lenses that are really black?

If it's black you won't be able to see through it, that's what black is, no light.

[chaoticbear]

Originally Posted by iwakura43

Just pointing out a link I found through the Tempered glass article link above:

Prince Rupert's drops demonstrate how tempered glass can explode into tiny pieces. Very cool.

Either I'm drunk or that's the coolest thing I've seen all day!

[Rick]

Originally Posted by medstar

I'd like to hijack this thread and ask, "why aren't there any true black-lensed polarized sunglasses"? The darkest sunglass lens tint I could find was a dark gray. Are there any polarized sunglass lenses that are really black?

I believe the correct term for those would be a blindfold. Where you planning to drive by braille?

[chaoticbear]

Originally Posted by Rick

I believe the correct term for those would be a blindfold. Where you planning to drive by braille?

To the drive-thru ATM.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by chaoticbear

To the drive-thru ATM.

[astro]

I use polarized glasses for driving, but as mentioned if you are viewing any LCD displays like watches, phones, PDAs, digital music players etc. polarized glasses will interact with the polarizing component of an LCD display and make them very hard to read.

[mwbrooks]

Originally Posted by Rick

I believe the correct term for those would be a blindfold.

Also known as peril-sensitive sunglasses. I used to have a pair.

[Salmo Trutta]

A couple of things...

Boaters and fisherman use polarized glasses for glare, yes, but more so because it allows you to see into the water. Not like a window, but enough to see structure and oftentimes fish.

Also, somebody mentioned having other sunglasses to drive in fog. You should try them during intense rain or fog. Even if I'm driving at night in the fog they help out. It's pretty cool.

Question...

Is it possible to have polarized glasses that are not sunglasses? That seems like a dumb question, because they function by eliminating half of the light. I suppose it would follow that they would need to be at least somewhat dark to block the light, however, tinted windows do not look dark from the inside.

[astro]

Originally Posted by Salmo Trutta

A couple of things...

Boaters and fisherman use polarized glasses for glare, yes, but more so because it allows you to see into the water. Not like a window, but enough to see structure and oftentimes fish.

Also, somebody mentioned having other sunglasses to drive in fog. You should try them during intense rain or fog. Even if I'm driving at night in the fog they help out. It's pretty cool.

Question...

Is it possible to have polarized glasses that are not sunglasses? That seems like a dumb question, because they function by eliminating half of the light. I suppose it would follow that they would need to be at least somewhat dark to block the light, however, tinted windows do not look dark from the inside.

Yes the polarized lens on most LCDs is clear. See here for an example of a mostly clear polarized lens. It looks shaded until it's on top of the module. Click on the July 8th 005 post.

[Bear_Nenno]

But does any company make clear lense, polarized shooting/safety glasses?

[Magiver]

Originally Posted by astro

I use polarized glasses for driving, but as mentioned if you are viewing any LCD displays like watches, phones, PDAs, digital music players etc. polarized glasses will interact with the polarizing component of an LCD display and make them very hard to read.

I have gauges in my plane that use LCD's and they cannot be read with polarized lenses.

While I like polarized lenses for general use I find it more important to have lenses that wrap around and prevent light from reflecting off my face back into the lens. A high quality lens will correct for color and back glare.

[tonedef]

Originally Posted by astro

I use polarized glasses for driving, but as mentioned if you are viewing any LCD displays like watches, phones, PDAs, digital music players etc. polarized glasses will interact the polarizing component of an LCD display and make them very hard to read.

With some pairs of polarized sunnies i own i've noticed that looking out my car windows i can see some rainbow lines moving around on the tint.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by Cubsfan

Why aren't MOST sunglasses polarized?

Well, the simplest answer is because they don't sell as well as non-polarized ones. If they sold as well or better, then more or most of them would be polarized. So we move on to why don't polarized sunglasses sell better. Already some good specific answers to that.

Here's mine: I thought it was a scam. I didn't realize what a difference a polarized lens made until I lost my sunglasses and borrowed a polarized pair. Wow! Now I only buy polarized. I'm one of those people who can not hold on to a pair of sunglasses, so I refuse to spend more than $15 on a single pair. Target it is. And the polarized do tend to be on the more expensive rack ($15-20 vs. $10-12), but not so prohibitively expensive that I can't manage it.

[CalMeacham]

Is it possible to have polarized glasses that are not sunglasses? That seems like a dumb question, because they function by eliminating half of the light. I suppose it would follow that they would need to be at least somewhat dark to block the light, however, tinted windows do not look dark from the inside.

There are polarizing elements that aren't themselves dark, such as a Glan-Taylor prism, or some kinds of multilayer coated optics, or stacks of parallel glass plates oriented at Brewster's angle. They DO eliminate half the light, but they aren't themselves dark. Land's first polarizing sheets WERE dark, because of the materials used in their construction (iodine in polyvinyl alcohol that got stretched). Later formulations were different, but still dark. Since polarizers were often used in sunvisor-like applications, or with plenty of light, this wasn't seen as a drawback. The Polaroid sheets could be made larger and more cheaply (and were more compact) than the other polarizers, so it was a tradeoff most people could live with.



You could get or make yourself non-dark polarizing glasses,, but they'll be either unwieldy, or else they'll cost ya. My suggestiopn would be to get multilayer stack polarizers from Edmund or Corion or Newport or somebody and put them in a glasses frame. They'll be pricey but not bulky.

[Solfy]

Originally Posted by CalMeacham

You could get or make yourself non-dark polarizing glasses,, but they'll be either unwieldy, or else they'll cost ya. My suggestiopn would be to get multilayer stack polarizers from Edmund or Corion or Newport or somebody and put them in a glasses frame. They'll be pricey but not bulky.

If you're patient, research is ongoing in variable transmission polarized lenses that I believe would be the sort of thing you're looking for. They would only be "sunglasses" when you're in the sun.

[Salmo Trutta]

So, at the risk of hijacking this thread, let me ask another question since it seems that we have some expertise floating around.

There's somewhat of an argument in the fly fishing community about the quality of the polarization of these glasses. Is polarized polarized? Or are some of them do a better job of polarizing? I'm not talking about the glasses or materials or workmanship, just the polarization.

I've worn cheapie $20 jobs on the stream and cannot tell much difference between them and my current $350 pair of Smith Optics. My current ones are, of course, of much better lens and frame quality. The polarization, though, seems to be equal to my untrained eye.

[scr4]

Originally Posted by Salmo Trutta

Is polarized polarized? Or are some of them do a better job of polarizing? I'm not talking about the glasses or materials or workmanship, just the polarization.

Theoretically speaking, polarization is not an either/or trait. An ideal polarizer would transmit 100% of vertically polarized light and 0% of horizontally polarized light (or vice versa). A cheap plastic polarizer may transmit 80% of vertically polarized light and 2% of horizontally polarized light.

The difference can be obvious if you take two polarizers and hold one in front of the other at a 90-degree angle. If they are both high-quality polarizers, the pair would be totally opaque. If not, the pair would be dark but you'd still be able to see through them.

That said, I have no idea how much actual variation in polarization there is between cheap vs. expensive sunglasses. I rather suspect the difference is small - certainly not enough to notice without the above test.

[rocking chair]

Originally Posted by medstar

I'd like to hijack this thread and ask, "why aren't there any true black-lensed polarized sunglasses"? The darkest sunglass lens tint I could find was a dark gray. Are there any polarized sunglass lenses that are really black?

welding googles?

[CalMeacham]

There's somewhat of an argument in the fly fishing community about the quality of the polarization of these glasses. Is polarized polarized? Or are some of them do a better job of polarizing? I'm not talking about the glasses or materials or workmanship, just the polarization.

It certainly IS possible to make a poor polarizer. If you place a sheet of glass at Brewster's angle, the reflected light will be linearly polarized, but the transmitted light will contain both polarizations -- but it'll have more of the polarization opposite in sense to the light that was reflected than of the light in the same sense. If you now pass that light through another glass plate the reflected light will be linearly polarized, and now the transmitted beam, although still mixed, will have a larger proportion of the opposite polarization. You can keep doing this, and with enough plates you can get the transmitted beam as "pure" as you want. This is a "pile of plates" polarizer, and it's a good solution for some situations, although it's a nifty way to demonstrate partially polarized light.


The truth is, it's very easy to make very good quality polarizers pretty cheap. You can get sheets of polarizing film that pass 99% polarized light and measure 17" X 19" for only $45 from edmund:

http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlineca...productID=2102

[DrDeth]

Originally Posted by rocking chair

welding googles?

"Glacier goggles" also can be very dark.