I live in a country where it is recommended that you wear sunglasses every day to protect your eyes from the fierce sun. Needless to say that quality sunglasses cost over $35. And I am not talking about brand names. Fashion brand sunglasses can cost between $200-$500. A lot of people are fooled into believing that the more expensive glasses are better than the cheaper ones, and don't realise that they are only wearing coloured plastic sun shields in fancy frames, which can cause a lot of damage to their sight. I always buy polarised glasses with a protection factor of 400 that block out glare. Do you wear sunglasses, and how much did you spend on them?
I actually never had really expensive sunglasses. The most I ever paid was $80, which to me is quite a lot since I always seem to break sunglasses!! I love them, but I always either lose them, break them or my dog chews on them (which happened last month with my newest and currently most expensive Betsey Johnson sunglasses). So right now I'm using an older pair I don't like very much until I have enough good money to buy a good quality pair! I really wanted a pair by Ray Ban, so I'm seeing how much I could spend on those.
I buy sunglasses in the $15-20 range. I don't have the best of vision and have other eye-related issues, and the sun really bothers them for some reason. I never step out of the house without a pair of sunglasses; even on rainy days, I never know when it might get bright on one side of the sky. You should be able to find good sunglasses elsewhere for a bit cheaper; if not, I'd spring the cash but hold onto them very carefully.
Polarized sunglasses are really good for eye protection. Our eyesight is very important to us. It is important to see an eye doctor at least twice a year. If uncorrected, our vision can deteriorate faster. When I started having frequent headaches I knew I had to see an ophthalmologist. True enough, I needed prescription glasses for reading and distance. I have to comply even if I hated wearing glasses. Polarized sunglasses cost around $15-25 and prescription glasses cost just about the same in our country.
I use Crizal lens with ARC coating and transition lens. I've power glasses and I make sure that it's equipped with these 2 features at the least. I like wearing trendy sunglasses, but my distance vision gets affected. I also drive a lot, so I go for an attractive frame with the above 2 features included. I spend around $200 for my lenses, all out of need. But, isn't sight a precious commodity?
As I too live in a country where the sunlight is extremely intense almost year round and it is now recommended that everyone should be protecting their eyes all year round and not just in the summer months - this is one area that I'm not prepared to skimp on. However that said - its not always necessary to spend a small fortune on sunglasses either - particularly as - since the new guidelines came out stating that its not just the style that counts but the quality of the lens - in that - not only do they need to be of a good enough quality to protect your eyes from UVA and UVB radiation - but also to protect your eyes from the intense light and glare of the sun too - most eye centers will check your sunglasses for free. Which as there are both good and bad in all price ranges and there are many brands of sunglasses that offer absolutely no UVA or UVB protection at all and which can in fact do quite the opposite and damage your eyes rather than protect them - this is a service well worth taking advantage of - particularly as wearing poor quality sunglasses has now been found to increase the risk of cataracts. As for me - I suppose you could say that I actually wear sunglasses all the time - mainly because - as I drive a lot and need prescription glasses in order to see and don't much enjoy the problems of switching between different types of glasses and am also aware of the fact that the sun can severely damage your eyes - I always have my prescription glasses made with protective sun reactive lenses - which although a fairly expensive additional cost - is well worth it - as my eyesight is something that is extremely precious to me.
I buy my sunglasses at the dollar store for a dollar a pair. I'm mostly worried about them being dark enough. I scratch the lenses shoving them in my purse, leave them behind sitting on coffee shop tables, drop them and step on them, and lose them to the ocean waves. I'm to hard on them to spend a lot on any one pair. Even at dollar store prices, I spend 25-30 dollars per year on sunglasses for just me though my daughter will occasionally grab one of the pairs for the beach or the amusement park to spare her more expensive (nicer) pair - she gets one nice pair per year. My husband's sunglasses are prescription and tend to be very expensive - $400-500 for a single pair. He needs a new pair every two years. Ouch!
Perhaps, you can suggest your husband to go for Rodenstock, Varilux or Nova branded prescription lens. They are expensive but last for 3.5 to 4 years, thus offsetting repetitive costs. $500 every couple of years hurts definitely. I use Rodenstock -impression and it still lasts after 3 years and I can still see and read fine print.
I wear sunglasses when I can, and I obviously don't stare into the sun every day. It's better to pay decent money for your sunglasses, though, because $14 polarized lenses have nothing on lenses that cost more. A few years ago I spent $200 on name brand sunglasses, and they still look like they're brand new to this day. They still protect my eyes without any loose screws or bent frames. Best purchase I've ever made.
My eye is very important to me but I really don't wear sunglasses that often at all. In fact I rarely do but I do buy them for when I'm on vacation. I guess because on usual days, I'm mostly in doors with maybe a bit of driving and that's it. But if I go to the beach or vacation and out walking, I put on sunglasses. Also I don't really wear them often because I feel ridiculous in them. But typically I don't spend that much money on them. Normally just buying the cheap ones on the stands at boardwalks or night markets and stuff. Real cheap stuff, like $5 or something. I would get better ones but I really don't even use them that often so it's whatever. And when it breaks, I won't feel that heartbroken because it was 5 bucks lol. I got a friend who bought a $200 Oakleys and I thought he was nuts... But he wears it often and it hasn't broke yet so I guess it was worth it for him.
I already wear prescription glasses, and have been since I was around six or seven years of age. They caught me too late, and so my eyesight was pretty bad by then, but it seems to have steadily improved over the years. I don't own sunglasses in any capacity, as they are expensive and I don't spend that much time out in the sun.
Whenever I need to renew my glasses, I always look for a deal that allows me to get a decent pair of sunglasses alongside my usual readers. Obviously, these shades cost more than a ready made pair but it's well worth the extra. Not only are the arms adjusted to fit you right there in the office, the glasses themselves are of much better quality and last a lot longer. If you do encounter a loose screw, you can generally pop into the opticians store where you bought them and have it tightened on the spot.
The main problem is that his prescription is still changing regularly. Since he uses prescription sunglasses primarily for driving and needs to be able to read distant signs, they need to be a current prescription. He is VERY near-sighted. My prescription is actually worse than his but mine hasn't changed at all in a very long time. His is still getting worse.
A lot. I know how it difficult it can be if you cannot see because my husband is blind. He jokingly tells me sometimes that I am his seeing human. I take care of my eyes by giving them enough time to rest, drinking eye vitamins, and eating Vitamin A-rich foods.
