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What are the key factors in the coice of sunglasses?
The first thing that catches the eye in men’s sunglasses is their design, that they are attractive and match the wearer’s aesthetic taste. As you might expect, this is a very important factor, but it should not be the only thing you should look for when choosing the perfect accessory for sunny days.Beyond the personal taste that each person may have about a certain style, shape or design, men’s sunglasses should follow two fundamental pieces of advice: the eye protection they offer and the morphology of the face. The former is directly related to health and the latter to aesthetics.
General considerations when choosing sunglasses for men
Before going into detail about the technical characteristics that must be present in order to protect the visual quality and the best models of sunglasses according to the type of face, it is necessary to list the essential elements that must be present. The first element to be considered is the European Community “CE” mark, which will be placed somewhere on the temples to confirm the identification or distribution of the European Union, which means that it has minimum quality standards. There should also be various symbols, such as the initials UV, which indicate protection against ultraviolet rays, and a number indicating the category of filter used and the reference to the standard to which it conforms, e.g: EN 1836:1997.
Afterwards, it is advisable to carry out a visual inspection to check that the frame does not have any roughness or sharp edges, that its structure is stable and that it is resistant to adverse conditions such as knocks, scratches, fire, etc.
Filters must be free of scratches, bubbles, ridges, irregularities, deformations or cracks. They shall have a high degree of mechanical strength so that they do not break easily, be heat stable and, in general, not be brittle. They shall be optically neutral, i.e. without graduation or prismatic effects, capable of reducing the intensity of the light spectrum, offering a high degree of filtration of harmful UV radiation, always below 400 mm.
Eye protection features that a pair of sunglasses should provide
Sunglasses must protect your eyesight, this is one of their unwavering qualities. To meet this objective, it is essential to offer a high level of protection against UV rays. As mentioned above, they must have at least UV400 labelling, thus complying with European regulations in this area. As is well known, ultraviolet (UV) rays are divided into UVC, UVB and UVA categories.
The filter category is another value that must be known in order to apply the appropriate protection to the eyes, because according to this evaluation, a certain type of sunglasses should be used or not for a certain amount of light.
Category 0
They have practically no protection, so they let through practically the entire spectrum of light, between 81 and 100%. It is not recommended to go out in the street during the day, and is only useful for indoor and cloudy days, i.e. glasses in this category serve only an aesthetic function.
Category 1
They absorb between 20 and 56% of light, so they can be used on sunny days, but with low intensity, in the city and on cloudy days.
Category 2
Moderately opaque, they retain significant amounts of radiation, although they are not yet sufficient to protect on days in full sun, their sun resistance ranges from 57 to 81%.
Category 3
The recommended brightness for this type of sunglasses is high, they are somewhat more opaque than the previous ones and can already be recommended for sunny days with a lot of solar radiation, such as days at the beach, sailing on the sea or on snow. This level stops between 82 and 92% of the radiation.
Category 4
These are sunglasses with very dark lenses, so they are only recommended in extraordinary cases of very bright sunlight. The high mountains are the ideal place for them, where the clean air and the bouncing of the sun’s rays off the ice double their power. Driving with them on is not recommended.
Sunglasses according to face shape
Another crucial aspect in the choice of sunglasses is the type of face of the wearer, as not all designs complement each other perfectly in this respect. Whether a face is square, elongated, oval, rectangular, round, diamond-shaped or triangular is decisive for the right choice of sunglasses.
For square, rectangular or triangular faces
For wide foreheads, strong jaws and well-defined cheekbones, sunglasses with round frames are the best choice to soften these pronounced features. The ones with a teardrop or round design are the best. To soften this type of face, thin metal frames are recommended.
For oval faces
To be defined as oval, the length of the face must be longer than the width of the cheekbones, with the jaw being slightly less wide than the forehead. They are symmetrical shapes, very balanced, so they are suitable for most sunglasses designs. In any case, to accentuate the strong points and attenuate the weak ones, soft curves should be complemented with angles, therefore, rectangular, slightly square, geometric sunglasses are recommended, the perfect model would be the one related to the traditional “aviator” sunglasses.
For elongated and round profiles
Similar in structure to the oval, i.e. with soft features and curved jaw, large cheekbones and small forehead, similar in size to the jaw itself. Angles in glasses are the most flattering in these cases, so that their faces appear more elongated. Angular and geometric glasses add sharp lines that balance the curves of the face and the lines of the frames.
For diamond-shaped features
People whose forehead and eyebrows are wider than their cheekbones and who also have a pointed chin are said to have a heart-shaped face. For them, open or thin frames in metal and light colours are best, aviator frames are also very good.