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The Best Sunglasses for Hiking
Whether going out for a quick hike or a longer camping quest, it’s vital to equip yourself with the right accessories. Preparing with the essentials ensures your expedition is as safe and comfortable as possible, regardless of how deep into the mountains you’re willing to go.
Apart from a solid water bottle, backpack, and sunscreen, reliable sunglasses can make or break an enjoyable hike. It’s vital to keep certain aspects in mind, including eye safety and comfort, when shopping for this eyewear.
Lightweight
When you’re hiking, the last thing you want is another heavy item to lug around. You’ll likely experience discomfort on your nose if your eyewear is too heavy. Some people even complain of nose pad marks after wearing heavier shades for extended periods.
A bulky or heavy eyewear frame can significantly contribute to such discomfort. Make sure to consider the frame weight when selecting your shades to avoid this inconvenience.
Plastic tends to be lighter than other frame materials. You’ll still want to try your sunglasses on before wearing those to your hiking expedition. Any eyewear that appears to squeeze or apply undue pressure on your nose may be too heavy or too small for you.
Durable
Inherent with any outdoor excursion is the possibility your sunglasses will fall off. Be it running up a hill, taking a leap, or simply slipping and falling—any incidence may cause your eyewear to drop and potentially break. That is why considering frame material and lens material is crucial.
Plastic lenses are more durable than glass. They don’t easily break when accidentally dropped on hard surfaces, including rocks. However, glass is highly fragile, which is why lenses made of this material will quickly crack on impact.
As for frames, select lightweight metallic options. A metal framework is more resistive to wear and tear and ideal for outdoor use, including in the jungle. Plastic lenses within a metal frame make for a worthy investment if you hope to use your eyewear on multiple hiking expeditions.
Glare Resistant
When hiking outdoors, there is no doubt you experience varying levels of sunlight. These can sometimes create eye discomfort and visibility problems, especially if you’re exploring bright-colored landscapes. When shopping, consider polarized sunglasses that are designed with specialized lenses to reduce glare and improve visibility.
When you wear polarized glasses, the lenses have a unique chemical film that filters out potentially harmful rays bouncing off any surfaces you’re looking at on a hike. Whether the glare reflects off a shiny metallic object, water, snowfield, or brightly colored sand, the tinted spectacles will block it to improve your vision.
Polarized eyewear comes with many benefits and enables you to see vivid, clearer images. They can also help minimize fatigue from prolonged exposure to sun glare as you enjoy the outdoors. Some people complain of headaches after hours of battling the sun’s bright light without eye protection.
UV Range
If you’re going to spend a lot of time hiking in the sun, you’ll probably need ultraviolet eye protection. Contrary to misconception, the lens color or its degree of darkness doesn’t indicate the ability to filter out the sun’s UV rays. Instead, look at the UV protection range, which most protective sunglasses specify.
The scale is from 0-4, with anything three and above ideal for blocking UV rays. Category 4 lenses provide the most robust UV protection, with some products filtering up to 97 percent of harmful rays. However, the glasses are very dark, so you probably won’t wear them in dim light.
Eye protection is necessary because prolonged exposure to UV rays can damage your eyelid skin. It can harm several parts of the eye, including the cornea and lens. So, as you plan your next hiking trip, treat UV light as a potential eyesight hazard worth mitigating by wearing protective eyeglasses.
Frame Size
It’s a no-brainer that well-fitted eyeglasses won’t easily fall off and are more comfortable. They won’t “pinch” your nose either, but choosing the correct frame size is also about getting complete eye protection against UVs and any other harmful glare. Experts warn that UV rays can leak through loosely-fitted shades, defeating the purpose of wearing them.
Hiking Sunglasses
When you’re in the ideal protective gear and have critical essentials available, hiking is an enjoyable and thrilling outdoor activity. Having the right pair of sunglasses can make your excursions much more fun. Select shades that don’t just look great on your face—but also protect you against the sun’s harmful rays.
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