We can’t really imagine life on Earth without our burning star at the center of the Solar System. The Sun is the very reason we have days and nights, hot and cold, light and darkness, the changing of the seasons and an ability to grow fruits and vegetables – everything that keeps natural cycles in balance. 

Thanks to scientific advancement it has become obvious that the Sun (just like all things in life) doesn’t only positively affect humans. Even under normal conditions, it can be harmful to our bodies if we don’t make an effort to protect ourselves from its rays. That’s why we got used to covering our heads and bodies, applying sunscreen to exposed skin and wearing sunglasses outside. The first two are quite self-explanatory. But what do we need sunglasses for?

Except for the obvious thing – making it less straining for the eyes to look at sunlit objects, – sun-protective eyewear helps our sight in the long run. When we’re under the sun, we become influenced by its ultraviolet rays. This is a type of electromagnetic radiation invisible to the human eye with a wavelength varying from 10 to 400 nanometers. Most of it can’t break through the Earth’s ozone layer, but the rest (UVA and UVB radiation) is what can really cause damage.

Our sensitive human eyes actually get sunburnt even more easily than our skin, but we somehow never learn about that.

The most effective UV protection glasses for your eyes are UV400 sunglasses. As you might have guessed, they have a filter that doesn’t let any UV wavelengths up until 400 nm penetrate your cornea, saving you from sight worsening on the go. What’s even more interesting, the darkness of the lenses doesn’t strictly correspond to UV protection. It’s a question of the lens material, not the color, so make sure to always choose high-quality eyewear to save yourself from unwanted consequences. If your lenses are just tinted but don’t have any UV protection, your pupils will actually dilate to compensate for the darkness and thus receive even bigger amounts of radiation.

We made sure to take care of this for you: all sun-protective Ochis have lenses with a UV400 filter, so you can enjoy the long walks, beach vacations and summer picnics without worrying about the sun’s harmful rays. May the sun keep shining on all of us! We’ll be prepared for its good and bad effects.