Nowadays, sunglasses have become an essential accessory for fashion fanatics across the world. Recent data from Maximize Market Research revealed that the global sunglasses market was valued at $15.45 billion in 2023, and market researchers expect an estimated compound annual growth rate of 4.1%, reaching $20.48 billion by 2030. Many factors associated with this rapid market growth are celebrity culture and shifting lifestyle and professional needs as more people rely on shades as a fashion accessory suitable for various settings.

More and more people are prioritizing sunglasses that enhance facial features and align with their personal aesthetics. Meanwhile, the rise of retail e-commerce makes buying new eyewear products like sunglasses easier and more convenient. Aside from being a key style accessory, sunglasses are also extremely important for protecting our health and well-being. In this post, we'll look at the various health and well-being benefits of wearing sunglasses:

Sun protection

One of the key features of good quality sunglasses, of course, is sun protection. While some level of sun exposure is crucial for our health and vitamin D intake, too much can harm our eyes and general health. Health experts have warned about the dangers of unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays over the years. For the eyes, UV rays, including UVA and UVB, can damage surface tissues, cornea, and lens. This can lead to worrying eye conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration, and other vision-effecting eye conditions.

As such, wearing sunglasses is a crucial protective step for your eye health and general well-being. Experts recommend looking for labels that indicate UV absorption up to 400nm — the same as 100% UV absorption. It's also important to note that darker sunglasses tints don't necessarily mean more UV protection and eye health experts have warned that colour tints for sunglasses are primarily cosmetic and depend on your preference. When in doubt, it's always best to consult your eye doctor for the best sunglasses recommendations.

Vision correction

Sunglasses provide sun protection and can also help enhance eye health by correcting vision. This is especially useful for people who already wear glasses or have a prescription and don't want to constantly switch between clear eyeglasses and sunglasses to see more clearly.

Many brands today offer prescription shades to offer top-notch sun protection and vision correction. Eyewear giant Ray-Ban's line of prescription sunglasses includes well-loved models like the Original Wayfarer Classic and new takes on familiar frames, like the bio-based RB4441D frames and the tortoiseshell Mega Balorama. When looking for prescription sunglasses, it's important to ensure that your prescription is up-to-date. Many brands and retailers allow you to easily upload your prescriptions to ensure your lenses are accurate. As such, getting routine eye tests is essential to ensure you can always see clearly without compromising sun protection.

Glare reduction

Finally, another crucial feature of sunglasses is polarized lens coating. These are specialized lens coatings that not only block out or reduce sunlight but also eliminate horizontal light reflections from surfaces like water, ice, and wet roads. This makes polarized sunglasses essential for many water- and snow-related activities, whether fishing or driving on wet or icy roads. Depending on your sunglasses brand and model, you may be able to upgrade your regular sunglasses to polarized ones.

At the same time, it's important to note that polarised lenses don't affect your sunglasses' UV protection. Even if your polarized sunglasses perfectly cut out glare when outdoors, you may still be letting in harmful UV rays from the sun. If you are also getting polarized sunglasses for driving, you should always check that you can still see objects clearly, whether your GPS display or road signs and streetlights.

If you enjoyed this post on the well-being benefits of wearing sunglasses, you can also check out our previous post on fall fashions to watch out for, from plaid, leather, and suede to military chic.