Do Polarized Sunglasses Work?
Ok readers! I am going to be perfectly honest with you! The inspiration for this blog came from my disdainful regard of Oakley Sunglasses. I think they look terrible. But do they perform? I won’t be suggesting Oakley sunglasses in this article. The topic will be instead, “Do polarized sunglasses work?” I’ve got some explaining to do so lets jump right in.
What are Polarized Sunglasses?
Polarized sunglasses are made with lenses that have a glare reducing filter. When light reflects, it intensifies and strains the eyes. Polarized 
lenses cut the glare and comfort the eyes.
Glare impacts vision by distorting color, disrupting focus, and can even cause temporary blindness. Polarized sunglasses eliminate these effects, allowing clarity of vision.
Who do Polarized Sunglasses Work Best for?
Some of the activities best suited for the use of polarized sunglasses are:
- Fishing
- Boating
- Skiing
- Driving
- Biking
- Any Outdoor Activity
Does Wearing Polarized Sunglasses have any Disadvantages?
There are situations where the polarized lens can do more harm than good. Downhill skiers avoid the use of polarized lenses. They need to see 
the glare off of ice to anticipate their course.
Cell phone and dashboard LCD lights can also be cut by polarized sunglasses. Have you ever noticed that you can’t see your phone with your sunglasses on?
5 Top Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing
I have taken the time to research some of the top sunglass brands. Here are 5 pairs of sunglasses especially popular among fishermen.
Smith Optics
- Product: Smith Dockside Polarized Sunglasses.
- Overall Ranking: 96 out 100.
- Price: High.
- Owners: Safilo Group
- Website: Smithoptics.com
Product Details
- Lens Length: 56 mm
- Lens Height: 44 mm
- Frame Length: 129 mm
- Temple Length: 125 mm
- Weight: Not listed. Light weight frame.
- Base Curve: 8
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Case: Comes with hard case and cloth.
Smith Dockside are the ultimate fishing sunglasses! The frame is constructed with what they call Evolve material. It is 53% bio-based. Smith Dockside also employs their ChromaPop technology in the lenses. Scientifically advanced polarization and color optimization.
Flying Fisherman Sunglasses
- Product: Flying Fisherman Boca Grande Polarized Sunglasses.
- Overall Ranking: 97 out of 100.
- Price: High.
- Owners: Flying Fisherman.
- Website: Flyingfisherman.com
Product Details
- Lens Length: 61mm
- Lens Height: not available
- Frame Length: not available
- Temple Length: not available
- Weight: .9ozs
- Base curve: 8
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Case: Comes with hard case.
Flying Fisherman is a company out of Florida that was founded in 1985. 
Years of development led to their brand of sunglasses. I was unable to find some of the specs on these glasses. I have opened a ticket with Amazon, and will update as soon as possible.
Costa Del Mar
- Product: Costa Del Mar Fantail Polarized Sunglasses.
- Overall Ranking: 94 out of 100.
- Price: High.
- Owners: Costa Inc.
- Website: Costadelmar.com
Product Details
- Lens Length: 59.3 mm
- Lens Height: 38.2 mm
- Frame Length: 134.6 mm
- Temple Length: 120.2 mm
- Weight: Not listed
- Base curve: 8
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Case: Comes with hard case
Costa Del Mar sunglasses are top of the line! They have been well known to serve the needs of fishermen and other ocean afficionados.
Maui Jim
- Product: Maui Jim Waterman Polarized Sunglasses.
- Overall Ranking: 95 out of 100.
- Price: High.
- Owner: Jim Richards
- Website: Mauijim.com
Product Details
- Lens Length: 63.5 mm
- Lens Height: 43 mm
- Frame Length: 144 mm
- Temple Length: 125 mm
- Weight: Not listed
- Base curve: 8
- Warranty: 2 Years
- Case: Comes with hard case
Maui Jim Waterman sunglasses are another quality product for fishermen. They also feature polarizedplus2 patented lens science. Mau Jim offers style and performance.
Orvis Zeiss Deschutes
- Product: Orvis Zeiss Deschutes Polarized Sunglasses.
- Overall Ranking: 91 out of 100.
- Price: High Middle Range.
- Owner: The Orvis Company Inc.
- Website: Orvis.com
Product Details
- Lens Length: 64 mm
- Lens Height: 40 mm
- Frame Length: 143 mm
- Temple Length: 12o mm
- Weight: Approximately .35lbs
- Base curve: 8
- Warranty: 2 Years
- Case: Comes with hard case
Features of the Orvis Zeiss Deschutes Polarized Sunglasses include a nonstatic surface. These sunglasses resist fogging, and repel water.
What Other Reasons do People Wear Sunglasses?
We’ve seen how much polarized sunglasses can help with the glare of the sun. Here are some final thoughts on a few of the other reasons we wear sunglasses.
To hide our frustration!
To b
e cool!
People aren’t t
he only ones who wear sunglasses!
That’s it for now. I hope you have enjoyed fishtfight.com’s take on glare prevention. Do polarized sunglasses work? You bet they do. If you would do me a huge favor and leave a comment below, that would be…
Thanks, Geoff@Fishtfight.com
Hi Geoff,
Thanks for this great overview. Finally, I understand what polarized sunglasses means. Thanks for your honesty with these products.
Best wishes
Andrew
Hey Andrew, no problem. Glad you liked the review. Keep in mind these are all higher end polarized sunglasses, designed for performance and durability while fishing. Thanks for the comment. Geoff.