How to select sunglasses in India, 2024
Sunglasses are fastly becoming part of the trendy fashion. Most of the people think sunglasses can enhance and enrich their fashion outlook. But in reality, sunglasses can protect your eyes from the eyes diseases like cataract at the later age, can help you to drive safe, can help you to see clearly under the hot sun, protect the eyes from the glare. You might surprise to know that few frame models like wraparounds are meant for sports activities. The advantages of sunglasses are endless. In this comprehensive sunglasses buying guide, we focus on learning different styles of frames and lenses. At the end, you will be confident in selecting the right frame size, frame style, frame material, lens colour, lens material, lens features.
Try our sunglasses selector to choose right sunglasses by answering simple questions without reading any buying guide.
Sunglass Lens features
As time passes by there are many materials and features introduced in lenses and making our life easier. Here are few important lens features.
UV protection
It is the most important feature. It is totally waste of money if you buy sunglasses without UV protection. UV protected sunglasses to shield your eyes from UV rays and avoid any future eye diseases like a cataract. All most all high-end UV sunglasses have UV protection. Lenses with polycarbonate material have default UV protection. Do read more about how to select UV sunglasses.
Polarized lens
Have you faced a problem with glare while driving? Visiting beaches and fishing is difficult due to glare in the water? Then polarised lens sunglasses are for you. Look for polarisation feature in the product description. The basic price starts from 600 Rupees for low-end models and Ray ban polarised sunglasses price starts from rupees 5,000.
Mirrored lens
Mirrored sunglasses looks very cool, stylish. When you look at someone who wears mirrored sunglasses you can see the surroundings but not their eyes. They are good to hide your emotions and make you stylish as well. Apart from the due to the mirrored coating only limited lighting enters into the eye making safe for eyes as well.
Anti Reflective Coating
Anti reflective coating is also known as the anti-glare coating or AR coating. It is extra coating both outside and inside of the lens to decrease the glare. It is good for night time driving, working on a computer and to protect your eyes. Apart from that, people can see clearly your eyes making it more people friendly.
Scratch resistant coating
As the name suggest the coating protects for scratches making it more durable. But the problem is they are super expensive. Low end, unheard brand models cost you around Rs. 1,000 whereas well-known brand sunglasses costs you around Rs. 30,000.
Photochromic lens
They are the cool new lens and widely used in prescription glasses than sunglasses. In simple terms, the colour and tint of the lens change depending on the surrounding light. When you go in bright outside the colour of the lens changes to dark and when you are inside the lens colour becomes clear or no colour so that you can see clearly.
Matching sunglasses for your facecut
| Facecut | Type of sunglasses suitable |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunglasses shape
Aviator
Most distinct features of Aviator sunglasses is they are at least three times larger than human eyeballs.The lenses are in dark reflective and fitted inside very thin metal frame.
Square
Square sunglasses give you bold and geometric look. It instantly catches everyone look just because of their look. You can pair square sunglasses with colored trouser for a bold look.
Wayfarer
The wayfarer is the one of the oldest eyewear and theses are timeless, versatile that are never going out of the style.
Round
Round shaped sunglasses gives you sophisticated yet quirky appeal and suited for almost all face cuts.
Wrap
Wrap sunglasses perfectly fit around head and gives you better peripheral vision. Perfectly suitable for action-packed adventures, fast paced sports like climbing, mountaineering.
Rectangular
Rectangular sunglasses give you the straightforward look along with the comfort and versatile style.
Oval
Oval sunglasses can be worn by all types of face cut peoples. It gives basic and pretty look to you.
Pilot
These types of sunglasses especially for us pilots in cockpit with advanced vision with great view. These are classic at the same time gives you cool look.
Oversized
Gives you the glamorous look with much-coveted mysterious look. When you are wearing them, they function as a chic accessory for your head.
Cateye
Cateye sunglass gives a classic, retro style. These timeless sunglasses makes you are imitating movie stars from vintage times.
Shield
If are much bother about Sun light, UV protects rather than style Shield sunglasses just for you. Offering a sleek, futuristic shield like appearance and covers the maximum UV protection.
Butterfly
If you want to be bold and dramatic, butterfly sunglasses are right choice for you. Its versatile design gives you the high street fashion look.
Goggle
Goggle gives to close, tight fitting, so that eyes are protected from UV rays, water or snow particles. Best suitable for swimming and skiing.
Rimless
In rimless sunglasses, lenses are mounted directly to the bridge and temples without any frame. However,the style of rimless sunglasses completely depends on lens style, color and material.
Semi Rimless
Upper part of the sunglasses have a frame, whereas lower part no. It covers rimmed as well as rimless style.
Importance of lens colour in sunglasses
There are plenty of colour options available in the market like Clear, Violet, Silver, Pink, Red ,Orange, Yellow ,Green, Blue, Brown, Grey, Black, Multicolor, Golden. you can easily choose the right colour model by checking the left side panel checkbox in the Flipkart. The first thing people think about lens colour is style and looks. Of Course red colour lens make you ugly if you are walking on the street. Other than, style and looks colour has significant importance based on the purpose of use, activities you perform and weather conditions, just like red and green colour lights for traffic signals. Here is the short table on colour importance.
| Colour | Purpose | Tone or contrast |
|---|---|---|
| Grey | General purpose, all outdoor sports and driving. | Neutral tone |
| Green | All outdoor sports | Neutral tone |
| Brown/Amber | All outdoor sports and driving. | Decrease glare |
| Yellow | Computer and snow sports | Distorts colors, increase contrast |
| Red/orange | Driving, snow sports | Enhance image clarity in low light |
| Blue/violet | Most of outdoor sports | Reduce glare, increase contrast |
How to select lens material
Lens material is broadly categorised as Glass, Plastic , Polycarbonate. Lens selection is important on the basis of safety, clarity, impact resistance and other features it can offer. Lens stays close to your eyes so the accidental damage to your lens affects your eye too. There is so much naming confusion. Plastic lenses are also called as ‘CR 39’. The acrylic lens is similar to Polycarbonate. We will see the differences in a simple table.
| Feature | Glass | Plastic | Polycarbonate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch resistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UV protection | Add-on | Add-on | Yes |
| Anti reflection | Add-on | Add-on | Yes |
| Weight | Heavy | Moderate | Lightweight |
| Impact resistant | Yes | ||
| Price | Moderate | Economical | Expensive |
| Best fit | Traditional style | Budget friendly | Children, sports activities |
Sunglasses Frame Buying Guide
Selecting the right frame is as important as selecting the right lense. There are few important points for choosing the right frame - the right frame size, frame type and frame material. Once you are sure of the frame size, type and material you are done with right frame selection. Here is the diagram of frame parts.
How to choose right frame material?
Choosing the right frame material is not that difficult there are only a few things to consider from - metal, plastic.
| Feature | Metal frames | Plastic frames |
|---|---|---|
| Materials used | Aluminium, Titanium and Stainless steel | Zyl, Nylon, Polycarbonates |
| Adjustment | Can be easily bent and adjusted | Cannot be bent |
| Deformation | Can be easily deformed after certain threshold | Cannot deformed. But any attempt to bend will snap - break the frame. |
| Styles | Limited styles as making so many designs is difficult | So many designs and styles as it is easy to make |
| Allergy | Prone to have allergies due to frame | Allergy free |
| Weight | Light weight | Normal weight |
Guidelines on choosing right sunglass frame size
There are three sizes available in the market - small, medium and large. The frame size depends on the distance between the eye temples. Ninety percent of Indians comfortably wear medium size sunglasses. If you are buying offline you can wear and decide. For online purchase measure your eyes temple distances and based on that you can pick up the right size.
You need to have three measurements
- Eye length - width of lens
- Bridge length (distance between two eyes)
- Temple size (measurement of arms size)
If you already have a sunglasses then you can know which size is the perfect fit, or you can measure yourself with the scale and decide which one to choose. Usually, product description has something like
- Size: Medium (Lens Width: 58 MM; Nose Bridge: 14 MM; Temple Length: 135 MM )
- Frame Size: M (S: 45-54mm, M: 55-57mm, L: 58+mm)
Depending on the measurement you can choose the right one. If you cannot measure or decide you can go for medium size and make sure return policies is valid in case fewer chances of a misfit.
Buying sunglasses offline vs online
You can buy sunglasses both online and offline. Buying offline has certain advantages like you can wear in the shop itself and know whether it suits you or not? Perfect comfortable fit and style matching is done instantaneously. But the only problem is you cannot get it in the comfort of your home and best discounts and cheaper price. Buying online is addon from great price point but finding the perfect fit(small, medium, large) and matching style is a bit challenge.
Final checklist before you buy
It is always better to keep the glasses in the box, pouch or case provided. It will help the sunglasses from any wear or damage. Continuous sunlight also may decrease the effectiveness of lenses too. So while buying the sunglasses online look for what is in the box? Most of the sellers provide the case, a cleaning cloth. If you are spending more than thousand rupees warranty is important for sunglasses. Longer warranty means the better products, so go for longer duration warranty sunglasses.
Our smart selection tool guides you to the perfect and effortless purchase every time.
Download zelect.in's Android app for effortless shopping!
Facebook Twitter Email
Sunglasses selector
