Why is UV protection important?
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin and eyes.
According to the American Cancer Society, exposure to UVA (315 to 400 nm) and UVB (280 to 315 nm) rays can increase your risk of skin cancer and premature ageing.
Exposure to UV radiation can also cause eye problems such as cataracts (cloudy vision), macular degeneration (vision loss) and eyelid cancer.
One way to protect your eyes from UV radiation is to wear Rocket Eyewear sunglasses, which include polarized UV 400 lenses that offer your eyes 100% protection against UVA and UBV rays.
How do sunglasses protect against UV?
Sunglasses lenses include UV-absorbing coatings that prevent UV rays (100 to 400 nm) from reaching your eyes.
Please note that not all sunglasses lenses provide 100% UV protection, which is why you should consider lens quality when buying sunglasses.
Choose sunglasses with documentation that proves their lenses offer full UV protection.
All Rocket Eyewear sunglasses lenses, for example, are FDA-certified and comply with sunglasses safety standards established by the US (ANSI Z80.3:2015); Europe (EN ISO 12312-1:2013(A1:2015)) and Australia/New Zealand (AS/NZS 1067:2003(A1:2009)).
What is UV 400?
UV 400 refers to ultraviolet rays of up to 400 nm in wavelength. Ideally, you would want sunglass lenses that offer UV 400 protection because they deliver 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses lenses should also filter between 75% to 90% of visible light (400 nm to 700 nm) from the sun.
Can glasses with clear lenses protect against UV?
Yes, most optical labs today can make clear lenses with up to UV400 protection. All Rocket Eyewear eyeglasses come with clear lenses that offer UV400 protection.
What are UVA, UVB and UVC?
The ultraviolet (UV) region of the light spectrum covers the wavelength range 100 to 400 nm and is divided into three bands
- UVA (315 to 400 nm)
- UVB (280 to 315 nm)
- UVC (100 to 280 nm)
Unprotected exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause premature ageing, sunburn and skin cancers. Fortunately, the atmosphere absorbs almost all UVC, the most damaging type of UV ray.