Baseball / Softball Eyewear
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Buy Guide
Ultraviolet protection: Choose baseball sunglasses that offer 99 to 100% UV protection. Look for one that blocks out both UVA and UVB radiation, which are responsible for skin cancers and sunburns. Remember that darker tints do not necessarily mean more UV protection. UV layers are clear, so they should not affect the shade or hue of your glasses.
Durability: Make sure your baseball sunglasses can withstand impact and harsh outdoor conditions, such as heavy rain and heat. Polycarbonate lenses and carbon fiber frames are the best combination, but the can cost up to twice as much as other sunglasses. Look for lenses that are shatterproof and impact-resistant.
Fit: Choose baseball sunglasses that fit snugly over your face. Make sure there is little or no room for sunlight to get through. The frame should curve around your ears, and the ends should tip downward to secure them to the back of the ear.
Softball sunglasses are eyewear used in softball to help players see better under the harsh sunlight. They come in clear, basic styles and with special lenses that can distinguish yellow softballs easily. They are available in different frame styles for men and women.
Kinds of Softball Sunglasses include the following:
Clear softball sunglasses
Clear softball sunglasses have tint-free, UV-protected lenses.
Their anti-fog lenses allow for maximum visibility under all-weather playing conditions.
They are available in different frame colors and styles.
Polarized softball sunglasses
Polarized softball sunglasses offer glare-free vision.
They have tinted lens for high contrast vision, allowing players to see yellow softballs clearly.
The polarized lenses are available in blue, gray, and copper shades.
They are available in different frame colors and styles.
Shatterproof softball sunglasses
Shatterproof softball sunglasses are crack- and break-resistant.
They have tinted lenses that allow players to see clearly even while under direct sunlight.
They are available in different frame colors and styles.
Wrap-around lenses: Choose softball sunglasses with wrap-around lenses that are wider than ordinary sunglass lenses. They sit closer to the face and cover a larger area, offering more protection than traditional sunglasses.
Accessories: Choose softball sunglasses that come with an elastic headband for securing them to your head at all times.
Buying the right sunglasses nowadays can get pretty confusing, and suprisingly, your eye protection probably gets the least amount of attention and research compared to the rest of your equipment. But think about how vital your eyesight is to excelling in your sport, and more importantly, in everyday life. Wouldn't it be nice to find a pair of sunglasses that are so comfortable you barely know you're wearing them? You'll probably wear them more and keep your eyes protected!
We hope that this Buying Guide will give you the details you need to make an informed choice. You'll find guidance based on your interests and the needs of your favorite outdoor sport or activity, details about materials and technology, what's new in sport specific eyewear.
Frames come in two parts, each with a specific function. The arms of the frame, which rest on your ears, keep the glasses firmly on your ear. The face of the frame, which rests on your nose with a nose-bridge, keeps the lenses aligned properly with your eyes.
Plastic Usually found in the less expensive sunglasses. Tends to crack easily...choose plastic reinforced with metal rod molded into the arms for durability.
Nylon Good choice, it's flexible, light and strong with a tendency to return to its original position.
Metal Also a good choice, strong and lightweight. The main drawback is they will bend and break more easily than nylon.
The hinge pieces themselves should fit together tightly with no gaps. A cheap hinge will usually be made out of soft metal, generally as small as possible with the pieces not fitting together snugly. When flexing the ear piece up and down, most will feel like they're going to break.
Metal Usually steel, and will extend into the earpiece for added strength. The best will often have a spring added inside. This helps keep the glasses snug against your face.
Nylon The segments that make up the hinge will be thick and fit together snugly and should have a metal rod that holds the nylon hinge together.
Sunglasses Buying Guide: Frame Options
Sunglasses Buying Guide: Lens Options
The first thing to check for is an optically correct lenses. A cheaply made lens with have imperfections that will slightly distort an object. If the edge is distorted or curves as you move the glasses then you will have to continually refocus and this causes severe eye strain leading to headaches, nausea and dizziness.
Glass Quality glass lenses offer the best viewing quality and the most scratch-resistant. They will be heavier, cost more money and are more prone to shatter when hit.
CR-39 Plastic is thinner and weighs half as much as glass It exceeds the FDA requirements for impact-resistance.
Polycarbonate Plastic A remarkable strong plastic, it weighs the least and is the most impact-resistant making it a perfect choice for rugged sunglasses. They also offer built-in ultraviolet. These are a good choice for kids sunglasses, sports & outdoor activities, and safety glasses
Acrylic Plastic Will weigh less and are the least expensive. They are soft and will scratch very easily. Must be specially treated to block UV.
Amber & Orange Reduces blue light (a chief component of glare), increases contrast, brightens and enhances detail. Ideal for "high glare" sports such as boating, fishing and skiing, and flying.
Brown Cuts glare, works well in variable light conditions and allows excellent contrast. It's dark color minimizes eye strain making it good for driving, flying, cycling or running.
Gray Neutral shade that keeps color distortion to a minimum and will let you see most naturally while also reducing glare. Especially good for golf, running or cycling.
Green Enhances contrast in low light conditions and will reduce eyestrain in bright light conditions for greatest visual detail. Best general all purpose lens.
Rose Offers high contrast and is very soothing to the eyes while providing excellent light and glare protection. Works well in all daytime light conditions.
Vermilion Used to contrast objects against blue and green, they provide excellent perception in the low light conditions of an overcast day while offering acceptable protection in bright sunlight. Good color for driving or cycling.
Yellow Provides depth perception and visual contrast in low light conditions. Ideal for night riding, overcast, haze or fog conditions. Favorite of the ski industry.
Anti-reflective Consist of several layers of metal oxides applied to the front and back lens surface. Because of the layering effect, AR coatings sometimes have a hint of green or purple color, depending on the individual manufacturers process. Each layer is calculated to block reflected light resulting in a reduction in glare, annoying reflections and halos around light sources. AR coatings are most useful on water and snow.
Gradient Permanently shaded from top to bottom. A double-gradient lens is dark at the top & bottom and lighter in the middle. Most often found in driving and flying lenses so that the dashboard and instrument panels are seen clearly.
Mirror or Flash Highly reflective and greatly reduces the amount of light that reaches your eyes. Generally applied over a dark sunglasses lens, but can be applied over any base color. Mirror coated lenses absorb anywhere from 10% to 60% more light than uncoated lenses. These are good for higher altitudes, sand, water and snow. Although the most common are the silver, gold and copper metallic coatings, you will find many colors available nowadays.
Photochromic Will automatically darken and lighten when the light changes, although the cheaper photochromic lenses won't get very dark and take some time to adjust to different conditions. Will require conditioning the lens first through several exposures to the sun in order to darken fully.
Polarized A filter sandwiched between the front and back surface of the lens which filters out horizontally reflected glare and allows you to see through glare on the surface of water, snow, ice, glass etc. Ideal for water sports or winter sports where the water and snow increase the reflected glare. Absorbs 98% of the reflected glare.
Scratch-Resistant No lens material is scratch-proof, although a lens that is treated front and back with a clear, hard coating does become more resistant to scratches. Most types of plastic lenses have built-in scratch-resistant coatings.
Ultraviolet Treatment Blocks the sun's harmful UV rays from damaging your eyes. Overexposure to ultraviolet light is thought to be a cause of cataracts, retinal damage and other eye problems.
Sunglasses Buying Guide: Kids Sunglasses
Fitovers: A separate sunglass developed to fit over 90% of the prescription eyewear made today.
Rx Adapters: A lens adapter method developed to snap in behind the bridge and adapt a favorite frame style for prescription lenses. Inexpensive, fast, easy to keep current using your local optometrist. The best of all possible worlds.
Authentic Rx Lens: Comes directly from the frame manufacturer, thereby giving you all the features of that manufacturer's specialty lens with your custom prescription. Often, the manufacturer's logo is etched onto the lens as a symbol of authenticity. You can order lenses mounted in a wide variety of tints, frames and lens styles directly from the manufacturer. You'll need to order both the sunglasses and lenses with your prescription direct from an Authorized Factory Optometrist.
We don't sell Prescription Lenses ourselves, they're normally handled by an authorized dealer who is also a licensed optometrist or a Factory Rx Dept.
However, for our visitors convenience we have listed the details that can help you make the right choices for your particular needs.
Sunglasses Buying Guide: Prescription Lenses
Fact: Prevention is the best "treatment" for eye injuries.
Fact: 80% of your day to day activities depend upon good vision.
Fact: 1000's of eye injuries occur every day in the U.S., and 90% of these injuries could have been prevented with the proper eyewear.
Impact injuries can do immediate and delayed damage, leading to glaucoma or other serious vision disorders later in life. Parents should insist upon protective eyewear for their children's sports. For more information about children's eyewear see Kids Sunglasses.
To be rated as safety glasses, both the frame and lenses must pass ANSI standards. The frames are more durable than fashion frames and the lenses must be able to pass a "drop ball" test. This involves dropping a hard ball onto the lens from a certain height. If the lens cracks or shatters, it fails. Look for polycarbonate frames and lenses.
It can be critical for sports such as tennis, hockey, baseball and basketball. For more information about sport specific sunglasses try Sport Specific Eyewear.
Sunglasses Buying Guide: Safety Glasses
Sunglasses Buying Guide: Sun Protection
One of the most important reasons to wear a sunglass is to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Recent studies indicate that greater amounts of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation are reaching the earth's surface.
UV is divided into three ranges - A, B and C:
-- Prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB can cause significant eye damage, everything from temporary discomfort to long-term vision problems such as cataracts.
-- UVC is not considered a threat because most of it is filtered by the earth's protective ozone layer (although pollutants are degrading the ozone, thus increasing UV exposure).
Sunglass Buyer's Guide Links
Wash lenses daily with a mild soap and warm water to remove dirt and oil and avoid buildup.
Dry lenses with a lens cloth or non-abrasive cotton. Avoid using paper towels, facial tissue or camera lens cleaning paper.
Buy an eyewear lens cleaning cloth and lens cleaner to remove fingerprints, dirt buildup and smudges that are difficult to remove with soap and water.
Hold the glasses firmly by the frame with one hand, while gently buffing the lens in a circular motion with the other.
Be sure to wash your cleaning cloth weekly with a mild, non-abrasive soap. Do not use fabric softener when washing or drying the cloth.
Tech Gear Tip...Dawn dishwashing liquid works well.
Lens Materials:
If vision quality is the priority then choose glass lenses. Choose a plastic lens if safety or impact-resistance is required.
Tints:
The darker the tint, the more light it absorbs.
Coatings:
The darker the original tint, the more light it absorbs.
Recent studies have shown that the earlier children start wearing eye protection while outdoors the better their chances of avoiding major eye health problems later in life.
Damage to the eyes is cumulative, increasing from year to year.
The sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be very harmful to unprotected eyes and almost half of a person's total lifetime UV radiation exposure occurs before age 18.
Young eyes let more UV rays inside and normally get more exposure because they spend more time outdoors, usually without eye protection.
Exposure to sunlight at an early age appears to be a critical factor in the development of eye cancer.
The good news is that high quality children's sunglasses (kids aged 11 and up) are easier to find than ever. Modeled after adult versions, they feature high impact-resistant lenses with sturdy, durable frames and lots of great colors.
Look for polycarbonate since this is the most shatter-resistant.
Always make sure to buy sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB.
If you're a prescription wearer there's good news. The eyewear industry has adapted to your needs and you can now easily wear sunglasses and sports eyewear that is precisely matched to your prescription needs!
Make sure your sunglasses have 100% UVA and UVB protection.
UV radiation is most intense between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., will be stronger at higher altitudes and closer to the equator.
Snow, sand and water intensify the effects of UV radiation, harming unprotected eyes, even over a brief time period.
An overcast day will block solar brightness while still allowing 80% UV light to reach your eyes and skin.
Babies and young children are more susceptible to UV damage because they have more translucent corneas and lenses.
Polarized lenses are great for reducing glare, however, polarization alone does not block UV rays.
Baseball sunglasses are used primarily to reduce glare from the sun and enhance players' vision, making the ball easier to spot. There are also sunglasses designed for evening games, which are specially tinted to enhance nighttime lighting. The frames are usually polarized, which increases the contrast between the ball and the playing field to make it more visible.
Baseball sunglasses serve a secondary purpose to protect the eyes and the surrounding area from impact against balls and bats, or against rough contact from other players. Most have frames made of tough plastic or glass constructed to withstand high impact. They also block ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun to keep the eyes from getting irritated with prolonged outdoor play.
In most baseball sunglasses, the frame and lenses are curved to match the contours of the face. They fit more snugly than regular sunglasses to match the rough movements commonly used in the game.
Ultraviolet protection: Choose softball sunglasses that offer 99 to 100% UV protection. Look for one that blocks out both UVA and UVB radiation, which are responsible for skin cancers and sunburns. Remember that darker tints do not necessarily mean more UV protection. UV layers are clear, so they should not affect the shade or hue of your glasses.
Durability: Make sure your softball sunglasses can withstand impact and harsh outdoor conditions, such as heavy rain and heat. Polycarbonate lenses and carbon fiber frames are the best combination, but the can cost up to twice as much as other sunglasses. Look for lenses that are shatterproof and impact-resistant.
Fit: Choose softball sunglasses that fit snugly over your face. Make sure there is little or no room for sunlight to get through. The frame should curve around your ears, and the ends should tip downward to secure them to the back of the ear.
