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Scientific studies show that fitness and sports enthusiasts who enjoy outdoor activities during daylight hours should wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from foreign objects and ultraviolet radiation.

Quality sunglasses, such as S’olevie Sunglasses, wrap around the eyes, acting like a car windshield or motorcycle fairing to protect your eyes from wind, sand, dust, mud, flying objects, and ultraviolet radiation. The latter is extremely important. “UV light exposure can increase the risk of developing lid malignancies, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration,” said Dr. Cheryl J. Reed, an Akron, Ohio, optometrist who specializes in low-vision conditions.

What differentiates S’olevie Sunglasses from the sunglasses you have tried in the past?

The degree of protectiveness is the short answer, followed by its understated elegance. Chances are, your around-town sunglasses (like eyeglasses, if you wear them) are almost flat. They don’t hug your face. They permit a fair amount of stray wind and light to reach your eyes. They may have glass lenses, which can shatter in an impact situation (a stray pebble that kicks up, or a header while you are mountain biking).

Your regular sunglasses almost certainly lack S’olevie Sunglasses’ nonslip nosepieces and easily adjustable temples, meaning they might be prone to fall off at inopportune moments. If your regular sunglasses have metal frames (e.g., aviators), they’re prone to bend or break. Also, the lens tints are generally not well suited to outdoor activities.

What else did the design and production team at S’olevie Sunglasses look for?

Sharp optical quality: that is, no eyestrain. Obviously, the ability to see details sharply while in motion. S’olevie Sunglasses have the right amount of lens darkness to suit a range of light conditions. Most sport sunglasses lenses are made of polycarbonate, an extremely strong plastic that’s highly resistant to shattering. Yes, it can scratch, but the best ones like S’olevie Sunglasses have coatings that can minimize fine scratches made with TAC.

We tested S’olevie Sunglasses by wearing them while running, marathons, trail running, bicycling, hiking, walking, and even snowshoeing. We typically carried four or five samples on our daily workouts and weekend adventures.

S’olevie Sunglasses’ team of designers also looked for frames that are lightweight and comfortable and can stay in place and adjust to ensure they will. Our frames are extremely strong, lightweight, and resilient. Their temples grip your mastoids—the bones behind your ears—to ensure that they stay in place, and let you fine-tune the degree of grip. Nosepieces are usually adjustable and should provide nonslip grip––the best ones get grippier when you sweat. Because S’olevie Sunglasses’ frames are so resilient and so readily adjustable, fit is rarely a concern.

As mentioned, most sunglass lenses are made of polycarbonate, and it’s a fine choice. The material is extremely strong and resistant to shattering and can be formed to provide excellent optical clarity. But not all polycarbonate lenses are equal. Better lenses—such as the lenses in S’olevie Sunglasses —are injection-moulded in a form that is pre-shaped. For wrapped lenses, this is critical for ensuring optical quality. The mould pre-establishes the degree of wrap and allows the maker to make them “decentered,” a process that adjusts the thickness of the lenses toward the edges to compensate for the light-bending effect of wrap. You don’t have to understand the process to appreciate it. Better lenses don’t strain the eyes. They’re a pleasure to wear.

Cheap lenses are simply produced in sheets, cut as with a cookie cutter, and then bent into shape. The result is optical distortion. Cheap lenses, worn for more than a short period, are almost certain to cause eyestrain. You get the sense that something isn’t quite right. “They might seem fuzzy, dirty, or foggy, but they’re not,” said David Singer, founder of S’olevie Sunglasses. “They’re just not good lenses.”