Polarized lenses are said to block glare better than any other type of lenses. Glass are also the clearest. As far as UV protection the rating should be at rated at UV 400 (down to 400 nanometer wavelength.)
Oakleys protect against UVa, UVb, and UVc as well as blue light (blue blocking.) Oakleys proprietary polycarbonate provides good impact resistance and super clear vision. Polycarbonate is hard to do right so that is why you pay money for brand names like Oakley that do it right.
Oakley makes polarized lenses as well. Keep in mind polarized lenses are not for everyone a small segment of people get headaches from them or other and cannot tolerate them. Pilots do not use them because it distorts the view of their instrument panels and can actually totally cancel out incoming (head on) light given the right circumstances. This can also happen if you drive at night time with them if light hit the lens at different places at certain angles it can cause you not to see incoming headlights.
If you want to see into water you probably will need polarized lenses.
I have so far found all oakley lenses to be good but if you can't get polarized and you expect intense glare get the irridium (an outer mirror like coating) coated oakley lenses. A draw back to irridium is that is does scratch easily (the coating is only microns thick.) Personally I like irridium coated polarized lenses (the best of both worlds) but irridium on it's own it pretty good and usually more than adequate.
Maui Jims are the best glasses I have ever looked through (UV 400 also) but keep in mind Maui Jim only does polarized. Their glass is super clear and a pleasure to look through. I have not seen any sunglasses as clear and distortion free as Maui Jim glass lenses.
Maui Jim polycarbonate lenses are very clear as well (they are done right) but I have to give the nudge to Oakley for having the clearest polys. Maui also came out with a new hybrid impact resistant glass poly mixture that seems to be as clear as the oakleys.
If you get Maui Jims make sure you get something with a frame because some of the newer frameless ones that have the nose piece and ear pieces screwed to the lenses have been breaking pretty easily at the screw points. I find their polycarb sports with frames to be very very very strong though.
I use my Maui Jim glass for relaxing and low to low moderate activity but for anything active such as bike riding, baseball, or anything that presents a risk of impact for safety sake I will not use glass. I have heard of someone getting smacked hard in the face with a huge wooden post from a sail boat sail blowing out of control. His Oakleys saved his eye although his did get some head trauma. I suppose the Maui Jim Polycarbonate would have probably done just as well.
UV protection and glare protection are two different things. You will pay the bigger bucks for the glasses the block glare the most effectively and make your eyes feel good while you will pay considerably less for eyewear with just plain satisfactory dark tints and UV protection. The cheaper ones also tend to be more easily worn out or damaged.
Keep in mind also that the some cheapies and knockoffs don't even have UV protection. They put a sticker on it that says 100 percent UV when they are not. This is bad because the dark tint of your lenses cause your pupils to open allowing more harmful UV through. Make sure you stick to reputable known brand names even when it comes to cheapies.
Oakleys protect against UVa, UVb, and UVc as well as blue light (blue blocking.) Oakleys proprietary polycarbonate provides good impact resistance and super clear vision. Polycarbonate is hard to do right so that is why you pay money for brand names like Oakley that do it right.
Oakley makes polarized lenses as well. Keep in mind polarized lenses are not for everyone a small segment of people get headaches from them or other and cannot tolerate them. Pilots do not use them because it distorts the view of their instrument panels and can actually totally cancel out incoming (head on) light given the right circumstances. This can also happen if you drive at night time with them if light hit the lens at different places at certain angles it can cause you not to see incoming headlights.
If you want to see into water you probably will need polarized lenses.
I have so far found all oakley lenses to be good but if you can't get polarized and you expect intense glare get the irridium (an outer mirror like coating) coated oakley lenses. A draw back to irridium is that is does scratch easily (the coating is only microns thick.) Personally I like irridium coated polarized lenses (the best of both worlds) but irridium on it's own it pretty good and usually more than adequate.
Maui Jims are the best glasses I have ever looked through (UV 400 also) but keep in mind Maui Jim only does polarized. Their glass is super clear and a pleasure to look through. I have not seen any sunglasses as clear and distortion free as Maui Jim glass lenses.
Maui Jim polycarbonate lenses are very clear as well (they are done right) but I have to give the nudge to Oakley for having the clearest polys. Maui also came out with a new hybrid impact resistant glass poly mixture that seems to be as clear as the oakleys.
If you get Maui Jims make sure you get something with a frame because some of the newer frameless ones that have the nose piece and ear pieces screwed to the lenses have been breaking pretty easily at the screw points. I find their polycarb sports with frames to be very very very strong though.
I use my Maui Jim glass for relaxing and low to low moderate activity but for anything active such as bike riding, baseball, or anything that presents a risk of impact for safety sake I will not use glass. I have heard of someone getting smacked hard in the face with a huge wooden post from a sail boat sail blowing out of control. His Oakleys saved his eye although his did get some head trauma. I suppose the Maui Jim Polycarbonate would have probably done just as well.
UV protection and glare protection are two different things. You will pay the bigger bucks for the glasses the block glare the most effectively and make your eyes feel good while you will pay considerably less for eyewear with just plain satisfactory dark tints and UV protection. The cheaper ones also tend to be more easily worn out or damaged.
Keep in mind also that the some cheapies and knockoffs don't even have UV protection. They put a sticker on it that says 100 percent UV when they are not. This is bad because the dark tint of your lenses cause your pupils to open allowing more harmful UV through. Make sure you stick to reputable known brand names even when it comes to cheapies.
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