It’s shocking to think about how many parents wear sunglasses to protect their mature eyes, while totally forgetting about the delicacy of their children’s developing eyes. Truthfully, the parents aren’t to blame. Society has tricked everyone into thinking sunglasses are for nothing more than fashion or to stop you from squinting for the sake of committing a “fashion faux pas”. The reality is, sunglasses are to provide optimal UV protection to keep your eye’s safe. You aren’t squinting because your eyes aren’t getting burned by the blazing UV rays and well, you do look rather fabulous when wearing an awesome pair of sunglasses. But think about it – why not do the same for your children? Their eyes are fragile and in desperate need of UV protection and they’d look so darn cute in sunglasses – even more than they already do, of course. So, here’s guide to buying shades for the little ones and what to look for when doing so.
Consider the Level of UV Protection Before Anything Else
As a rule of thumb, lighter coloured eyes are more sensitive to sunlight than, let’s say, brown eyes. However, all kids are exceptionally sensitive to sunlight – period. What’s worse is that research shows that by the age of 18, most people have already accumulated 80% of the total amount of lifetime sun exposure. Add in the fact that children’s eyes are still developing during the first 18 years of their life and there’s no denying that all children are in desperate need of sunglasses – right from the time of birth and well, for the rest of their life.
However, not all sunglasses for kids are created equally. Since children are more susceptible to the harmful UV rays, you need sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection. If the lenses are photochromic and/or polarized, all the better.
Don’t Forget About Craftsmanship for Optimal Durability That Can Withstand the Bumps and Bruises
Every parent can attest to the vast array of bumps and bruises little ones come home with. Kids get hurt; they’re reckless; they’re energetic, they’re rambunctious, and they love to do the unthinkable. Jumping off the top of the playground while wearing their new pair of kids sunglasses? Why not! Riding down a steep hill on their bike while wearing their new sunglasses? Sure! Doing backflips on a trampoline after Mom and Dad forked over some savings so they can have sunglasses? Of course.
Kids will do things to break or at the very least, damage their sunglasses. It’s inevitable. Whether they do so purposefully or not is still up to debate. However, there’s always the option to spend more now, so you end up spending less in the long run. With optimal craftsmanship, you get optimal durability which is key to keeping sunglasses for kids in one piece and scratch-free. Despite those cheap pairs at the local corner store being tempting, you have to remember that you often get what you pay for. Purchase the right pair of sunglasses for kids the first time and you won’t have to replace or repair them near as much as you would with cheap pairs, if at all.
Think About The Age and Activities of your Child
Once you have the UV protection and craftsmanship out of the way, it’s time to think about the style of kids sunglasses. It’s highly recommended to purchase sunglasses based on the age of your children, as they’re often designed to withstand typical activities that children of that age do. For example, sunglasses for babies have looping and no hinges for optimal comfort and safety. Sunglasses for toddlers have the same features as they’re jumping around more around this age and like to pull their sunglasses off of their faces – but, not with the looping feature! Pre-school kids can wear standard sunglass styles but the frames should be made with comfortable, safe materials for obvious reasons.
Here’s a general breakdown of the Julbo collection of sunglasses for kids if you’re unsure as to what type you should buy for what age group.
- Sunglasses babies and toddlers (0-4yrs): Loop and hinge-free
- Sunglasses for preschool kids (3-8yrs): Soft and safe materials
- Sunglasses for grade school kids (6-10yrs): Curved temples for optimal UV protection
- Sunglasses for older kids (8-15yrs): Adult quality sunglass lenses
Now that you have all of that information, there’s no reason to wait any longer. Purchase sunglasses for all of your kids, whatever their ages, today on Julbo and keep your children’s eyes safe and healthy.
