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All About Polarized Lenses


Goggle Brands Compared

The options that different brands offer. Polarized vs. Non-Polarized Lenses. What are the advantages of Polarized?

Goggle
Brand
Models
Price
Polarized
Option
Polarized
Photo-chromatic
Women's
Specific
American
Owned
Lifetime
Warranty
Crash
Replacement
7 Styles $100-$200
12 Styles $45-$220
20 Styles $19-$230
8 Styles $54-$160
5 Styles $70-$150
2 Styles $135-$155 *
6 Styles $50-$140
6 Styles $45-$220
12 Styles $25-$90

* Indicated a "Processing Fee" is required
* as accurate as humanly possibly as of 2008
 * Disclaimer: Zeal is not the owner of the trademark listed and denoted by " * " above. The trademark is being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.


Why do I need a polarized lens for skiing?

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If you have to ask this question then you have never been on the snow in a quality pair of polarized goggles. If you have been on the snow in polarized sunglasses then you know how great your experience can be. If you wear polarized sunglass lenses then you already understand the benefit of having polarized lenses for any outdoor activity. A good quality polarized lenses enhances your viewing experience. On a sunny day the suns rays bounce off the snow in all directions creating blinding glare. In most cases on a sunny day this can be up to 65%. Even on a cloudy day the sun can still penetrate the clouds creating flat light conditions. When a proper lens tint is added to a polarized lens, this combination creates a perfect harmony of glare reduction and vsual enhancing tint.
click here to see a visual demonstration.

What is a Polarized lens and why is it beneficial to me?

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Depending on the process and the material of manufacturing a lens, the lens can either have several different types of polarization or material used when manufacturing. Polarized spray is a simple and cheap technique applied to cheap sunglasses. Some polarized sunglasses have the film laminated to the lens. This is also a cheaper method and typically found in "gas Station" sunglasses. Some sunglasses use

Why are polarized sunglasses and goggle lenses more expensive than normal lenses?

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You get what you pay for. Most of these gas station sunglasses are knock of designs of the name brand manufacturers. These companies dont invest in R & D, nor do they have to pay for any mold charges. Their idea of R & D is Ripoff and Duplicate. The sunglasses are purchased from mass merchandisers who churn out glasses like they are making donuts. They copy the designs of companies that invest Tens of1,000's of dollars in Research and Development. The cheaper sunglass companies dont care about the quality of the lens they put into their frame, they just care about how cheap they can make the sunglasss, thus sacrificing quality for price. You may justify the purchase by saying that you always lose them, or you cant tell the difference, but over time your eyes will certainly see the difference. Most sports lenses are made of polycarbonate. It is virtually unbreakable, it naturally blocks UV rays without additional coatings, and it is optically a great product. But not all polycarbonate lenses are created equal. A quality lens is manufactured to the same precision standards whether it is a prescription lens or not. It costs much more to make optically superior lenses. You may not recognize the difference in these lenses while you're in the store, but you will see a major difference when you try to judge the flight of a ball or go over an uneven surface.

What advantage do polarized sunglasses have over ordinary sunglasses?

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The answer to that question is glaringly obvious. Polarized sunglasses reduce glare! Polarized lenses work great in most conditions. A polarized lens filters scattered and reflected light. For example, if you look at water with a standard lens, the surface of the water is reflecting light from all different directions so it's difficult to clearly see an object under water. Polarizing the light filters those reflected rays so you can see below the surface of the water. Beyond water light is reflected off most surfaces. This reflected light is in the form of glare. If you are squinting then you are straining your eyes in order for you to see better. This is the eyes natural defense to reduce glare. Squinting fatigues the eyes and causes unnecessary strain. Polarized lenses reduces this glare and enhances your visual acuity, letting you see better. A non polarized lens tries to achieve this by adding a mirror. Mirrors are an ineffecient means of attempting to reduce glare. Coatings can be added to the surface of a lens to reduce glare, but these coatings affect all light, not just glare. Even with the best mirror applied you can only acheive up to a 20% reduction in glare. With a polarized lens you can achieve up to 100% glare reduction. Nothing reduces glare as effective as a polarized lens does.

Common misconceptions and misinformation about polarized lenses

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Polarized lenses are absolutely the best way to eliminate glare and enhance ones vision. A polarized lens will dramatically improve your vision on sunny days and even in low light conditions with the proper tint (lens color). Polarized obviously works best near water, snow, or any surface that reflects light. But there are some myths and misinformation that surrounds this incredible material. We hear it all the time. Skiers love their experience while wearing polarized sunglass lenses in bright sunny conditions on fresh powder, but manufacturers and other experts have been telling us for years that it is impossible to see ice while skiing. This is a false. Not only can you see ice better , your reaction time is vastly improved, because you are able to see better and react faster. This has been a long-standing misconception that has kept many eyewear manufacturers from producing polarized goggles. These so called experts have also said that polarized lenses are not good for flat or low light situations. Until now most polarized goggle lenses have only been avalable in lens tints that work in brighter conditions, rendering them useless in low or flat light conditions. It is important to have a lens tint that works with the eye to help distinguish the contours and terrain, this combined with a polarized film can create the best visual experience you will ever have on the slopes.

Why don't other companies offer a Polarized + Photochromic goggle lens

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The technology and cost involved with producing a Polarized + Photochromatic lens for goggles is very cost prohibitive to most manufacturers. Zeal believed in the advantages of this technology and introduced it in 2004 to skiers and snowboarders. Zeal has since been the pioneer in the industry offering this state of the art advantage to everyone interested in enhancing their visual experience on the snow. Our goggles have been tested all around the world in the most adverse conditions , and almost always the response has been overwhemingly positive. The lens tint that was introduced in 2009 brings the ultimate in versatility from low light to full light eliminating the need to change lenses, something that everybody hates to do.
Click here to view the PPX Demonstrator.


(DISCLAIMER: the views and opinions in this informational sheet are for familiarizing oneself with the benefits of polarization)

Here are a couple more articles that we have found helpful when considering Polarized Lens technology:

Polarization.com
All About Vision

Here are couple of Press Articles about Zeal Optics Sunglasses and Goggles

Zeal Optics Press Coverage

Check out the Zeal Optics Blog for the latest from Zeal Optics!

Also, check out Zeal Optics on facebook!

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