What’s the difference in price and quality between regular sunglasses, UV-protected sunglasses, and polarized sunglasses?

All that you mentioned can be found at various price points. 99% of any price sunglasses have uv protection. Those made with polycarbonate lenses do filter out UV by the nature of their material I think what most people don’t understand is cheap sunglasses have lenses that are not ground. They are made from a sheet of flat plastic and are warmed and shaped to look like a ground lens. This induces distortion which can cause blur and eyestrain/headaches. If you’ve paid thousands for lasik or hundreds for contacts, you’re canceling out that good vision by wearing cheap sunglasses. Your optometrist can put high quality lenses with whatever custom tint you prefer, including polarized with mirror coating in whatever frame you desire. The lame excuse I get from patients is “well I just get cheap ones because I always lose them “. when you make a purchase of good sunglasses , you will take better care of them. You don’t buy a cheap phone because you keep losing it. Don’t buy cheap sunglasses. The lens quality sucks, they don’t fit well and can’t be adjusted. And the lenses, besides being horrible , may not pass safety standards for shattering. Get an eye exam annually from a trusted optometrist- and do the same with your kids!

What are the disadvantages of photochromic lenses in sunglasses?

First, we need to clarify your question. we don’t have photochromic sunglasses, we have lenses that will change into sunglasses. We are currently on the tenth version of photochromic (Transitions(R) lenses) and they are the best so far. Plus there are new colors available along with an Xactive version. i would call issues with these lenses more like downsides rather than disadvantages. The biggest is they react primarily to UV light, which is good because they don’t darken much at all in a very bright lit room. But the problem becomes when you wear a hat or are in a car. Both of these instances will greatly reduce the amount of UV light exposed to the lens. Some complain that it takes too long for them to return to clear after being outside. This is voiced by some of our farmer patients who are working outside and then have to walk into a dimly lit or dark barn. As the lenses age, they tend to not get quite as dark outside and they tend to not lighten up fully inside. Generally, this is after two years, which is a good lifespan for a pair of glasses. We also offer a magnetic clip (Chemistrie) that can be placed on the lenses so that any frame can benefit from the clip. Clip on for sunglasses, clip off for instantly clear lenses. Downside? keeping up with a clip, which is thin, lightweight, and easily misplaced, especially for guys who don’t carry a bag like most women do. I do both. i use a clip when driving but for all else, the transitions are there. i get the best of both worlds. the downside? it can ruin the clip if you leave it in your car on warm to hot days. My practice philosophy is everything has advantages and disadvantages. We will guide our patients to find the solutions with the least “pain in the butt” factor. Take care and get an in person eye exam yearly from a doctor of optometry.