You may have heard the word “polarized” a lot, especially with sunglasses. The trend is now changing from ordinary sunglasses to polarized ones. These sunglasses not only protect the eyes from harmful UV rays but also reduce the excessive glare from the scene making your target more visible beneath the water. There are many other reasons that you should have one of the best-polarized fishing sunglasses but the most important is it does that your ordinary even expensive sunglasses can’t do.

We already discussed why it’s important to wear sunglasses for fishing but let us discuss why it’s important to wear the polarized sunglasses

  • Polarized Sunglasses protects from the horizontal sun rays which are harmful to human eyesight.
  • Reduce glare and picture the view clear and smooth
  • Reduce glare, especially from horizontal surfaces like water
  • Those who drive a lot or spend most of the time by the water should necessarily wear polarized sunglasses
  • Protect eyes from eye strain
  • Not only smooths the view but also boosts the colors

*However, we do not recommend wearing polarized sunglasses when driving or fishing at night.  

Now check out the list of best-polarized sunglasses for fishing 

What does polarized sunglasses do?

When the sunlight is reflected off the object its bounces in many different directions before it enters our eyes. But in the case of water, snow, and other reflective surfaces the light rather than bouncing in multiple directions directly enters our eyes.

Here polarized sunglasses came to the rescue. These glasses are coated with a special chemical that diminishes the glare and allows vertical rays to pass while blocking the rays bouncing off the horizontal surfaces.

This serves as a protective barrier or filter for the eyes by blocking the light directly reflecting into your eyes.

How to choose the best-polarized sunglasses for Fishing

Polarized sunglasses are selected on basis of many factors. They are of the same importance as any other fishing gear. Anglers’ personal preference is also a major factor too but we can’t neglect the glass material, weight, frame size and level of comfort.

As a general rule of thumb, your fishing sunglasses must be light in weight and should perfectly fit on your face according to your face cut and shape. They should be non-irritating that rather than focusing on your target you are just fixing your shades.

Let’s highlight some general factors that should be in your sunglasses then it will be purely deserving to be called as the best polarized sunglasses, especially for fishing.

Lens Material

You mainly have two main options in lens material

  • Glass
  • Polycarbonate (Plastic)

Glass Lens

The main quality of the glass lens is “Scratch Resistant”. They are expensive, and offer more clarity but are less durable and weigh a bit more than plastic ones.

Polycarbonate Lens

Polycarbonate and plastic are often categorized as two separate but they are the same. Polycarbonate is the advanced and latest form of plastic lenses. They are strong, stiff transparent plastic lenses that are cheap in budget and durable but more to scratches.

Tint/ Shade

Modern polarized sunglasses are available in many different tints which becomes difficult for anglers to choose. Generally, brown and grey sunglasses are picked for regular use but in real each color is for each specific location and time of the day and in our day it’s the fishing location and time.

We already discussed the color selection in our best fishing sunglasses buyer’s guide. For more ease, you can follow this guide, hope that helps you

Size of frame

Experts suggest that to sunglasses frame should be bit bigger in size that it through covers your eyes especially from the upper side. The better the coverage, the more sunglasses will be able to protect the eyes from UV rays.

Many other points like frame material or frame style can be considered but do not affect the performance as much. You can check the guide in fishing sunglasses article if you are also concerned about some other factors too.

Frequently Asked Questions

When to wear polarized sunglasses?

Although polarized sunglasses should be put on each time you go out. But they are more effective while driving when there will be long-term exposure to the sun, especially during outdoor activities, games, and fishing for spotting fish underwater.  

What is the best-polarized sunglasses color?

It’s hard to decide which color is the best as each performs well in different suitable locations for different users. But in general, dark colors like brown, green, or gray are recommended for bright sunny days while light ones like pink or yellow are for low-light time like a sun rise.

Are mirrored and polarized sunglasses same?

Honestly speaking mirrored lenses are just a style while polarized glasses are a process of blocking the rays from horizontal surfaces. You will find many polarized sunglasses with mirrored-style lens.

Difference between polarized and non-polarized sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses reduce the glare by removing the harsh excessive light from the view offering a smooth, clearer scene and serving as a protective barrier between harmful reflected rays and the eyes while non-polarized sunglasses don’t offer the protection and treat all lights equal, may reduce the glare but doesn’t lessen the reflections.

Do polarized sunglasses make fish visible in reality?

Yes, it’s real, you can spot your target fish underwater, when the excessive glare and spark are removed from the water’s surface you can easily spot your target and attack.

Conclusion

Polarized sunglasses are no doubt more expensive than normal sunglasses but they are worth buying. However, we do not force anyone to buy because it is majorly a matter of personal preference many are still fishing with their regular ones and are satisfied. But it is recommended to add polarized sunglasses to your gear setup. We have also added some budget-friendly options to the list of best-polarized sunglasses so now budget can’t be an excuse.