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Looking Cool and Riding Safe: Motorcycle Sunglasses

By: Clive Bronson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Motorcycle sunglasses or goggles must be a part of any serious bike rider’s standard gear. Not only do they help you look very cool while you’re speeding down the roadway on your hog , they serve as protective eyewear to ensure that you’ll be riding your bike for many years to come. By protecting your eyes from UV light waves from the sun, insects and other debris, motorcycle sun glasses keep your eyes safe. You can’t – and shouldn’t – drive a motorcycle with less than excellent vision, so keeping your eyes in the best shape possible should be a top priority for any biker.

It is commonly agreed upon and accepted that wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle is an absolute necessity. But if your helmet doesn’t offer any face protection then you surely need to protect your eyes against the elements with high end sun glasses or goggles. A helmet will protect your skull during a fall, but if you’ve been protecting your eyes you could likely avoid the wreck to begin with.

There are several things to look for when browsing for a good pair of motorcycle sunglasses. These are features shared by almost all sunglasses used in outdoor activities whether it’s motorcycle riding, hang gliding, cycling or skiing.

UV Protection: The lenses in your prospective pair of sun glasses should provide 100% UV protection. Most of your riding is done on beautiful, sunny days so you need to protect your eyes from harmful UV radiation. Almost all high end sunglasses lenses filter out 99% - 100% of UV sunlight, but you should be cautious of shoddy sunglasses you find at the truck stop.

Impact Resistant: You know that when on the open road you often have to deal with airborne debris. This can come in the form of kickback from preceding vehicles, insects in your path, or even precipitation such as frozen rain or sleet. You definitely don’t need any debris shattering your sunglasses lenses. A shattering lens at high speeds can make an already dangerous situation much more dangerous. Two quality manufacturers who make incredibly impact resistant sunglass lenses are Oakley and Wiley X. In fact, Wiley X sunglasses and goggles are widely used by the U.S. Military in combat because of their ballistic grade lenses.

Comfort: You might very well be wearing your sun glasses for several hours straight while riding, so definitely be sure that the sun glasses you purchase are comfortable. Any distractions you can eliminate will make for a safer and more enjoyable ride, so you surely don’t want shades that don’t fit properly and pinch, slip or otherwise are an irritation. Some high end sunglasses even offer climate control. These sunglasses come with an optional barrier to close the gap between the sun glass frames and your face to keep out precipitation, effectively turning your sunglasses into a pair of goggles.

The next time you’re about to hit the open road on your bike, hog, or crotch rocket, make sure you’ve equipped yourself with the quality protective eyewear your eyes deserve. Keeping your vision healthy and intact will lead to many years of riding, so make sure you purchase motorcycle sun glasses that offer UV protection, are impact resistant and comfortable.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: FramesDirect.com is the world's largest online retailer of prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses. To learn more about motorcycle sunglasses and other eyewear related topics, please visit FramesDirect.com, or The Eye Zone - the official FramesDirect.com blog.