Polaroid Eyewear Review

It's been awhile since I've done a product review; for starters, I've been pretty busy with emcee jobs and my own online show DAPHNE [I made that (brave) move to not renew my Bella show contract mid this year. (I was supposed to blog about that too, but I reckon I should vlog that instead)!]

Anyway, I wanted to do this particular review because when I shared some pictures about the sunnies I've gotten for the kids and I a few weeks ago on my social media, a lot asked me either over SMS or email about my honest opinion about the Polaroids. So here you go, a blogpost review as promised!

A bit of background:

I have always been particular about my sunnies cause I've noticed my eyes are more sensitive now after my LASIK surgery last year. [Read about my LASIK experience HERE].

So for starters, I want to make sure my sunglasses give me the best coverage against the sun without blocking entirely the light (I really don't know how to explain this in words, but my husband Azmi understands ... basically, I want the sun glare blocked out, but not the brightness of my surroundings). Hubs read about Polaroid eyewear and suggested them to me to see if I would be keen. Initially I thought he was talking about the Polaroid camera (those in my era will remember this MTV below) :

"shake it like a polaroid camera....shake it shake it..."

Well, he wasn't.

He was actually talking about these cool babies

I was surprised to know they've been around for more than 75 years already and that they are (as their name suggests)  the inventors of the polarized lens!

What is Polarized Lens?

Daylight travels in waves in all directions. When it strikes a surface such as water, it mostly moves in two dimensions:

Vertical light brings useful information to the human eye, enabling us to see colours and contrasts.

Horizontal light simply creates optical noise or glare.

So... Polarizing filter blocks this distracting glare and polarizing lenses selectively filter out the horizontal light, thus eliminating glare.

Most high quality polarized sunglasses lenses offer UV protection. However, it is wrong to assume that just because a lens is polarized, that it will also protect against UV radiation from the sun. You should verify by the label or the seller of the product that the lenses protect against UV sun rays. 

Naturally, I checked and the Original Polaroid Sunglasses does offer 100% UV protection.

When are they NOT suitable to be worn?

According to Erinn Morgan's article, there will be instances where polarized sunnies might not be too suitable.

"Though polarized sunglasses improve comfort and visibility, you will encounter some instances when these lenses may not be advisable. One example is downhill skiing, where you don't want to block light reflecting off icy patches because this alerts skiers to hazards they are approaching.

In addition, polarized lenses may reduce the visibility of images produced by liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or light-emitting diode displays (LEDs) found on the dashboards of some cars or in other places such as the digital screens on automatic teller machines and self-service gas pumps.With polarized lenses, you also may be unable to see your cell phone or GPS device."

Well, I've used my sunglasses for outdoors and running at the park (no skiing yet!) and it's been okay so far. I've also tried them on while reading my SMSes over my blackberry and iPhone. It does have this almost rainbow-like sheen, but still readable.

So unlike traditional sunnies, polarized sunnies (like Polaroid) selectively block out glare instead of dimming the entire field of vision (and that's what I meant about I want the glare out, but not the light?).

So you see how my husband is not using Polaroid sunnies and the glare of looking at the bird on a clear, bright sunny day hurts his eyes? Unlike our two girls who are donning the cutest Polaroid eyewear (they have them for children as young as 1 years old!)

I love Iman's choice of sunnies. She reminds me of Cyclops in X-Men.

Kan?

Polaroid Eyewear is available in Malaysia at Safilo stores. From chic to contemporary, sports and youth for both women and men, as well as catering for our young ones!

 Chic

Youth?

Or perhaps sporty?

This is the one I selected. Slight purple hue and the  subtle (harimau) details on my frames. "Safe" choice of colour with a contemporary twist. Perfect for every occasion since I travel a lot and don't want to lug too many different shades with me.

Let's talk about the kiddies collection

Polaroid has apparently always paid great attention to kids, making constant efforts to meet their specific needs in terms of eye protection and safety. Childrens' eyes are more sensitive to UV rays than that of an adult, because they are clearer and more delicate.

For it's KIDS collection, they use UltraSight polarized lenses which block all UVA, UVB and UVC rays (100% UV400 protection). The new sunnies for 2015 ensures a better fit, combining functionality and safety with a trendy playful look.

Comel tak?

The new Polaroid sunglasses are tinged with a "kaleidoscopic array of colors". The soft-to-the-touch rubber finish provides maximum comfort and a lightweight feel (which is important for me as I hate that dent on the bridge of your nose mark after using sunnies!)

The hingeless design and the absence of metal elements ensure safety in any situation.

Most importantly ... PRICING?

It's fairly more reasonable than it's competitors out there. 

RM130 - RM140 (Kids collection)

RM200 - RM 570 (Adults)

Again, PLEASE ensure that if you do wish to choose a polarized eyewear that may not be from Polaroid, make sure it is also safe for UV rays. Polaroid Eyewear guarantees this. And with some many designs to choose from, for everyone in the family, I think you might just be hooked!

Hope this helps?

Where can we purchase them in Klang Valley Malaysia?

a.       OPTICAL 88 EYECARE (M) S/B - SELECTED STORE

b.       BV EYECARE (M) SDN BHD - LEISURE MALL, CENTREPOINT

c.       TWINKLE NEWLOOK SDN BHD

d.       OPTIQUE PARIS MIKI (M) SDN BHD - KLCC

e.       FOCUS POINT VISION CARE GR.S/B - SELECTED STORE

f.       PREFERRED OPTICAL SDN BHD, SHAH ALAM

g.       ALPHA OPTICAL GR. SDN BHD-EGO KLCC

h.       CITY EYE OPTOMETRY, KOTA DAMANSARA & WANGSA WALK

i.       V-MYEYES OPTOMETRY SDN BHD, ONE UTAMA

j.   ENHANCED ACUITY SDN BHD - EYE TECH, FAHRENHEIT

k.   TRUVIEW OPTICAL - KUCHAI LAMA

l.   CARMEL OPTICAL SOLUTION SDN BHD - KOTA DAMANSARA