Top tips for choosing sunglasses for your child

“Most parents are careful to apply a high factor sun cream on their children’s skin to protect them from UV radiation from the sun but they forget about the damaging effect the sun has on their eyes,” warns Bhavin Shah, director at Central Vision.

According to research from the College of Optrometrists, one in four parents admitted to never having bought sunglasses for their children.

Bhavin Shah commented: “These findings are alarming as up to 80 per cent of someone’s lifetime exposure to UV occurs before the age of 18 (World Health Organisation). The UV radiation from the sun can cause sunburn on the front of the eye, growths on the eye, macula degeneration and approximately 20 per cent of cataracts are caused by UV exposure but are not evident until later in life.”

He added: "I strongly urge parents to invest in a good and safe pair of children’s sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat.”

Top tips for choosing the best sunglasses for your child:

1. Make sure that the lenses have 100 per cent blocking of UV A & B. They must have a CE marking (to ensure they comply with BS EN 1836:2005) on the inner part of the side and should also have a UV400 or Category 3 rating. Remember, darker lenses do not necessarily mean better UV protection.
2. The lenses should be made of polycarbonate because it is impact resistant and are safer to wear as it won’t shatter into dangerous, sharp pieces. A polycarbonate frame will also reduce the rate of breakages and injury from sunglasses, increasing their safety.
3. The frame should be comfortable to wear and fit well over the width of the temples, the bridge of the nose and behind the ears.
4. Your child should be happy with the look of the frame because they are the ones who have to wear them, instead of leaving them sitting in a cupboard.
5. Avoid toy sunglasses, the lenses are often made from a cheaper plastic that can shatter if broken and in the worst case scenario they do not have any UV protection, which has a higher risk to the eye because the darkness of the lenses cause the pupil at the centre of the eye to dilate which will let more UV radiation in than not wearing sunglasses.