Hiking sunglasses

Hiking sunglasses, chosen for the light you walk in

Hiking sunglasses have a harder job than a pair worn on a terrace. Light on a hill arrives from above, bounces off wet rock, water and snow, and changes every time cloud moves. The range covers polarised wraparound frames, photochromic lenses that darken and clear on their own, UV400 designs, glacier styles built for high reflected glare, bamboo frames and cuts shaped for women. Comfort over several hours matters as much as the lens, because glasses that pinch come off and stay in a pocket.

What is the difference between polarised and UV protection?

They solve two separate problems and neither replaces the other. Ultraviolet filtering protects the eye from radiation you cannot see, and it is a property of the lens material rather than of how dark it looks. Polarisation cuts the horizontal glare thrown back by a wet path, a lake or a car bonnet, so contrast returns and the ground reads properly again. A dark lens without UV filtering is worse than no lens at all, since the pupil opens behind it. Shade from above helps in both cases, and a wide-brimmed boonie hat keeps direct sun off the lens surface where scattered light starts.

When are photochromic lenses the better choice?

On a British day where woodland, open moor and low cloud follow one another within an hour. The lens darkens in bright light and clears when it drops, which spares you swapping glasses mid-route. The trade is speed: the change takes a minute or two, so a sudden exit from trees leaves you briefly under-protected. Fixed dark lenses stay the simpler answer for consistent glare, which is what the glacier styles are built for.

Which details make a pair comfortable all day?

• Wrap: a curved frame blocks light arriving from the side, where a flat lens lets it straight in.
• Nose grip: rubberised pads hold when sweat starts; smooth plastic slides down the nose on a climb.
• Arm shape: straight arms slide under a hood, hooked arms stay put when you look down.
• Weight: bamboo and light frames stop leaving a mark behind the ear after several hours.

How do sunglasses fit with the rest of the kit?

They are the item most often forgotten while everything else is planned to the gram, and a pair of hiking trousers gets more thought than the eyes do. Try any pair with the hood of the hiking jacket you actually walk in, since a hood pulled up pushes the arms against the temples.

Does eye protection matter for footing?

Low sun across a track flattens everything in front of you and hides the wet stone that hiking shoes would otherwise grip without a thought. Cutting that glare restores depth, which is a safety point rather than a comfort one. Keep the lenses clean with water and a soft cloth: grit dragged across a coating scratches it, and a scratched lens scatters light exactly where you need to see.