A Mom’s Guide to Buying Safe Sunglasses for Kids (Plus 12 On-Trend Pairs)

It’s summer, so shopping for your kids will most likely entail a new pair of shades. But do kids need to wear sunglasses? According to The Vision Council, “Solar penetration in the eyes of young children can set the stage for serious vision damage later in life. By the time an individual turns 18, he or she will already have acquired nearly 25 percent of their lifetime UV exposure.”

No doubt, it’s crucial to protect our kids’ eyes from harmful rays, just we do our own. 

With such a variety of sunglasses for kids on the market these days, it’s important to look for these key features in sunglasses for kids:

1. First and foremost, lenses that provide 100 percent UV protection – Look closely at the label. If it simply says “blocks UV rays” without specifying the actual percentage of UV radiation the lenses absorb, move on. Good sunglasses should provide 100 percent UV protection—no exceptions.
2. Impact-resistant lenses – Active kids will break their sunglasses. Glasses made from polycarbonate are 10x more impact-resistant than standard plastic lenses.
3. Close-fitting frames – the larger the lenses, the more protection they’ll provide. Large-brimmed hats will up the protection factor, too—have your kids wear both for ultimate protection.

information via allaboutvision.com

Your kids don’t have to skimp on style, either! Here are a twelve sunglasses finds for boys and girls (from babies, to toddlers, to the older set) offering complete 100% UVA-UVB protection from the sun’s harmful rays. Check them out in the slideshow.

More Summer Gear for Kids:

• 13 Must-Pack Essentials for Summer Camp
• SPF 50+ Sun & Swimwear: Gimmick or Great Buy?
• Stylish Picks for Moms with Toddlers on the Go