SAFETY

Sunglasses are very important for the health of our eyes and as such have to pass numerous tests to meet established safety standards. At Fabris Lane we take every care to ensure our sunglasses exceed these standards.

The CE mark was introduced to harmonise European Safety Standards, and European law stipulates that all sunglasses must pass the European Standard BS EN 1836:2005

This standard falls under the Personal Protective Equipment Directive, and specifies “the physical properties that are required of sunglasses intended for protection”

In simple terms this means that the sunglasses have to protect the user against the sun’s radiation but must not impair the general vision of the user, in particular the need to see the correct colours of traffic lights while driving or using the road.

Therefore all sunglasses are tested by this standard to determine the following:

1. The transmittance properties of the lenses – to ensure good clarity of vision, colour fidelity and are suitable for purpose.

2. The optical powers of the lenses – to ensure that the wearers vision is not distorted.

3. The effectiveness of polarising lenses.

4. How well the sunglasses stand up to wear or tear and their general robustness.

5. The resistance of the sunglasses to high temperature.

6. The material and surface quality of the sunglasses as a whole.

7. That the sunglasses will not cause any adverse reaction with the wearer’s skin.

Filter Categories

The sunglasses safety standard also helps you choose sunglasses by providing a system of filter categories that indicate the level of light transmitted through the lens.

Filter Category 1: These pale tint lenses are generally chosen for style and fashion and can also be used as high definition sports lenses.

Filter Category 2: Slightly darker, these lenses are widely used and make good general-purpose sunglasses in everyday conditions. They are also ideal for driving.

Filter Category 3: The darkest lenses Fabris Lane produce, these are best used in very bright conditions.

Remember that all sunglasses offer the same level of UV protection whatever the filter category.

While most sunglasses are suitable for everyday wear, some are intended for specialist functions such as mountain biking, snow-sports, and for protection in severe weather conditions.

Polarized lenses cut out sunlight that is reflected off flat surfaces, for example, from standing water on roads, the sea or lakes. By reducing horizontally reflected glare, wearers can see through the surface of the water into the depths below. Ideal for fishing and sailing.

The Nickel Directive

All metal sunglasses must also be treated to prevent the leaching of nickel – which can cause irritation to the skin. Our sunglasses are all hypo allergenic to comply with this directive.