Festival season is on a time that mixes dance-friendly tunes and dazzling outdoor locales into a heady blend of unforgettable experiences. And when it comes to surviving on the festival dancefloor, eyewear is more than a fashion statement; it’s your first line of defense against the sun’s blinding rays while you’re lost in the music or exploring the great outdoors.
Join us as we turn to the experts, Anthony and Shane, founders of Valley Rays Sunglasses, who have woven their passion for outdoor sports and music festivals into a range of sunglasses that cater specifically to festival-goers’ adventurous and lively spirits.
They’ll be sharing their insights on the key factors to consider while choosing sunglasses – from understanding the true value beyond the price tag, balancing your features with the shape of your sunglasses, to protecting your eyes from harmful UVA and UVB rays. More than that, they’ll advise how their sunglasses can enhance your experiences, whether you’re vibing to the beat at a music festival, soaking up the sun on a beach, or blazing a trail through mountain paths. So, as you prepare to embark on the next thrilling adventure or lose yourself to the rhythm of your favorite bands, let Valley Rays guide you in finding the perfect sunglasses that are as functional as they are stylish.
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What factors should one consider when choosing sunglasses?
When shopping for sunglasses almost everyone will first see style, then price. But there is way more to that price tag than you think; this is where it gets tricky. The last thing you want to do is overpay for sunglasses.
Here are a few tips to get the most VALUE out of your sunglasses purchase:
Tip #1– the top name brands notoriously mark up their products by over 1000%. Chances are, you are overpaying for their sunglasses.
Tip #2– Be wary of deals that sound too good to be true. If you can buy three pairs for the price of one, it’s because the pair you bought is marked up three times more than what it should be.
Look for brands that sell high-quality materials with high-quality designs at a fair price. At Valley Rays, our customers know us for our slogan, “Premium shades without the big-brand price tag.” That’s because we use a premium bio-resin frame and an upgraded nylon lens, all for $60. Our next competitor with similar materials is $180 and some go up to $250. That’s what we mean by VALUE.
How does face shape influence the choice of sunglasses?
The general idea of matching your face shape to a pair of sunglasses is to balance your features. For example, if you have a round face, try square glasses, or if you have a square face try oval glasses. This method gets a bit technical and doesn’t always hold. For most people, the best way to find a pair of sunglasses that look great is to start with a style they already know will look good, then get the right size.
The general idea of matching your face shape to a pair of sunglasses is to balance your features. For example, if you have a round face, try square glasses, or if you have a square face try oval mirrors. This method gets a bit technical and doesn’t always hold. For most people, the best way to find a pair of sunglasses that look great is first to start with a style they already know will look good and then get the right size.
To get the right size you need to measure your head quickly. To do so, look in the mirror and measure your face from temple to temple with a ruler, then match that measurement to the width of the sunglasses you like. Most sunglass brands will display the width of their sunglasses prominently on their product page.
Can you explain the difference between UVA and UVB rays?
These two basic types of ultraviolet rays reach the earth’s surface—UVB and UVA. UVB rays are responsible for producing sunburn. The UVB rays also play the greatest role in causing skin cancers, including the deadly black mole form of skin cancer (malignant melanoma).
UVA rays also play a role in skin cancer formation. In addition, the UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin and play a greater role in premature skin aging changes, including wrinkle formation (photoaging). There are approximately 500 times more UVA rays in sunlight than UVB rays. Therefore, in addition to protecting your skin from UVB rays, it is also very important to protect from the damaging effects of the more numerous UVA rays. Traditional chemical sunscreen products have more successfully blocked UVB rays than UVA rays.
But about your eyes both UVA and UVB rays have gotten a bad rap because a study found that these rays were damaging to eyes. In response, almost all sunglasses protect against UVA and UVB rays. It’s important not to panic about this because sunlight is still good for your eyes, and daily exposure is not necessarily bad, but long exposure to bright lights can be damaging.
Having said that, it is extremely important to ensure your sunglasses are UVA and UVB protected because when you put them on, your pupils will naturally adjust to let more light in. If your sunglasses are not protected against UVA and UVB, you expose your eyes to more ultraviolet light than without sunglasses.
Can you give tips on choosing sunglasses for outdoor activities like beach trips or mountain hiking?
We love going to the beach and mountain biking so your gear must enhance your experience. The last thing you want is a pair of sunglasses that slide down your face, or worse, fall off. Like our Phoenix sunglasses, we like performance sunglasses designed to stay put while moving. Our rule is, if your shades move while headbanging, ditch them before you even get in the car.
Another thing to consider is you may need a different lens to enhance your trip and stay comfortable. At the beach, we would recommend a grey polarized lens. The grey lens will block the most light and polarization will block the glare off the water.
The best lens for mountain biking would depend on the day. If it is a bright day I would recommend a grey lens to block the most light. But if its slightly overcast, you could use a brown lens. Brown lenses do not block as much light but increase saturation and make colors pop. The increased saturation means shadows become darker, making every obstacle in your terrain more visible.
And lastly, since these activities are out in nature, where the possibility of losing your sunglasses exists, make sure you pick something environmentally friendly. At Valley Rays we use a biodegradable frame for this exact reason.
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Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
