At Colin Lee Opticians we can supply a large range of protective and specialist sports eyewear.
From workplace protective prescription eyewear to football, rugby and swimming will help you learn more about the most appropriate type of protective eyewear for you and your child and to ensure proper fitting and maintenance.
Sports eyewear
If you wear glasses, they can be hazardous when playing sport. Get the right product and advice from your optician, however, and they can help protect your eyes.
Some conventional spectacle frames can be suitable for non contact sports however most metal frames with their adjustable nose pads are not suitable. A frame used for sports should cover the orbit, the bony rim round your eye, and be worn with a sports band attachment. The Bridge of the frame should sit snugly around the bridge of the nose. There are wrap-around frames with full cushioning which are purpose-designed for sport and will give optimum safety and comfort. We are able to supply a range of frame types all designed for different face shapes and sports requirements.
If there are no contra indications, contact lenses are an excellent alternative to wearing spectacles and offer a safe alternative to glasses when you are playing sports.
Visit your local Colin Lee practice and speak to the dispensing optician who can help you find the best solution so you can see well and stay safe while playing sports.
I need glasses, but love to swim. Can I get prescription swimming goggles?
Poor vision and the salt or chlorine in water can make swimming an uncomfortable experience. If you normally wear spectacles or contact lenses, you will find that prescription goggles can help you. Ready-to-wear prescription goggles, incorporating basic lens powers are available, or we can order more bespoke goggles with your accurate prescription incorporated.
It is important to protect your eyes whether you are scuba diving or snorkelling. You should wear a watertight facemask which fits firmly.
If you are a spectacle wearer, your optician can order in masks that will also help you see under water. Some masks come with inserts for prescription lenses, while others allow the prescription lens to be bonded
to the rear surface of the mask, accurately centred for your eyes.
What’s the best eyewear for racquet and bat sports?
There are two hazards to your eyes when playing racquet sports: the risk of being hit in the face by a ball, or even a racket/bat when playing. Squash is a particularly hazardous sport as the squash ball is almost equal in size to the eye’s orbit. All squash players should wear eye protection.
The majority of tennis and bat sports are played outdoors where UV exposure to the eye is also a factor. A good pair of sports goggles or special sports sunglasses can help cut both those risks and can also improve your performance on days when glare is an issue. You can also discuss the different colour lens tints available, as some may work best for grass while others can be good for hard courts.
Brands like Oakley offer Prizm lenses which eliminate glare aswell as colour enhancement allowing differentiation between ball and sky, ball and field to allow compared to standard sunglass tints. These are available in prescription.
What’s the best eyewear for cycling?
More people are enjoying cycle sports, and it is important to think about eye protection while taking part. The right robust eyewear can protect you from wind, dust and impact injuries.
In cycling you need to combine protection from physical hazards, such as stones bouncing up off the road, with protection from exposure to UV light when you are outdoors for a prolonged period of time. Cycling eyewear also tends to be streamlined and aerodynamic.
We stock a variety of sports eyewear brands including Oakley. You can also discuss the different colour lens tints available. Different tints work well for different weather conditions aswell as different surfaces such as road and trail. Photochromic lenses which become darker in bright conditions can save you from having to take sunglasses with you and change over in the middle of a race. We are able to get all these technologies in the Oakley authentic lens range making them look identical to their non prescription models.
We can also help you find a close-fitting frame, that won’t fall off and will fit within your cycling helmet.
The same principles apply of wind, element and UV protection apply to running, particularly long distance and trail variety’s.
What are the best lens tints for shooting or archery?
A bronze tint should be used for skeet, clay-pigeon and trap shooting. It is also the tint of choice for hunting. For black on white target shooting yellow tints offer good contrast. Targets may vary in colour. For orange targets use an orange tint. Red and pink tints are good for black and green targets and are also effective on orange targets; they also reduce the effects of a green background, grass, trees and shrubs. A red tint can sometimes improve colour differentiation for people with a colour vision problem. Tints should not be too dark, as this results in an enlarged pupil, which can adversely affect the shooters’/archers’ performance.
What should I wear to protect my eyes when playing football and rugby?
Flying balls and close physical contact make football and rugby a moderate risk sport for eye injuries. Spectacles or goggles may provide protection from injury and can also be worn with those who need to wear prescription lenses.
Polycarbonate Lenses: This is the most important property of all protective spectacles or goggles. Good polycarbonate is virtually unbreakable and will sustain the impact of a ball or finger.
Sports Band: an elasticised band and not temple pieces should secure the frame.
Players must have something that will be secured tight to the head so that the spectacles or goggles won’t fall off. A frame with temples will not hold tight enough and a jab from a finger could lift the frame off and potentially damage the eye.
Although sports eyewear is intended to offer the best protection available, there is always the possibility that the wearer may sustain an eye or facial injury due to severe impact or because of the nature of the athletic activity.
Should my child take his or her glasses off for ballet or sports?
Some class leaders and teachers insist that children remove their specs for sport or dance classes, but this can impair their ability to join in the class. For some children it can affect their balance or ability to see instructions, while for those who are undergoing treatment for squint or lazy eye it can interrupt the beneficial effect of the specs. There is no need to remove specs for sport if the frame is chosen with the following points in mind. Plastic frames, without adjustable pad arms, can be the safer choice, and there are specific frames designed for sport too.
Think about getting a sport band for your child to hold their specs in place. Ask your dispensing optician for advice, and share this with your child’s teachers.
Can my child wear contact lenses for sport?
There is no set age limit for children to start wearing contact lenses, and if your child is keen on sport they may want to think about contact lenses, whether it is for appearance, to make it easier to play sport, or even to fit in with friends. These are all important reasons to the child, and can help them be really motivated to wear contact lenses. Whatever your child’s age and motivation, the next thing to do is to pop into your local practice. Ask to speak to the optometrist, contact lens optician or dispensing optician. They can advise you and your child about what wearing contact lenses involves. This is a joint decision between the practitioner, parent and child, and all three have to agree that the child is ready to try out lenses, and the parent is committed to help care for the lenses. If you want to go ahead, you can then book a free contact lens trial where your child can learn more about lenses and try them out.
Workspace and protective eyewear.
There are Health & Safety laws to ensure that you are safe and protected when doing your job. All safety specs and goggles must comply with British and European Standards EN166, and there are different types of protection depending on the job you do.
Some safety specs will stand up to impact while others are designed to resist heat or chemicals.
Health & Safety at Work Regulations require your employer to identify and evaluate workplace risk. This is commonly undertaken by the company safety officer. You may be then asked to go to a registered dispensing optician for the required protective eyewear to be measured, ordered and fitted.
If you are self-employed a dispensing optician should perform an assessment of your requirements and the type of hazards that are associated with your day to day work. They may speak to a specialist supplier for advice.
Safety spectacles should always come from a recognised safety eyewear manufacturer to ensure that the necessary standards are met, the frame and lenses will have a British Standards Kite Mark stamped on them and certificate is issued to show that they conform to that Kite Mark.
We are able to supply 3 main types of lenses to conform with any employees heath and safety assessments. Thermally toughened glass, Polycarbonate and Trivex. These cover all needs from general safety, impact resistance and chemical resistance. Available in single vision, bifocal, varifocal and occupational lenses. These are also available with various additional treatments including tints, photochromic react to light lenses and antiglare options.
How should I protect my eyes when doing DIY?
Always protect your eyes when doing DIY. You could damage your eyes if there are flying particles or dust, whether you are drilling, using a hammer or chisel. Chemical compounds, everything from ammonia to acids to even super glue can harm your eyes. Did you know there are more accidents in the home than at work?
If you don’t need specs pick up some ‘wrap around goggles’ made from injection moulded Polycarbonate. These are widely available from a few quid so there is no reason not to have a pair with your tools.
If you wear specs, you may be able to find goggles that fit over the top, or call in and speak to a registered dispensing optician for advice.
I work in a factory. What eye protection do I need?
Whether you are an engineer, a cleaner or a craftsman, you may work in a factory. Danger can arise from a number of places and situations in your work setting, and there are laws to ensure that your employer takes safety seriously. Depending on your role, you may be required to wear protective eyewear, either all the time or when on the factory floor. Safety eyewear can be prescription or non-prescription and come in a variety of options including spectacles, goggles and shields.
Safety spectacles have side shields attached to the side of the frames to avoid any foreign objects entering the eye and surrounding area and it is likely that the lenses supplied will be plastic (thickened CR39), toughened glass (thermally or chemically), low energy impact materials, or materials such as Polycarbonate or Trivex.