When preparing for a vacation, you might be looking to buy new gear or products for your trip, including sunglasses. A pair of shades is a vacation must-have for many; one report from Straits Research highlights that travel is a significant driver for the sunglasses market in the last ten years. However, various travel situations and conditions can lead to damage if you’re not careful. Whether you buy a high-end pair of sunnies or cheaper ones from your local convenience store, it pays to protect them so they can serve you well during and after your trip. Here’s how to take care of your sunglasses on vacation:
Invest in durable sunglasses
Not all sunnies are created equal. Make sure you evaluate your choices and pick sunglasses with built-in durability, allowing them to withstand any travel and vacation situation. The best way to do that is to determine the materials your prospective shades are made of. Wooden frames, for example, tend to be more brittle and stain more easily. Sturdy materials you’ll want to look out for are metal, like aluminum or steel, or bio-acetate, which is renowned for its strength, biodegradability, and versatility.
Many retailers offer steel, plastic, and bio-acetate frames from reliably hardy brands. Oakley sunglasses showcase how their materials are durable without sacrificing comfort and style. The brand also has a wide selection of sports performance and lifestyle shades like the Sutro and Frogskins, which protect you from the sun and the elements while topping your look. Bringing a durable pair of shades to your vacation can ensure they last longer and won’t break during your trip.
Clean your sunglasses properly
Bringing your sunglasses on vacation means you’ll likely use them in various environments and conditions where they can get grimy or damaged easily. Prolonging their exposure to unsuitable environments can quickly wear them down and cause them to lose durability. Swimming or wading with your shades in the ocean at a beach, for example, can expose them to salt particles which cause scratches and other signs of damage. Glam’s insights on keeping sunglasses clean also note that swimming in a pool isn’t safe either. Too much exposure to chlorine can wear down lens coatings, making your sunglasses less effective.
It’s best to avoid keeping them on in these environments, but if your sunglasses get exposed to damaging substances, clean them as soon as possible. To sanitize your sunglasses properly, rinse the lenses and frames under flowing water—preferably distilled water if available, as it contains less residue than tap water. Then, wipe your lenses down with a microfiber cloth and spray them with a cleaning solution. Use a moist towelette infused with rubbing alcohol to polish your frames. Finally, dry your sunglasses by shaking off excess droplets or leveraging a gas duster.
Pack them properly
Putting your shades in the wrong type of case or luggage can cause them to break, even if they’re a high-quality pair, especially as the amount of mishandled bags in airlines increased by 24% in 2021. When bringing your sunnies on vacation, keep them close to you as much as possible when you aren’t wearing them.
Packing them in a durable carry-on bag is excellent for keeping them protected. Our “13 Best Luggage Backpack Carry On” post notes that High Sierra backpacks come with unique features that can keep your items protected. Their XBT Business Rolling Backpack even comes with a pocket lined with micro-fleece to keep your sunglasses safe from scratches. For extra safety, put them in a hard shell case instead of a soft or fabric one, as harder cases are typically more durable and provide the most protection when traveling. You can also use the cleaning fabric your sunglasses came with to add an extra layer of padding in the hard case.
Don’t let your eyewear investments go to waste. Take care of your sunglasses wherever you go, and they’ll serve you well for all the vacations to come.
