Corey Hart was exaggerating, of course. "I wear my sunglasses at night" he sang in 1983. We certainly don't need to wear sunglasses at night. But definitely on all cloudless days that we spend outside.

Our eyes need protection from UV light

It's no secret that bright sunlight with its ultraviolet rays is harmful. It is not for nothing that our pupils contract automatically when we look into the light. This protective mechanism blocks 98.5 percent of UV light. However, the remaining 1.5 percent hits the sensitive retina directly. The immediate consequence can be conjunctivitis. The long-term consequences are far more dramatic: cataracts and age-related blindness.

Is the model any good? Better to be safe than sorry

When looking for the right sunglasses, the first thing we should keep an eye on is UV protection. The first indication is the CE mark. Unfortunately, this is often faked. If you want to be on the safe side, you should have your glasses checked by an optician using a measuring device.

Dark glasses are particularly risky

The tint of the lenses says nothing about how well they protect the eyes. Dark glasses without a UV filter are even harmful, as the pupils dilate as they do at night and the protective mechanism is switched off. The result: UV rays can penetrate unhindered.

What matters: size and anti-reflective coating

Because the light can also hit the eye from the side, it is better to choose larger glasses. The closer the glasses are to your eyes, the better. Experts recommend glasses with anti-reflective lenses as particularly effective.

Even the little ones need good sunglasses

Children's eyes are particularly sensitive to UV radiation as they lack protective pigments. As soon as the little ones are out of crawling age, a model can be selected - preferably with an optician or ophthalmologist.