“Doctor tests 31 pairs of sunglasses”

Posted: 22 Jul 2010 05:43 AM PDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Does a higher price mean better protection when it comes to sunglasses?

When it's sunny outside, sunglasses are key to protecting out eyes from dangerous UV rays. But do you really have to pay a lot of money to get good UV protection?

No doubt about it, sunglasses can make a fashion statement. But their function is to protect our eyes from harmful UV rays. But can a $5 pair of glasses do that? To find out, CBS News bought 31 pairs of sunglasses ranging in price from $5 to $100. Some came from street vendors. Some from drugstores. And some from expensive establishments. All of the glasses claimed to have 100% UV protection.

A doctor used a machine to test all the glasses. If it reads zero or 1 , it means the glasses have 99 or 100 percent UV protection which is considered excellent.

No surprise with the expensive pair, 100 percent UV protection. Same goes for the pair that was $55. When they tested the cheaper sunglasses, the ones from the drugstore and off the street, the results may just surprise you, 100% perfect protection.

Of the 31 glasses tested, only 1 got a failing grade.

So if you're spending hundreds of dollars on sunglasses, what are you getting, if not better protection? You're basically buying style.

You can't always trust the label though, as seen with that one pair. So to really find out, take your glasses to an eye center and have them tested in photometer. It takes less than 30 seconds.

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