IT’S ESTIMATED THAT 80 percent of eye damage occurs before 18 from exposure to solar UV radiation. As children play games, it’s necessary to protect their eyes from the sun and sport injuries. ECPs need to educate parents about the importance of protective eyewear for kids when participating in sports. For maximum protection and performance, Rx lenses — polycarbonate is preferred — can be inserted into a variety of sport-specific styles in a variety of youth sizes.
Wiley X
The Wiley X Youth Force line offers Rx-able eyewear for all types of sports.
(800) 776-7842, wileyx.com
Puma
Puma Junior Eyewear line.
(844) 790-9165, kering.com
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Oakley
The Rx Frogskins XS is especially engineered for young faces.
(800) 403-7449, oakley.com
Julbo
Little Heroes children’s line of Rx-able polarized lenses.
(800) 651-0833, julbousa.com
Nike Vision
The Nike Legend S, an 8-base sport wrap sunglass made with Max Optics.
(800) 645-1300, nikevision.com
Liberty Sport
The Sport Shift frame or goggle in the Patriot Collection has an RS 2.0 lens with FogBlok coating.
(800) 444-5010, libertysport.com
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Polaroid
Polaroid Kids sunglasses with polarized lenses for ages 4-12.
(800) 631-1188, safilo.com
Hilco
Rx-able swim goggle.
(800) 955-6544, hilcovision.com
Under Armour
The UA youth sunglasses with sport-specific Tuned technology designed specifically for baseball and golf.
(516) 576-9100, underarmour.com
Smart Ways To Sell Sports Eyewear to Kids
Audrey Nelson, VisionQuest Eyecare, Greenwood & Indianapolis, IN
We offer a range of sports sunglasses from Oakley’s youth line, sports goggles from Rec Specs and prescription swim goggles from Hilco. The most important thing our doctors discuss with patients is safety. For those kids needing active sunwear with or without prescription, the Oakley Prizm lenses are great. Only about 10 percent of kids who come into our practices wear a sport-specific goggle or eyewear so I think more education is needed for parents to understand that their children should have safety eyewear when playing sports. It also protects their children’s eyes from the sun.
Dr. Samuel Teske, The Eye Doctors New Tampa, Tampa, FL
We’re based in an area that is growing rapidly with a lot of young families moving in and getting their children involved in sports. I first make sure parents understand the importance of eye protection, especially in sports. The mother is generally the decision maker so I talk to her first to ensure she’s on board. I ask her “What sports are your kids playing?” “How active is the sport?” Depending on how aggressive the sport is, I determine if the child will need protective eyewear. Baseball, for example, is an active sport with a high rate of injury. I usually concentrate on those children who already have a prescription and choose ideal safety eyewear that can help prevent injury. I usually prescribe Rec Specs from Liberty Sport, which have an in-built shock absorber. I always pair them with a polycarbonate lens due to its shatter resistance and I like to prescribe Transitions lenses too.