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If you wear glasses or contact lenses, should you pack regular or prescription sunglasses for travel? Andrew and I compare. This post includes a 50% discount on your next glasses/sunglasses frames.
Andrew is an avid glasses wearer.
I’m a contact lens aficionado.
We have quite different approaches to our eyewear when we’re travelling. Here we compare pros, cons and packing tips to help you choose the right sunglasses for your next trip.
Andrew’s a long-standing glasses wearer, with a pretty full-on prescription for short-sightedness. He needs his glasses.
Prescription sunglasses for travel are an absolute must for him, and he simply carries both his glasses and his prescription sunglasses around with him wherever we go.
Pro of Andrew’s approach: Guaranteed good eyesight
Con: Having to carry around two lots of eyewear all the time
Andrew’s latest pair of prescription sunglasses are from Glassesshop.com. We were impressed with their range and Andrew was pleasantly surprised to be able to find a pair of trendy sunglasses in his high prescription.
Prices are fair, and certainly a lot less than we’d pay on the high street here in the UK! They ship to the UK and US, and sell regular glasses and sunglasses too.
I’ve teamed up with GlassesShop.com to offer you 50% off frames for your eyeglasses online. Simply use my code: INVZ9MK1W7HJE at checkout to SAVE 50% off frames on your first order.
I’ve been wearing contact lenses since the age of 17, so for my travels I simply team them with a pair of regular sunglasses. I’m long-sighted and can manage for a while without my lenses, though close work such as reading or using a computer is a no-no.
I don’t spend too much money on sunglasses, as I have a tendency to either leave them somewhere or break them! Travelling with a hard case to keep them Julie-proof has become an absolute must.
I had fun last week using the Glassesshop.com “try them on” facility to check out some new and good value styles!
Pros of Julie’s approach: No steaming up of glasses when changing temperatures, I can peel an onion without crying
Con: Swimming can be a pain – either less than optimal eyesight without lenses; or trying not to get my lenses full of chlorine/salt water (which can irritate my eyes).
Blimey, this pic shows how much eyewear we pack for our travels!
We pack:
Although I hate being without my contact lenses, I always take my glasses away with me too – in case I get an eye irritation or lose/damage my contact lenses.
Andrew gets round the whole swimming-with-contact-lenses-is-a-pain thing: he has prescription goggles and also a prescription mask for those undersea snorkelling adventures.
I rent a regular mask if I need one; and look at the fish from further away so I can see them clearly!
What are your eyewear travel tips? Do you pack regular or prescription sunglasses for travel? Tell all in the comments below.
Hi, I'm Julie, a York (UK)-based travel blogger and comfort-zone pusher. Join me as I bring you pics and musings from my mildly adventurous travels around the globe. My mission is to hear you say, "I"m so glad I did it!" instead of, "I wish I could, BUT ..."
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