Requirements that sunglasses must meet

Sunglasses, considered protective equipment against solar radiation, are classified as Category I Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) according to Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which replaced Directive 89/686/EEC. This regulation defines PPE as a device designed to be worn or held by a person for the purpose of protecting them against risks that may affect their health or safety.

For this reason, sunglasses must meet the following minimum requirements.

General requirements

The temples must bear the permanent "CE" marking of European conformity, along with the identification of the manufacturer or distributor in the European Union and the model reference. The frame must be free of sharp edges and rough surfaces, and must be structurally stable under adverse conditions such as extreme heat and resistant to flammability.

Lens requirements

The lenses must be free of imperfections such as scratches, bubbles, streaks, or cracks, and be optically neutral, without prescription, to avoid optical distortions or prismatic effects. They must also be impact and break resistant, and withstand high temperatures. The lenses must attenuate visible light according to the sun filter category, which ranges from 1 to 4 and indicates the amount of light they can absorb, not protection against UV radiation. They must also block ultraviolet (UV) radiation below 400 nm, which is not usually marked on the glasses but must be guaranteed by the manufacturer.

Information brochure

Each pair of glasses must include a leaflet in the official language of the country where they are sold. This leaflet must state the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor in the EU, the reference to the European standard UNE EN 1836, the characteristics of use, warnings about risks and limitations, an explanation of the level of protection against light and UV radiation, and recommendations for cleaning and maintenance.

Meeting these requirements ensures that the sunglasses adequately protect users and are comfortable and safe to use.