Bamboo sunglasses may seem like a novelty, but fashion is not the only reason that everyone seems to own a pair of them. People are buying bamboo sunglasses because they are a much more environmentally friendly substitute for traditional plastic and metal frames, while at the same time also being more practical.

Let's look at 5 reasons everyone is buying bamboo sunglasses and learn about the environmental benefits of bamboo, how durable bamboo is as a frame, why wearing bamboo sunglasses is more comfortable, the minimal industrial throughput that is needed for their production, and why they just look good.

Growing Bamboo is Exceptionally Environmentally Friendly

If you are already a user of wooden glasses for environmental reasons, we salute you, but bamboo is an even more environmentally friendly solution. Bamboo is actually a grass, not a tree, and therefore the material is not wood. This difference may seem purely academic, but there are actually a lot of practical differences for the environmentally conscious sunglasses connoisseur.

Bamboo uses a whole lot less water, so damaging irrigation is not necessary for its cultivation. It also is not as reliant on as many nutrients as a lot of trees, so heavy fertilizer use is not needed. Finally, bamboo can grow over 3 feet per day, making it an amazing renewable resource.

Bamboo Sunglasses Are Very Durable

Sunglasses with bamboo frames are more durable than their plastic and even metal counterparts. Almost unbelievably, bamboo has a higher tensile strength than steel. While bamboo can withstand 28,000 lbs per square inch, steel sits at a more humble 23,000. This superior tensile strength is why, as some Asian readers may already be aware, bamboo is used in construction in many parts of the world.

You do not need to use your bamboo sunglasses to reinforce a building, but it goes without saying that the frames will not be breaking any time soon. If you have found yourself frustrated by the sunglasses you have had in the past snapping, chipping, or getting unsightly scratches across the frames, bamboo sunglasses will save you that heartbreak in the future.

 

 

The Lightweight Bamboo Makes the Sunglasses More Comfortable

In spite of bamboo being such a strong natural material, it is incredibly lightweight. What this means for you is that you can wear your bamboo sunglasses for longer, and they will remain comfortable throughout.

Although it may not seem like the weight of sunglasses could have such an effect on the person wearing them, lighter sunglasses have been shown to increase comfort for the wearer especially on the bridge of the nose and around the ears.

The beauty of buying bamboo sunglasses for comfort is that even though they are lightweight, as we have already learned, you do not need to sacrifice durability for it.

 

Bamboo Sunglasses Involve a Lot Less Industrial Processes

We have learned about how easily bamboo grows, but how does this compare against the industrial processes used to make plastic and metal sunglasses?

Plastic is made from petroleum. To get from crude oil to the plastic frames that sunglasses may use involves a lot of processes that cause a lot of damage to the environment. In addition to that, when plastic sunglasses break and are disposed of, it can take them whole centuries to break down, polluting the environment in the process.

Metal too goes through many processes between its extraction from the earth and its final destination as frames for sunglasses, using up lots of energy and chemicals during this.

Bamboo does not have to go through all of this, making it not just a more environmentally friendly plant, but a more environmentally friendly material overall, both during production and after it is disposed of.

 

Bamboo Sunglasses Look Unique

Whatever you are wearing, you want it to look good. Taste in fashion and beauty may be subjective, but one thing that no one can deny is that bamboo sunglasses look unique. Perhaps more importantly, the wood-like aesthetic is versatile enough to fit in with just about any style.

 

 

We have looked at 5 reasons everyone is buying bamboo sunglasses, from environmental benefits to aesthetics and everything in between, hopefully giving you an understanding of why choosing bamboo for your next pair of sunglasses should be a no-brainer. Ready to try a pair? Check out Eastern Outer's 5-Star rated Bamboo Floating Sunglasses