This is a sponsored post by RIA Eyewear, a young performance eyewear company whose mission is to build products that don’t force players to choose between performance, safety and style.
Why eyewear should be a part of your tennis equipment?
While many players focus their attention on racquets, strings and shoes, there’s arguably no more valuable piece of equipment than a player’s eyes. Unlike the rest of a player’s gear, the eyes are irreplaceable and must be protected, especially when spending countless hours on court under intense sunlight.
Over time, exposure to harmful UV rays can result in cataracts (clouding of the eye lens) and macular degeneration (deterioration of the central portion of the retina), both of which can lead to loss of vision. With the proper eyewear, however, this can be avoided.
RIA Eyewear, a New York-based company, has set out to prove that eye protection does not have to come at the expense of performance and, in fact, it can help players perform better. In 2018, RIA Eyewear teamed up with renowned lens maker ZEISS to create a lens tint developed specifically for tennis players. After a two-year testing period, RIA built their lens solution specifically to increase the contrast of the yellow ball against the court background while offering 100% protection from harmful UV rays. The wrap-around shield style offers extended coverage of the eyes and skin in the surrounding area, while also preventing UV rays from reflecting off of the backside of the lens and directly into the player’s eyes. The frames are handmade in Italy and weigh less than 1 ounce, allowing players to forget they are wearing anything at all.
About RIA Eyewear products
Top-performance features
- A-RID anti-fog technology developed in collaboration with ZEISS
- Hydrophilic temple tips to help avoid any slippage during play
- Impact and scratch resistant lenses
- Featherlight Italian frames weighing less than 1oz
- 100% UVA/UVB protection up to 400nm
- Interchangeable lens system to account for different lighting conditions
RIA’s first line of tennis eyewear, RIA ONE, is available in 6 color combinations (all of which include a Cobalt Blue Mirror HD+ lens along with a Clear HD+ lens for indoor play). The company also offers a Hybrid Orange HD+ lens as an add-on to account for low light outdoor conditions. To learn more, visit RIA Eyewear.
