Real Kids Shades

Protection for kids’ eyes is fun, stylish and oh-so-effective.

When it comes to us humans, no one can deny that we are sun worshippers. Some statistics point out that about half of the total time we spend outdoors occurs in the first 20 years of our lives. And the human eye is 10 times more sensitive to harmful UV rays than our skin – reason enough to protect young eyes as aggressively as we do their bodies.

Thanks to these innovative companies, it’s no problem.

In my practice, and in the medical literature, I see that many eye diseases are linked to chronic, cumulative sun exposure. It’s important to be proactive and protect kids’ eyes with sunglasses.

-Mark Silverberg MD, Pediatric Ophthalmology

Where Fun meets FunKtion. funKshades is the first line of sunglasses for children with snappable, interchangeable, collectible, tradable charms. Founder Candy Hendrick created the company after learning her daughter Katherine was even more vulnerable to harmful UV rays because of a permanent birthmark on her eye. The “K: in funKshades even stands for “Katherine,” and the fun concept of personalizing sunglasses is inspired by her, too.

As parents, we smother our children with sunscreen, but we often forget to protect their sensitive, precious eyes.

Not only will kids love decorating their sunglasses with these whimsical charms, parents can feel good knowing that the sunglasses themselves provide 100% UVA/UVB polarized sun protection.

Just for Kids. Real Kids Shades are designed exclusively to fit a child’s face properly, and are shatterproof/impact-resistant, too. Made from durable, quality materials to ensure 100% of harmful UV rays are blocked, the folks at Real Kids Shades have worked with pediatric opthalmologists for optimal fit, comfort and safety. With a goal of having children’s shades viewed as a year-round necessity, the company hopes to educate the public on common misconceptions that can lead to permanent eye damage.

The truth is, wearing cheap toy sunglasses can actually do more harm to a child’s eyes than not wearing anything at all. Shaded lenses without 100% UVA/UVB protection will relax pupils, causing them to dilate and let more harmful radiation into children’s eyes.

-Real Kids Shades vice president Lisa Medora

Real Kids Shades’ collections -My First Shades, Flex Shades and the new Flex Duo Shades- are CPSIA compliant, CE Certified and FDA Approved to provide 100% UVA and UVB protection.

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Real Kids Shades honored by Prevent Blindness America.

Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, honors Real Kids Shades™ (RKS) with the Star Pupils™ Inaugural Partner Award, presented in recognition of the outstanding support the company provided to launch the organization’s new children’s eye health program, Star Pupils.

“We know that many parents are not well-informed about how critical quality UV protection is relative to their children’s vision,” says VP of marketing Lisa Medora. “We are now able to help educate parents on the importance of UV protection as well as provide much-needed funds to support such an important program.”

RKS designed a pair of Star Pupils-branded infant sunglasses and pledged 20% of the proceeds from every purchase to the Star Pupils’ efforts. A main component of the program is education on eye safety, including UV protection.

Even though every parent has been warned about the harmful effects of UV rays, and 82% of parents use sunscreen to protect their children’s skin, only 32% take action to protect their children’s eyes. This is especially dangerous because children’s eyes are

more vulnerable to sun damage than those of adults. Long-term UVA/UVB exposure is linked to adverse effects such as the development of cataracts, sun burning of the eyes, known as photokeratitis and macular degeneration, which scientists now believe is a leading cause of blindness in adults.

Real Kids Shades products make it easier than ever for parents to quickly and thoroughly shield their children’s eyes from what could turn into a lifetime of disease. With a complete line of sunshades that feature 100% protection against UVA/UVB rays along with shatterproof, impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, parents now can have the protection without the hassle. The company meets the strictest American, European and Australian standards in eye protection and are CPSIA compliant. Products are also CE Certified and FDA approved for protecting children’s eyes.

Prevent Blindness America also honors The Abbott Fund, Transitions, Healthy Sight for Life Fund and VisionDirect.com with the award as well.

-Janet Muniz