Quick quiz time: which personality are you? The rebel? The trendsetter? The reluctant follower? Or how about the one who quickly embraces every fad you see, just to get overwhelmed by all the change? Or could you be...the one who lets his girlfriend convince him of whatever’s cool?

Hopefully you’re not in that last category, but if you are, pull your girlfriend over and let her have a read with you. In the end, whichever you fall under, you may or may have not joined up with the wooden sunglasses trend. If you and yours have, great - this article will be more of an affirmation of your classy decision. And if you all haven’t, let’s try to change that with 10 appealing reasons convincing enough to change your mind! 

Ready to be wowed? Here we go… 

10. The Impact of Wooden Sunglasses on Our Ocean Friends 

We’re in a quiz mood today, so here’s another question for you: Did you know that there’s more plastic in our oceans than fish? That’s crazy, right? 

Indeed it is! What are we doing to the only habitable planet we have? Not only does the plastic take up room that should be enjoyed by the creatures that inhabit it, but it can also create damage for creatures like fish and turtles that can become entangled in the plastic and seriously injured - if they’re fortunate enough to not die because of not being able to move! 

And let’s not forget the impact on humans from all this plastic in the ocean. When fish eat microplastic, and we then eat those fish...you get the idea, right? Who wants to eat all that plastic? 

In order to take care of our oceans - and ourselves - we should use plastic alternatives whenever possible...are wooden sunglasses sounding more appealing yet? 

9. Bamboo Sunglasses are Biodegradable! 

So yes, taking care of our oceans is a big reason for ditching plastic sunglasses, but taking care of the land is important, too. Many wooden sunglasses are made from bamboo, which as you may know is a biodegradable material. 

What exactly does “biodegradable” mean? Don’t worry if you’re not sure - it’s a hip word that’s thrown around so often it’s kind of lost its meaning. In fact, many people buy things that are biodegradable just because they’ve heard it’s a good thing to do. But we want you to have all the facts so you can make the most informed decision possible. If something’s biodegradable, that just means it can decompose relatively quickly, eventually joining the organic materials around it. 

If it helps, think of the piles of plastic you’ve seen lying around. A lot of plastic isn’t biodegradable, meaning it just sits around for what seems like forever, polluting what’s around it. Unlike plastic, bamboo decomposes relatively quickly until you wouldn’t have even known it was there, becoming absorbed by the organic materials around it - a process that’s much better for the earth than just sitting around. 

8. Remember All the “You Should Recycle” Lectures? 

In school (or at home!), you may have sat through several lectures about why you should recycle, and how to do it right. Well...if you still have guilt sitting around inside, here’s the perfect chance to do something about it. Many wooden sunglasses companies are all about using recycled materials to make their shades, and quite a few also offer to recycle the used shades you send in. So this is a way to support ethical business practices with a quick stop at your local post office or UPS store! 

7. No More “They Slid Across My Dashboard” Walk of Shame 

It’s happened to all of us - you set your shades on your dashboard to check something really quick, forget about them sitting there, and then...that heart-wrenching sound after making a sharp turn or stepping on your brakes suddenly. Let’s face it - many plastic shades are shamefully prone to breaking. And then your $20, $75 or $250 investment is gone, sitting at the bottom of your trash bag. 

Want a better solution? Well, you know what we’re going to say...wood is much more durable than plastic, as we’re sure you know, so naturally shades made from wood are going to be much more durable. So as long as you don’t leave them at that hotel in Miami or on a bench across the street from the Guggenheim - essentially, as long as you take care of your shades and keep track of them (we suggest keeping a special place for them!), they’ll be good to you back and last for a very long time. 

6. Pardon the Interruption - It’s Bamboo Again 

Bamboo is a material we just can’t stop raving about. Yes, bamboo is great because pandas love it, and pandas are adorable, but there’s so much more to bamboo than just that.

 Did you know that bamboo is the fastest growing material on the planet? It’s so fast it grows about 3 feet (1 meter) per day! That being said, once bamboo is cut to make shades, it grows back fast enough to make it a sustainable material that keeps up with demand - as long, of course, as we follow sustainable practices and don’t abuse the gift of how fast this plant grows. 

5. Be the Most Stylish Cat in the Room 

Be honest: we know you’ve dreamed of being the envy of everyone in the room. Well...if you’re wearing the same thing as everyone else, how can you possibly stand out, much less be the envy of anyone? 

Let us answer that for you: you can’t. In order to bring out the jealousy in others, you have to be daring, unique. So while others are slow to catch on to buying wooden or bamboo sunglasses, take the first step to being different. 

And sure, there will be the day (let’s hope) when wooden or bamboo sunglasses are the norm. We can only hope for that. When that time comes, this won’t be a compelling reason to refuse plastic anymore - then we’ll focus on convincing people because of how stylish they’ll look. And that’s a very good problem to have! 

4. Did Someone Say “Comfort”? 

You know exactly what we’re talking about - of course you want to look cool, but you also want to be comfortable, especially with something you’ll be wearing all day long. It’s (past) time to say goodbye to those bulky glasses that feel like they’re trying to push your nose down. They’re bad to your nose in more ways than one - haven’t you noticed that ugly red line on your nose after a long day at the beach? Sure it goes away after a few hours, but it still doesn’t look good in that group photo you took at dinner after hitting the waves! With their lightweight nature, wooden sunglasses don’t ever give you that nasty line, only all-day comfort. 

3. Go Against the Grain: Each Pair is Unique

 Listen up rebels, as you’ll want to hear this. It’s hard to make plastic shades look unique, as each piece is simply cut out of the same piece of plastic that’s just one color. Unlike plastic, however, the grain found in wood makes for a unique design on each pair of wooden sunglasses. That means that no two pair are unique, so even if you and your friends are all wearing the same EarthShade design, the grain pattern in each sets you all apart. 

2. Masculine or Feminine? Find Your Balance 

As you’ve probably noticed, it’s hard to find a material that can look either masculine or feminine, but wood is a material that is strong and gentle at the same time. It’s durable and sturdy (stereotypically masculine qualities) while also evoking calming scenes of nature (stereotypically female qualities). That makes it even easier to find a pair for you and your boo, or wear the other’s shades on a day you can’t find your own. Many pairs are unisex, although you will find certain designs that are either very feminine or very masculine, as well.

1. Honey, You Look Good! 

If it helps, think of the piles of plastic you’ve seen lying around. A lot of plastic isn’t biodegradable, meaning it just sits around for what seems like forever, polluting what’s around it. Unlike plastic, bamboo decomposes relatively quickly until you wouldn’t have even known it was there, becoming absorbed by the organic materials around it - a process that’s much better for the earth than just sitting around.

 Remember All the “You Should Recycle” Lectures? 

In school (or at home!), you may have sat through several lectures about why you should recycle, and how to do it right. Well...if you still have guilt sitting around inside, here’s the perfect chance to do something about it. Many wooden sunglasses companies are all about using recycled materials to make their shades, and quite a few also offer to recycle the used shades you send in. So this is a way to support ethical business practices with a quick stop at your local post office or UPS store!

 No More “They Slid Across My Dashboard” Walk of Shame 

It’s happened to all of us - you set your shades on your dashboard to check something really quick, forget about them sitting there, and then...that heart-wrenching sound after making a sharp turn or stepping on your brakes suddenly. Let’s face it - many plastic shades are shamefully prone to breaking. And then your $20, $75 or $250 investment is gone, sitting at the bottom of your trash bag. 

Want a better solution? Well, you know what we’re going to say...wood is much more durable than plastic, as we’re sure you know, so naturally shades made from wood are going to be much more durable. So as long as you don’t leave them at that hotel in Miami or on a bench across the street from the Guggenheim - essentially, as long as you take care of your shades and keep track of them (we suggest keeping a special place for them!), they’ll be good to you back and last for a very long time. 

6. Pardon the Interruption - It’s Bamboo Again 

Bamboo is a material we just can’t stop raving about. Yes, bamboo is great because pandas love it, and pandas are adorable, but there’s so much more to bamboo than just that. 

Did you know that bamboo is the fastest growing material on the planet? It’s so fast it grows about 3 feet (1 meter) per day! That being said, once bamboo is cut to make shades, it grows back fast enough to make it a sustainable material that keeps up with demand - as long, of course, as we follow sustainable practices and don’t abuse the gift of how fast this plant grows. 

5. Be the Most Stylish Cat in the Room

 The world’s a tough place. We all know that. People are mean, and life is hard. Is that why we appreciate compliments so much? 

Maybe, but for our purposes here, the why isn’t as important as the fact that we just do. Compliments infuse us with a sense of confidence we didn’t have just a few seconds ago. And a surefire way to get more compliments - and confidence - is by wearing something extra classy. Take a gander at EarthShade’s ever-expanding collection for proof that the bold, sassy or understated looks of these wooden shades are sure to get dozens of more compliments headed your way each day. And if you feel good, you’ll want to make others feel good - this feeling is contagious, and it’s an easy way to spread positivity even when times are tough. 

And the Verdict Is… 

And now, dear reader, it’s time for you to decide - have we convinced you enough to ditch plastic and embrace wooden or bamboo shades? Hopefully we have, but if you’re still skeptical, take a few minutes to think about it, chat with your friends, scan the internet, and check out EarthShade’s catalogue. We’re sure it’s a worthy investment, but want you to be sure of it, too. And maybe, just maybe, try out a pair of shades to see if our claims about style and comfort are true!