Polaroid introduced the first commercially available polarized sunglasses in 1937.
Edwin H. Land invented Polaroid’s synthetic polarizing filter and founded the Polaroid Corporation in 1937. The company applied this technology to sunglasses, where a polarizing filter reduces glare from reflective surfaces such as water, snow, and roads. This made polarized eyewear especially useful for driving and outdoor activities.
Polaroid sunglasses are sometimes confused with ordinary tinted sunglasses. Tint mainly reduces overall brightness, while polarization selectively limits certain reflected light. The two features can be combined, but they are not identical.
The Polaroid name is also strongly associated with instant photography because the company later became famous for instant cameras. That photographic reputation can obscure its important role in optical filters and sunglasses. The 1937 date concerns the commercial introduction of polarized sunglasses, not the invention of all sunglasses or the first tinted lenses.