The next solar eclipse is just a few days away — shop eclipse glasses deals ahead of the event

Eclipse glasses and sunglasses are extremely different from one another. Sunglasses will not protect you from potential eye damage caused by looking directly at the sun. Sunglasses are usually crafted from plastic, glass, or polycarbonate lenses and tend to allow more sunlight to pass through.

Eclipse glasses use solar filters, on the other hand, which are comprised of both black polymer, a resin containing carbon particles, or aluminum-coated polyester film. While these lenses look similar to sunglasses, these filtered versions reduce the amount of visible light they allow through to much safer levels for your eyes. Be sure there are no scratches, dents, or bubbles in the lenses either, as those impurities may hinder your glasses' effectiveness.

Yes, you can keep the same pair of eclipse glasses you bought previously! You don't need to buy a new pair for every celestial event, so long as you've stored them properly. They're a lot like 3D viewing glasses, so the lenses will still function properly from year to year, even if you wear them while staring directly at the solar eclipse the entire time it's in totality.

Just make sure you keep the glasses free of rips or tears. Don't bend them when storing them, and make sure they're in good shape before you don them for this event. It's best to store them somewhere flat where they'll stay in the most pristine condition possible.

Eclipse glasses should last indefinitely, as long as they're well taken care of. Ensure they're not damaged when you put them on, store them in a cool, dry place, and make sure they're in good condition before using them. It's a good practice to replace them if you've had them for a few years just in case if you want to make triple sure there's no risk to your eyes, but there's no real requirement to do this as long as you protect them and keep them from tears, rips, or other blemishes that may look simply cosmetic, but could adversely affect their efficacy.

Whether you're planning on viewing the eclipse while in totality or at any point during the celestial event, you need to be wearing your eclipse glasses. The only time it's safe to remove your glasses is when the moon is completely covering the sun, at which point you shouldn't see any light at all. When you begin seeing light at the edges of the eclipse again or any brightness at all, you should ensure you put your glasses back on right away.

These rules should only apply to total eclipses, however. If ever you're viewing a partial solar eclipse where the sun is never completely obscured, there is no safe point during which you should remove your eclipse glasses. There's never a safe amount of time you should spend staring at the sun if you don't want to do any permanent eye damage, so stay safe and just keep those glasses on in case.