Your future is bright – wear Babiators!
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Your future is bright – wear Babiators!
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How did you come up with the idea for Babiators?
For the answer to this question, click here.
If your Babiators are lost or broken, we'll replace them! For details, click here.
Yes! For a complete list of Babiators retailers click here.
Yes, we ship to most international destinations!
Babiators are also sold in select retailers internationally. For a complete list of Babiators retailers click here.
Our sunglasses are made by experienced sunglasses producers in Taiwan and China.
Babiators provide 100% UV protection from the full spectrum of UV (ultra violet) rays, including UVA, UVB, and UVC.
There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
UVC rays are absorbed by the earth's atmosphere and never reach the surface – good thing, too, because those bad boys are extremely dangerous!
UVA and UVB rays are damaging to our skin and to our eyes – they're the reason we wear sunscreen and the reason we should wear sunglasses. The difference between the two is their wavelength – UVA rays have a longer wavelength, measuring from 320 to 400 nanometers (nm), and UVB rays have a wavelength measuring from 290 to 320nm.
Both UVA and UVB rays penetrate the skin and our eyes, and can cause lasting damage.
When we say our lenses are "UV400," this refers to the wavelength of UV rays – UV400 lenses block all UV rays up to 400 nanometers (nm). All UV rays – UVA, UVB, and UVC – have wavelengths at or below 400 nm, so our "UV400" lenses block 100% of all UV rays.
UV rays can cause short-term and long-term damage to our eyes.
In the short-term, excessive exposure to the sun's rays can cause photokeratitis, or snow blindness – this is like getting a sunburn on your eye.
Exposure to UV over a lifetime can contribute to cataract formation, macular degeneration, pinguecula and pterygium (degeneration in the eye), photokeratitis and skin cancer on the eyelids.
We asked Dr. Keller Wortham, of Optimum Wellness Family Medical Group in Los Angeles, this very question – he did such a good job of answering our question in layman's terms, that we included his response below:
"In our eyes, light is transmitted through our lens to our retina. In children's eyes, the lens is clear, with no pigments, and so it transmits more UV light to the retina – this is what ultimately causes damage to our eyes later in life.
As we age, the lens damage from UV light causes the lens to yellow, acting as a natural protective filter. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's good because this yellowing prevents as much UV from reaching our retina. It's bad, though because this yellowing process continues until the lens becomes hazy – this is called a cataract.
If we block UV rays at a young age when the eye is more susceptible to damage, we could help slow damage to both the retina and the lens, and slow the development of cataracts."
BPA is short for Bisphenol A, a compound found in some plastics. Through numerous scientific studies, excessive exposure to BPA has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Further, a panel convened by the U.S. National Institutes of Health determined that there was "some concern" about BPA's effects on fetal and infant brain development and behavior, and the EPA has recently declared BPA to be a "chemical of concern." The Canadian government recently declared BPA to be a toxic substance, and has banned its use in baby bottles.
As parents, we should be concerned about our child's exposure to BPA at a young age. Because we know often children put sunglasses and other toys in their mouths, we created Babiators out of a flexible rubber material that does not contain BPA.
Just to be sure, we have a US-based company test every shipment of our finished sunglasses.
For recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on ways to decrease your child's exposure to BPA, and for up-to-date information on current governmental research, click here.
Resources:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/300/11/1303.full
http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/evals/bisphenol/BPAFinalEPVF112607.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/bpa.html
Phthalates are another family of compounds found in some plastics. Through numerous scientific studies, excessive exposure to phthalates has been linked to changes in hormone levels and birth defects, including compromised fetal development of the reproductive system and low birth weight in infants.
In 2008, Congress passed legislation limiting concentrations of certain phthalates in children's products, and the EPA cites "toxicity and the evidence of pervasive human and environmental exposure to these chemicals." As parents, we should be concerned about our child's exposure to these phthalates at a young age.
Even though US regulations do not require us to test our sunglasses for phthalates, we test each shipment for the dangerous phthallates BBP, DBP, DEHP, DIDP, DINP, DnOP to ensure that our glasses are safe and meet the most stringent standards in the world for children's products.
Resources:
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/phthalates.html
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:h4040:
We test each shipment of Babiators for lead paint and other metals and chemicals, so that we can be sure Babiators are free of lead-based paint and comply with all applicable regulations.
The contest will go live later this summer, so please check back with us then!
A 529 plan, or "qualified tuition plan", is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to help families save for future college expenses. There are several different types of 529 plans, and each state sponsors at least one type. The interest you earn through your 529 plan is exempt from federal taxes and, in most cases, state taxes.
Anyone can contribute to your child's 529 plan – parents, grandparents, friends, even Babiators!
Before selecting a plan, you should always discuss your options with your tax and financial advisors to ensure you're selecting the best plan for you and your family.
For information from the SEC on 529 plans, click here. For a listing of plans available by state, click here.
Each state offers different options for 529 plans, so you should do some research and before selecting a plan, you should always discuss your options with your tax and financial advisors to ensure you're selecting the best plan for you and your family.
Each plan has its own enrollment process and requirements, so once you've selected your plan, check with your plan's administrator on how to enroll.
No, there is no minimum age requirement for 529 plans – you can open a plan as soon as your child arrives! And there's no maximum, either – so if you're considering going back to college or grad school, you could open a plan for yourself!
Yes. If you are a foreign national living in the U.S., we understand that you may not benefit from the tax advantages of a 529 plan. If you win the contest, we will instead invest your winnings in a savings account of your choice – however, the account must be in the name of your child. We still want to ensure that the money can be used to support your child's future!
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