Sunglasses Lens Options Explained
Are you getting disoriented looking at all the various available options for your next pair of prescription sports sunglasses? Eyesports understands the decision-making process can be overwhelming, so we have made this page to help explain the common lens options available.
Lens Options
Polarised Lenses
Polarised lenses, often considered the “gold standard” for sunglasses, provide great protection from reflections from flat surfaces, such as roads, water, snow and shiny car bonnets. They help to improve depth and contrast, reduce eyestrain and fatigue, and also improve perception of shapes and colours.
However, Polarisation makes it difficult to view LCD screens. These lenses are also not suitable for driving at night or in dull conditions
Transitions/Photochromic Lenses
Transitions and photochromic lenses automatically darken when triggered by UV light. Even though they can take a minute or two to fully adjust, these lenses can take away the need to have two sets of glasses – clear pair and sunglasses – and to have to switch between these in changing light conditions. Please note that transitions can be quite dark on cloudy days that have high UV indexes.
Transitions Drivewear is the world’s only sunglass lens that changes to three different colours and also darken and lighten to suit your outdoor conditions. Typically, efficient polarisation only occurs when the lenses are very dark. Transitions Drivewear lenses utilize a high efficiency polariser that provides excellent polarising properties never found before in such a high contrast, light colour meaning that wearers can experience the visual benefits of polarisation even when the lenses are not extremely dark.
Transitions Drivewear are suitable for any daytime outdoor activity, including: Driving, Fishing, Golf, working outdoors, Cycling, Boating, Sport, Jogging, Beach, Hiking, Gardening.
Standard Tints
Standard tinted lenses do not have polarisation, though antireflective coatings can be added to improve clarity. Additionally, standard tints come in a variety of mirror coatings, which help to cut down glare and improve the look of the sunglasses. Lenses can be tinted to nearly any colour and shade in Eyesports very own optical lab, at special request.
Lens Colours
GREY: neutral grey colours block light without changing the appearance of so that your environment appears correct this is a very popular colour. Great for outdoor sports.
BROWN: brown also an incredibly sunglass helps to increase contrast and depth perception in bright sunlight but don appear dark cloudy conditions. Blocks high amounts of blue light. Great against grass and blue skies. Great for fishing, cycling, golf, watersports, skiing, and ballsports.
ROSE: brown with a hint of a red tone. Perfect for fishing, due to the enhanced view of depth in blue water. Also great for driving in hazy road conditions. May cause some colour imbalance. Useful for fishing, cycling, skiing, shooting and watersports.
COPPER: great for fishing, especially in brown, muddy streams. Also great in highly reflective snow. Cuts out haze and enhances image clarity.
G15: G15 Green increases contrast, whilst still maintaining colour balance. Reduces glare, but brightens shadows. Great for watersports, cycling and skiing.
BLUE: enhances image contours and can have a calming effect on eyes. Useful for snow, watersports and golf.
YELLOW: increases contrast in hazy/low-light conditions. Filters out blue light for sharper focus. Great for shooting, cycling, snow, basketball and tennis.
ORANGE: increases contrast in hazy/low-light conditions. Filters out blue light for sharper focus. Great for shooting, cycling, snow, basketball and tennis.
Mirror Coatings
Mirror coatings are the colourful and reflective coatings on the outside of the sunglass lenses. Mirror coatings help to reduce glare and reflect infrared light, which can reduce eye fatigue and potentially even reduce the risk of damage to the eyes. Mirror coatings can turn an ordinary pair of sunglasses into a trendy, eye-catching fashion statement.
Please note that mirror coatings will make scratches on the lens more visible, so keep this in mind if you plan to wear your sunglasses for impact sports or work.
When you’re riding or playing outdoor sport, you come across changing temperatures. When you stop or start, or take a break, you can heat up. With cooler air around you, fogging can form on your goggles or glasses.
The best solution that the Eyesports team has found is Optifog. Optifog lenses are a patented anti-fog technology by Essilor, which comes in two parts- built into the lenses, and a cloth impregnated with special solution. The two parts work together to make the surface of the lenses more hydrophilic (‘water loving’). When the temperature changes, water droplets are attracted to the lens surface. This means that the condensation spreads out evenly over the lens surface.
Optifog coatings are recommended for most sports eyewear, but is particularly useful for ski and motocross goggles, cycling glasses and ballsports glasses.
Standard Anti-Reflective Coating
Anti-reflective multicoat is the recommendation for the vast majority of prescription eyewear. Great for indoor use and night driving, anti-reflection helps reduce reflections and glare from indoor lighting and from car headlights at night. This greatly improves the clarity of vision with your prescription lenses. AR coatings may scratch a little quicker than standard hard coat lenses, so keep this in mind if you work in a dusty environment.
Blue-Light Blocking Anti-Reflective Coating
Nowadays, most of us spend a significant amount of time on digital devices, such as smart-phones, computers and tablets. These devices produce a lot of light in the blue-side of the visible light spectrum. There is suggestion that blue light influences melatonin production, which can negatively affect quality of sleep. Blue-light blocking filters help to reduce eye fatigue during prolonged use of electronic devices. The coating gives a subtle yellow-brown tint, which many say makes their eyes more comfortable on bright white screens. This is not recommended for use where colour perception is of high importance (art, photo editing, etc.)
Oakley's PRIZM lens technology
PRIZM™ is an Oakley lens technology designed to enhance color and contrast so you can see more detail. Various designs available, engineered to your specific contrast and colour requirements. Available for many sports, including skiing, cycling, golf, ball sports, fishing and more.
