Lens Tints & Materials Tips
Read these 15 Lens Tints & Materials Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Sunglasses tips and hundreds of other topics.
Violet Tints
Violent tints increase contrast, but they can also downplay certain background colors. Violet tints are often used in sunglasses for shooting and hunting, but they are also sometimes used for skiing, other snow sports like snowmobiling, and golfing.
Make Your Own Fashion Statement
Only you can decide which of this year's sunglass trends will work for you. Here are a few guidelines to buying the right lenses: Mirrored lenses have a thin layer of metallic applied to lens that may reduce visible light to reach eyes, but not UV rays. Gradients are tinted lenses that are darker on the top fading to no tint on the bottom. Polarized lenses cut glare from smooth surfaces such as water, snow or pavement. Photochromic lenses are sun-sensitive and transition from light to dark shade according to light conditions. Tints are a color called "neutral density gray" and change shade but not color perception.
Wearing Sunglasses at Night
Okay, you don't want to wear sunglasses in the dead of night. That's just dangerous. But when the sun is setting, shift your dark-lensed glasses to sunglasses with lighter tints. Beiges go well with whatever outfit you're wearing. If you're in all black, go for a grey tint or give yourself a boost of color by choosing tints that are a little more whimsical, such as purple or blue.
Gradient Lenses
Gradient lenses are shaded in different colors from top to bottom. Gradient lenses are often used in driving sunglasses so the driver can more easily see inside as well as outside the car. Double gradient lenses are dark at the top and bottom and light in the middle.
Rose and Pink Tints
Rose and Pink tints give the highest contrast of all the tints, and give great low-light resolution. They are excellent for high-contrast sports like skiing.
Gray or Green Tints
These tints are good for clear days and general use. They offer the least amount of color distortion of the tints used in lenses. Some great gray and green shades come from Ray-Ban, especially known for their classic green and gray lenses for all-purpose wear.
Blue Tints
Blue tints are best for partly cloudy or even sunny situations. They allow the maximum amount of available blue light, and are often used in sunglasses for tennis, shooting in certain situations, winter sports, and even golf.
Gold and Yellow Tints
Gold and yellow tints add contrast, and are best for low-light and flat-light situations. Many hunters and shooters use these types of lenses, and they are also good for night driving.
Photochromic Lenses
Photochromic lenses automatically lighten and darken as light changes. They are often used in prescription lenses, but come in sunglass lenses too. Most Photchromic lenses do not darken as much as sunglasses, and they often do not get dark enough inside cars. Thus, they cannot completely replace sunglasses.
Brown Tints
Brown tints are excellent for increasing depth perception, so they are great for many outdoors sports from hiking to tennis.
Plastic, Polycarbonate, or Glass?
Most sunglasses come in three lens types, plastic, polycarbonate, or glass. Glass lenses are better for many situations, and should not distort as much as cheap plastic lenses. It is also heavier than the other materials. You can see high quality glass lenses in the Serengeti Trek Sunglasses. Polycarbonate lenses are more durable, and perfect for kids' sunglasses, many extreme sports, and in any situation where sunglasses could be damaged or broken by work or play. They also come in many designer brand shades like Christian Dior Sunglasses. Plastic lenses usually come in less expensive discount sunglasses, like the Ray-Ban Outsiders Wayfarer Sunglasses, which although more susceptible to scratching and breaking, still offer high quality for the money.
Test Sunglass Lenses for Imperfections
Before you buy a set of sunglasses, test the lenses for distortion and/or imperfections by looking through the lenses at a straight edge you hold at arms' length. If the lenses have no imperfections, you should continue to be able to see that straight edge without any curve or distortion. Test the lenses if you think the sunglasses might be a copy or imposter.
Mirrored Lenses
Mirrored lenses actually reduce how much light reaches the eyes, so they are great in high-altitude situations, where the air is thinner and brighter. They are often used in ski goggles and sunglasses.
Sunglass Tints and Your Eyes
Sunglasses come in many different colors and tints for a reason. They all protect your eyes from glare differently, and they all help you see some items more clearly. What tint is right for you depends on where you will be using your sunglasses, and your own eyes. Try tints before you buy to get the best results for your eyes.
| Guru Spotlight |
| William Pirraglia |
