Yes, it’s a thing. And an important one. Because when it comes to sunglasses, lens colour is much more than a fashion statement.
Most of us choose the lens colours of our sunglasses based on aesthetics. We pick whatever colour looks cool in most of our clothing ensemble, or whatever is our mood during that day. While there’s nothing wrong about completing the rainbow colours in our personal collection, we might need to shake things up a bit this time.
Every colour that you find in stores has unique abilities that can be beneficial to your eyes. Some colours can cut down the glare more, some can block the blue light, and some can improve visual clarity and vividness.
Depending on what activity you mostly do or weather condition you are in, your options may vary. In this piece, we’re looking through a kaleidoscope and understand which colours will benefit you more.
But First, a Little Heads Up
Bear in mind that the lens colour is not indicative of the amount of UV protection of the sunglasses. That’s because to achieve total UV protection, lenses are treated with colourless coating that can absorb the UV rays.
The tint or colour you’re choosing is an additional feature with specific functions. It’s important to note that it’s the UV label that must be given attention to if it’s the UV protection that you’re after.
However, it must not undermine the importance of coloured lenses. Specific hues work well in protecting your eyes from the blue light spectrums which can incur damage to your retina.
But you’re not here for the science lessons, right? So let’s jump right into what you came here for.
Benefits of Each Lens Colour
Green Lenses
Ray Ban 3025 Aviator Matte Gold Green Crystal Mirror (3025 112/19)
You can say green lenses are the jack of all trades in the sunnies business. With green lenses, you can do just almost everything, under almost every condition. It can cut down the glare when the sun’s presence is too extreme. But on the flipside, it can also provide good contrast in low-light conditions.
They’re perfect for almost every sport or activity. If you’re into cycling, golfing, or tennis, going green could be beneficial to your eyes. Even if you just want to go fishing on a cloudy day, grab your rod and reel, wide-brimmed hats and shades with green lenses on it and you’ll be reeling in big catches in no time.
Brown or Amber Lenses
AM Eyewear Maradona Polarised Gold Brown Gradient (132 GD-VB)
Sunnies with brown lenses are one of those shades that can be worn by people from all walks of life. Whether you’re an elite athlete off duty, or an office guy who just loves to drive his car to work, you probably own a pair.
Unbeknownst to many, amber lenses are amber for a reason. They are good for enhancing contrasts and improving the depth perception of the wearer. Surprisingly, they can also minimize your exposure to blue light.
However, they would work very well only during either full-on summery days or days that are cloudy with a chance of sunshine.
Yellow or Gold Lenses
Oakley Holbrook XL Polarised Matte Black Prizm 24K (9417 23)
Much like the brown lenses, yellow or gold lenses can also filter blue light coming from screens of your PC, smartphones or TV. But unlike the amber ones, yellow-tinted lenses are a lot less popular.
However, popularity and functionality aren’t always supposed to go in one sentence together. Even though you don’t always see shelves filled with yellow-tinted sunnies, no one can deny their functionality.
They work perfectly in very specific conditions like foggy and low-light environments. So if you often drive on foggy roads due to the cool climate, a yellow-tinted pair of sunglasses is a good investment.
Blue Lenses
Bolle Flyair Polarised Matte Black Offshore Blue (12261)
Blue lenses are probably one of the best colours if you want to excel in snowy playing fields. It can help improve your colour perception and define contours. These features are exactly what you need to achieve that sharpness and clarity of vision, especially in the snowy mountains where everything seems to be covered in white.
So if you’re into skiing or snowboarding, opt for sports goggles with blue lenses. Aside from these sports, you can also use this when fishing or mountain biking.
Grey or Black Lenses
Dragon Verse Matte Black Grey (38676-002)
Grey or black lenses are much like the green lenses. They’re an all-rounder when it comes to eye protection. They can cut down the glare, enhance your colour perception, and reduce eye strain and fatigue.
If you’re looking for everyday sunglasses, go for a pair with dark lenses for they can protect your eyes and improve your vision all-year round. Maybe except for the winter. We’re still placing our bets on the blue lenses when it comes to protecting your eyes during this season.
Red Lenses
Spy Discord Matte Black Happy Grey Green Red Flash Spectra (SPDSWW130)
Last and definitely not least. Red lenses can work well in most conditions. Whether it’s sunny, cloudy, or snowy, red can still enhance visual depth and help your eyes in adjusting with color contrasts to reduce the risks of eye strain.
So if you’re that guy who finds pleasure in both riding on the road when it’s summer and skating down a snowy mountain during the winter, go for sunglasses with red lenses.
If you’re having a hard time digesting all these words or just too busy to read through all of them, below are some charts that we made so you can easily see which lens colour will benefit you the most.
You can simply save them onto your phone and use this as a reference when shopping for sunglasses.
If you’ll see below, black or grey lenses are the most versatile of all the colour options. You can use it in every activity that you could think of. That’s why most of the sunglasses that you see in shops have dark-tinted lenses.
But if you want to be more specific with your options, you can simply follow the guide below.
If you live in a place where the season changes all-year round, it can have a direct impact on your vision when performing different activities outdoors. So it’s better if you consider these colour options.
Final Thoughts
It’s not bad thinking about style when choosing your sunglasses. In fact, we also believe in the “look good, feel good” mantra. Wear whatever makes you look lit and feel confident.
But if you’re also big on protecting your eyes as well as levelling up your game, you might want to consider the lens colour guide that we just laid out. This can help you weed out your options when shopping for a pair. And to make it easier, you can actually shop by lens colour right here.
Speaking of options, you’ll never run out of these here in Great Southern Sunnies. We carry the big names of the eyewear industry like Oakley, Ray-Ban, Dragon, Prada, Police, and more.
We also have a plethora of sunglasses available so you might have a hard time picking the best colourways that suit your style and provide the protection you need.
But with the lens colour guide, we’re sure you can make your sunnies shopping a breeze!