What types of prescription ( and non prescription ) sunglass lenses can I choose ?
Prescription sunglasses are available in virtually all lens materials, including lightweight safety materials. They are also available for most lens prescription, including multifocal glasses.
With so many lens options available, it's a good idea to ask your optometrist or optical dispenser for advice when choosing sunglasses. Different tints and lens designs can help you see better in certain conditions, and their advice can help you choose sunglass tints that are best suited for your needs. The three lens design options for prescription sunglass lenses are:
Tinted Sunglasses:
Lenses may be tinted in several different colours depending on their style and purpose. For general use grey tinted lenses are recommended in order to reduce sunlight while maintaining natural colour perception . Brown and green lenses tend to enhance contrast with low distortion of colours. Orange and yellow lenses also have excellent contrast enhancement and depth perception, but tend to distort colours. An average sunglass tint is between 70-80% darkness. Be aware that the colour or darkness of a tint has no relation to UV protection, so for adequate UV protection, make sure your sunglasses have a UV filer that block 100 percent UV. In Australia all sunglasses are legally required to have 100% UV protection. You can make sure of this by checking the certification tag on the sunglass.
Transitions/Photochromatic Sunglasses:
Transitions/Photochromatic Sunglasses: These lenses darken or lighten when entering into bright sunlight. Upon returning indoors, the lenses return to a clear state. For many people this great feature allows many people to reduce the need to rely on two pairs of glasses. Photochromatic lenses also normally blockout 100% UV light are an ideal choice for those not wanting to carry a separate pair of sunglasses along with their regular eyeglasses. However, most brands of photochromatic lenses do not darken
completely inside of cars, making them less effective sunglasses while driving. For those who prefer a dark lens inside the car, a separate pair of sunglasses may be necessary
Although simple tinted lenses and Transition lenses cosmetically look great and reduce brightness, they do not reduce glare. Glare is the intense white reflected distracting light we see which is reflected off water, windows, and other surfaces This distracting and annoying glare can be sometimes even be quite dangerous, particularly when it interferes with us when we are driving. This is where Polarised sunglass lenses become an ideal option.
Polarised Sunglasses:
These are specially designed lenses which in addition to a dark tint and
100% UV protection, they also include a polarizing filter that blocks out sunlight glare that tends to reflect from surfaces . So they not only reduce light coming through so that the outside environment is darker, they eliminate the reflected annoying glare from surfaces. They are ideal to eliminate distracting reflected glare in activities such as reflected glare off water sports, boating, skiing fishing and driving. Most polarized lenses will bear a label identifying them as such.
Sunglasses aren’t just for people who love sailing, fishing or going to the beach. Anyone who is bothered by glare outdoors can benefit from these advanced lenses
Sports Sunglasses
Sunglasses aren’t just a fashion statement — those tinted lenses protect your eyes from the sun’s brightness and harmful ultraviolet rays. Your clear glasses may give you excellent vision indoors and at night but they can’t provide optimum vision outdoors on a sunny day. Sunglasses will help you enjoy clear vision with less glare when playing sports, going to the beach, driving , or just wearing them
casually outdoors.
