Sunglasses Lens Color Guide

Tinted glasses lenses have become one of the most popular trends of the summer. With dark colors, light colors, and a rainbow of colors in between, colored lenses are a great way to add a stylish touch to your sunglasses. However, did you know each color tint performs a specific job?

While many sunglasses already come with 100% UVA-UVB protection, certain tinted lenses can help reduce glare from reflective surfaces, help you see more comfortably in bright sunlight, and help you look good doing it.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about tinted glasses, lens colors, and which may be best for your needs.

The Different Tints of Sunglasses

Tinted sunglasses come in a range of colors. From blue to green to charcoal gray, there are tons of options that match your style preferences and vision needs.

Before we break down the different lens colors and what they can do for your eyes, it’s important to understand the different kinds of tinted sunglasses available. The two most popular kinds are polarized lenses and mirrored sunglasses.

Let’s break down the difference below.

What Are Polarized Lenses?

Polarized lenses are a special kind of sunglass lens that filter horizontal glare from certain reflective surfaces, increasing comfort and enhancing contrast in bright light. For example, light can bounce off the surface of water, vehicles on the road, buildings, reflective signs, or even pavement, making it difficult to see clearly and could make your eyes feel uncomfortable.

Light can bounce in all directions including vertically, horizontally and diagonally. The light that typically causes the most discomfort is horizontal light that bounces off these surfaces. This is where polarized sunglasses can help. Polarized sunglasses use a special coating to help filter the horizontal light, reducing glare and enhancing contrast so you can see clearly and comfortably.

What About Mirrored Lenses?

Mirrored sunglasses have become a trendy sunglasses style, not just for the bold statement they make but also because they help protect your eyes from the harsh rays of the sun and offer maximum protection for your eyes. They use a fully reflective coating to give them the envied mirrored look, and some mirrored lenses double as polarized lenses for increased clarity.

Both mirrored and polarized lenses come in a variety of colored lenses. Depending on your color preferences and what you want your sunglasses to do, you may want to consider a different lens color. Below are the most popular glasses colors, what they do, and tips for finding the best lenscolor for you!

Lens Color Guide

Charcoal Gray Lenses

If you have a mellow style and prefer your glasses to match with neutrals, gray shades might be your best bet. But they’re more than just a fashion-forward lens. Gray tinted lenses are popular because they’re excellent for all weather conditions.

If it’s cloudy or rainy, gray polarized lenses can help enhance contrast and reduce glare from wet roads. If it’s bright and sunny, gray lenses help keep your eyes comfortable from the glare. They also display accurate colors outside, so you’ll have true color perception while wearing gray shades.

What can you do in these shades? The answer is anything! But gray shades are perfect for everyday use, sports, outdoor activities and more.

Amber and Brown Lenses

Amber shades are popular sunglasses lenses for maintaining your distance and depth perception. These glasses contain a warm, reddish hue that helps support your vision while also reducing glare and enhancing contrast in polarized styles.

Amber or brown lenses are excellent for bright, sunny days. However, if you’re looking for glasses that will function properly on rainy and cloudy days as well, these shades likely aren’t your best bet. For low light conditions and rainy days, stick to gray shades.

If you’re driving, racing, golfing, or fishing, an amber lens is a great option.

Green Lenses

Green sunglasses are one of the trendiest colors available as far as polarized, and mirrored sunglasses are concerned. As a bonus, they’re similar to amber styles and gray shades but can be used in low light and bright light conditions. So, whether it’s rainy, cloudy, sunny, or in between, you can rock a pair of green shades all day.

Green lenses are also great for maintaining color accuracy and enhancing contrast. They do this by reducing glare and brightening shadows. Wear these glasses for general use, on cloudy or sunny days, and to enjoy the accurate colors of your surroundings.

Pink and Red Lenses

Known for enhancing contrast and supporting depth perception and field of vision, pink and red lenses are another popular lens color to wear this year. They help reduce glare in polarized styles and are especially effective at keeping the eyes comfortable during bright conditions.

Yellow Lenses

Yellow lenses provide a more powerful level of contrast than other tints and are more efficient for seeing in low light conditions. Sports lovers are known for using yellow tinted lenses for focusing on moving objects. These lenses are excellent for enhancing contrast and reducing glare in low light conditions, but they can still help in brighter conditions, too.

Whether you’re spending time outdoors, navigating low light or hazy conditions, or just wearing yellow tints for the sunny color, these glasses are an excellent option.

Blue Lenses

Blue shades are another popular color lens tint. Blue tinted sunglasses are great for adding a pop of color to your outfit, offering 100% UV protection and enhancing contrast. Another benefit of blue lenses is that they maintain color perception instead of distorting it.

Polarized styles of blue lenses are also great for reducing contrast during snowy conditions, from the surface of water or out in the bright sun. Enjoy these fashion-forward, blue tints all year long.

Choosing the Best Tint for You

An important part of choosing the best lens tint for you is choosing one based on your preferences. What colors do you like the best? What colors match your clothing and style? Take this into consideration when choosing a lens color!

Another factor to consider is what activities you do most often while wearing sunglasses. If you’re in low light conditions, hazy fog, or cloudy weather when you wear sunglasses, a yellow, green, or gray tint might be best for you. If you use sunglasses in brighter conditions, a gray, blue, or red lens might be best.

It’s also important to consider whether you want to use a polarized sunglasses lens, a mirrored sunglasses lens, or one that functions as both. Polarized lenses help reduce glare and enhance contrast, while mirrored lenses are a fashion statement and offer UV protection while keeping your eyes comfortable.

A Hint of Tint

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to lens colors, so if you’re looking to spice up your wardrobe, add a pop of color, or help enhance eye comfort and contrast during the summer, knowing the differences in lens tints can help you find the best pair of sunglasses for you.

No matter what your preferences are, there’s a pair of sunglasses for everyone at Foster Grant. Shop all sunglasses styles now.

Tinted glasses lenses have become one of the most popular trends of the summer. With dark colors, light colors, and a rainbow of colors in between, colored lenses are a great way to add a stylish touch to your sunglasses. However, did you know each color tint performs a specific job?

While many sunglasses already come with 100% UVA-UVB protection, certain tinted lenses can help reduce glare from reflective surfaces, help you see more comfortably in bright sunlight, and help you look good doing it.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about tinted glasses, lens colors, and which may be best for your needs.

The Different Tints of Sunglasses

Tinted sunglasses come in a range of colors. From blue to green to charcoal gray, there are tons of options that match your style preferences and vision needs.

Before we break down the different lens colors and what they can do for your eyes, it’s important to understand the different kinds of tinted sunglasses available. The two most popular kinds are polarized lenses and mirrored sunglasses.

Let’s break down the difference below.

What Are Polarized Lenses?

Polarized lenses are a special kind of sunglass lens that filter horizontal glare from certain reflective surfaces, increasing comfort and enhancing contrast in bright light. For example, light can bounce off the surface of water, vehicles on the road, buildings, reflective signs, or even pavement, making it difficult to see clearly and could make your eyes feel uncomfortable.

Light can bounce in all directions including vertically, horizontally and diagonally. The light that typically causes the most discomfort is horizontal light that bounces off these surfaces. This is where polarized sunglasses can help. Polarized sunglasses use a special coating to help filter the horizontal light, reducing glare and enhancing contrast so you can see clearly and comfortably.

What About Mirrored Lenses?

Mirrored sunglasses have become a trendy sunglasses style, not just for the bold statement they make but also because they help protect your eyes from the harsh rays of the sun and offer maximum protection for your eyes. They use a fully reflective coating to give them the envied mirrored look, and some mirrored lenses double as polarized lenses for increased clarity.

Both mirrored and polarized lenses come in a variety of colored lenses. Depending on your color preferences and what you want your sunglasses to do, you may want to consider a different lens color. Below are the most popular glasses colors, what they do, and tips for finding the best lenscolor for you!

Lens Color Guide

Charcoal Gray Lenses

If you have a mellow style and prefer your glasses to match with neutrals, gray shades might be your best bet. But they’re more than just a fashion-forward lens. Gray tinted lenses are popular because they’re excellent for all weather conditions.

If it’s cloudy or rainy, gray polarized lenses can help enhance contrast and reduce glare from wet roads. If it’s bright and sunny, gray lenses help keep your eyes comfortable from the glare. They also display accurate colors outside, so you’ll have true color perception while wearing gray shades.

What can you do in these shades? The answer is anything! But gray shades are perfect for everyday use, sports, outdoor activities and more.

Amber and Brown Lenses

Amber shades are popular sunglasses lenses for maintaining your distance and depth perception. These glasses contain a warm, reddish hue that helps support your vision while also reducing glare and enhancing contrast in polarized styles.

Amber or brown lenses are excellent for bright, sunny days. However, if you’re looking for glasses that will function properly on rainy and cloudy days as well, these shades likely aren’t your best bet. For low light conditions and rainy days, stick to gray shades.

If you’re driving, racing, golfing, or fishing, an amber lens is a great option.

Green Lenses

Green sunglasses are one of the trendiest colors available as far as polarized, and mirrored sunglasses are concerned. As a bonus, they’re similar to amber styles and gray shades but can be used in low light and bright light conditions. So, whether it’s rainy, cloudy, sunny, or in between, you can rock a pair of green shades all day.

Green lenses are also great for maintaining color accuracy and enhancing contrast. They do this by reducing glare and brightening shadows. Wear these glasses for general use, on cloudy or sunny days, and to enjoy the accurate colors of your surroundings.

Pink and Red Lenses

Known for enhancing contrast and supporting depth perception and field of vision, pink and red lenses are another popular lens color to wear this year. They help reduce glare in polarized styles and are especially effective at keeping the eyes comfortable during bright conditions.

Yellow Lenses

Yellow lenses provide a more powerful level of contrast than other tints and are more efficient for seeing in low light conditions. Sports lovers are known for using yellow tinted lenses for focusing on moving objects. These lenses are excellent for enhancing contrast and reducing glare in low light conditions, but they can still help in brighter conditions, too.

Whether you’re spending time outdoors, navigating low light or hazy conditions, or just wearing yellow tints for the sunny color, these glasses are an excellent option.

Blue Lenses

Blue shades are another popular color lens tint. Blue tinted sunglasses are great for adding a pop of color to your outfit, offering 100% UV protection and enhancing contrast. Another benefit of blue lenses is that they maintain color perception instead of distorting it.

Polarized styles of blue lenses are also great for reducing contrast during snowy conditions, from the surface of water or out in the bright sun. Enjoy these fashion-forward, blue tints all year long.

Choosing the Best Tint for You

An important part of choosing the best lens tint for you is choosing one based on your preferences. What colors do you like the best? What colors match your clothing and style? Take this into consideration when choosing a lens color!

Another factor to consider is what activities you do most often while wearing sunglasses. If you’re in low light conditions, hazy fog, or cloudy weather when you wear sunglasses, a yellow, green, or gray tint might be best for you. If you use sunglasses in brighter conditions, a gray, blue, or red lens might be best.

It’s also important to consider whether you want to use a polarized sunglasses lens, a mirrored sunglasses lens, or one that functions as both. Polarized lenses help reduce glare and enhance contrast, while mirrored lenses are a fashion statement and offer UV protection while keeping your eyes comfortable.

A Hint of Tint

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to lens colors, so if you’re looking to spice up your wardrobe, add a pop of color, or help enhance eye comfort and contrast during the summer, knowing the differences in lens tints can help you find the best pair of sunglasses for you.

No matter what your preferences are, there’s a pair of sunglasses for everyone at Foster Grant. Shop all sunglasses styles now.

Sunglasses lenses are categorised by darkness of tint. There are five categories in total which absorb measurably different amounts of light through the lens. These tints range from very light (category 0) to extremely dark (category 4.)

 

So, are darker lenses better then?

No. Lens darkness has nothing to do with UV protection. The category of your lenses simple measures how much visible light they absorb. The darker the tint, the more light they absorb which can make it more comfortable for you to see. UV is invisible light and must be blocked, regardless of the sun lens category.

 In this article, you can learn about the 5 sunglasses categories and how they affect the way you see when looking through each type of lens.

 

What are the 5 lens categories?

The five lens categories are defined by their visible light absorption percentage. Abbreviated as ABS%, the five categories range from 0,1,2,3, and 4 with increasing levels of absorption as seen in the table below.

Category

0

1

2

3

4

ABS%

0% - 10%

10% - 20%

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20% - 43%

43% - 80%

80% – 92%

Tint

Very light

Light

Marginal

Dark

Very dark

Sun use

Overcast

Low

Moderate

Strong

Very strong

Driving suitability

Day & night

Day only

Day only

Day only

Never

 

How are lenses darkened?

Sun lenses are made by darkening a prescription or non-prescription lens with a tint colour such as grey, green or brown.

Depending on the darkness required, their visible light absorption percentage (ABS%) is controlled by the duration of which they're immersed in the tint. This occurs in a heated liquid bath of dye which penetrates the uncut lens (seen below).

ABS% denotes the amount of light absorbed by a sun lens which can be anything between 1% or 100%. It’s this percentage that informs the five sunglasses categories.

 

What category of sun lenses is best?

Depending on your application, most recreational sunglasses use category 2 or 3 lenses for tasks like driving, walking and sport.

Category 1 lenses are very lightly tinted, with little to no darkening effect. This is usually insufficient for bright sunny days are are more often used for fashion purposes or light sensitive eye conditions.

Category 4 lenses are considered specialist for high-exposure scenarios like mountaineering and are in fact illegal for driving in the UK.

For more details, check out the following descriptions and applications of the 5 lens categories in the list below.

 

What are category 0 sunglasses?

Category 0 lenses have little to no tint which barely reduces the darkness of the lens. With as little as 5% of the light being absorbed, category 0 lenses are vaguely tinted and are used for prescription spectacles.

 

What are category 1 sunglasses?

Category 1 lenses  have a more obvious colouration from tinting, but would still be far too light for use as everyday sunglasses. Category 1 lenses are basically a coloured spectacle lens which offer mild relief on bright days. A popular choice for people who live in very sunny locations or have sensitive eyes.

 

What are category 2 sunglasses?

Category 2 lenses  are the halfway point between a very dark spectacle lens and a light sunglasses lens. Their colouration is prominent and absorbs less than half of sunlight through the lens. Category 2 lenses could be used as sunglasses on moderately bright or overcast days.

 

What are category 3 sunglasses?

Category 3 lenses absorb around two thirds of visible light which makes them suitable as everyday recreational sunglasses for activities such as sport, driving or a blue-sky day on the beach. Banton Frameworks sunglasses are category 3.

 

What are category 4 sunglasses?

These are the darkest sun lenses. Because they absorb so much visible light, they’re illegal to wear for driving. Generally, these lenses are only suitable for extreme exposure scenarios such as high-altitude mountaineering. Not your everyday sunglasses lens.

 

What are category 5 sunglasses?

Category 5 lenses are considered the same as category 4 lenses if you start from 1 instead of 0. These lenses absorb up to 92% of visible light and are extremely dark to look through. They are designed for high exposure excursions, usually with side shields for the prevention of snow blindness for mountaineers.

 

 

What does uv400 mean on sunglasses?

UV400 or UV40 sunglasses have lenses which block 99-100% of UVA and UVB (ultraviolet) sun light. This means they properly protect your eyes from the most damaging frequencies up to 400 nanometres, hence the name.

You must remember that regardless of sunglasses categories, protection against ultraviolet light is the single most crucial factor of any pair of sunglasses.

Truth be told, the darkness of a lens has nothing to do with UV protection. Tint only reduces the amount of visible light which can pass through a lens and doesn't block any UV.

Ironically (and dangerously) a very dark lens without UV filtration would make your pupils dilate to let more visible and UV light-in. This would seriously damage your eyes and could lead to significant or permanent damage such as cataracts, photokeratitis, macular degeneration or even blindness.

Always check that your sunglasses are rated with full UV protection.

At Banton Frameworks, all our sunglasses are 100% UV protective in compliance with European standards.

 

Visible light can pass through a UV400 sun lens | UVA & UVB cannot pass through | UVC is absorbed by the atmosphere

 

Is 100% UV protection same as polarised?

UV protection is not the same as polarised lenses. Protection from ultraviolet light is mandatory whereas polarisation is an optional upgrade to help reduce glare from reflected and overhead sunlight.

Polarised lenses must always be UV protective, but they also contain an additional filter called a polariser. This filter is a chemical film which is built into the layers of the lens construction.

Upon the filter are microscopic rows of molecules which are vertically aligned in relation to your eyes. This creates a filter which blocks-out most horizontally orientated light.

But what is horizontal light?

Horizontal light occurs when it’s reflected off molecules in the air or when it bounces off large shiny surfaces such as water, snow, buildings or cars. These flat surfaces re-orientate and condense the light into what is called glare.

Glare is painful to look towards and boy does it interfere with your vision. Especially when you’re trying to drive your car, play sport or just see clearly.

Because of their in-built filter, polarised sunglasses can block most of this distracting glare from entering your lenses; making them more consistent and smoother than regular sun lenses.

This is why they're such a popular choice for sunglasses for driving or if you play outdoor sports.

 

 

Summary

• Lenses are categorised into 5 types, ranging from light to dark.
• Tint darkness is measured as a percentage called visible light absorption or ABS% for short.
• Sunglasses must be 99-100% protective against ultraviolet light and state or be accompanied with the UV40 or UV400 rating in compliance with European law.
• Lens darkness has no relevance towards UV protection as is merely a personal preference based on how you use your sunglasses.
• Category 4 lenses are illegal for use whilst driving and are best avoided unless you require them for extreme exposure scenarios.
• Polarised lenses are a secondary option and have no effect on UV protection. They are simply used to reduce reflected glare.