Sun Darkening and Tinted Lenses

The lenses that change color in the sun are described on our site as "Sun Darkening" lenses. They are also known as "Photochromic" or sometimes as "Transitions" (which is a brand name).

The amount of darkness is determined by the thickness of the lens. So, if you had a strong prescription and did not get thin lenses, they would be darker than if you had a light prescription with regular index lenses. Or, put another way; imagine you were looking down at 2 glasses that had a small amount of cola in them. The glass with 1/2" of cola would be lighter than the glass with 1" of cola – even though the color of the cola had not changed. The Photochromic lenses come in brown or gray colors. It is not necessary to choose a sun-darkening and a tint. Your glasses can only have one or the other.

Tinting lenses is done if you want to get sunglasses. The tint is permanent and does NOT change in the sun. Once the glasses are made, they cannot be changed to be lighter or darker, or change the color. You can choose a light, medium or dark tint, however, remember that the darkness is determined by the thickness of the lens as previously mentioned above.

We have many tint colors to choose from and can make the tint either solid or gradient (changing from dark to light as the lens goes from top to bottom – very retro).

We also have polarized lenses. These help to minimize glare and are great if you are around water or snow or in a situation where reflective points of light could be a problem. They come in 3 colors and CANNOT be combined with other colors or Sun Darkening material.

These and other stunning facts about lenses can be found on our extensive FAQ page.

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