What Color Sunglass Lens For Driving?

For many of us the most frequent use of sunglasses is while we are driving. Polarization is a big help here since using polarized lenses of any color will dramatically reduce the glare that comes off the hood of the car and from other cars. Most of the better sunglass manufacturers like Maui Jim, Oakley, Kaenon, and Nike offer polarized options.

The color you use to drive depends on your personal preference more than anything else. Lenses that have brown tints will preserve your color appreciation to a greater degree than any of the other colors so we will typically suggest brown for driving and general purpose wear. Dr. White wears his Maui Jim Brown HD's all the time! (By the way, these are NOT Dr. White's!)

How about Transition lenses, lenses that change color to become darker when you are outside? For most of these lenses the change occurs when they are exposed to UV light. Your windshield and your car windows effectively block out all of the UV light so regular Transitions will NOT get dark inside the car.

Stay tuned for more scoop on Sunglass Lens colors!

I Like Wearing Glasses!

Some of the coolest things in all of eye care are about seeing well without wearing glasses. We have contact lenses of all types, Laser Vision Correction with LASIK and PRK,  and all types of lenses that we can put inside your eyes so that you can see well without wearing glasses. Heck, we even have things that will help you if you have "over-40" eyes and need to wear readers!

But some people actually LIKE wearing glasses! There are lots of really good reasons for this, too. Some people can't wear contact lenses, and others just can't even think about any type of surgery on their eyes. No problem! The technology behind eyeglasses and the lenses is just as advanced as it is for things like contacts and implants that go inside the eye.

On top of that wearing glasses can let you express yourself. Think of all the options to accessorize!! Some of us like to do that with sunglasses (remember all those pictures of Dr. White, Dr. Schlegel, and Dr. Kaye in their shades?!), and there are people who change their glasses with each different outfit. We LOVE people who do that!

There is one trend that we are trying to understand, though. The whole eyeglasses with not only no prescription, but NO LENSES has us a bit confused. Maybe LeBron can help up with this one.

What are polarized sunglasses?

What exactly is polarization? Are all sunglasses polarized? Should they be?


Let's talk a little bit about what polarization is first. When light comes out of a single source, or point source, the light rays come out in an infinite number of directions. Kind of like the light coming from a star or street light. Polarized light is light that is traveling in only one direction or plane.

There are lots of times when polarized light is created naturally. Think of sunlight bouncing off of a snow-covered field or the surface of a pond. There are also lots of times when reflected light is NOT polarized, like the reflection off the chrome bumper of that car that was in front of you this morning on the highway! We can use polarized lenses in our sunglasses to choose exactly which type of light we see.

We can minimize glare while driving by wearing polarized sunglasses. Most reflected light is parallel to the ground; polarized sunglasses will block out these rays, allowing vertical rays to come through the lenses. The same thing is true on the water. When you are boating or fishing you can reduce glare by wearing polarized sunglasses.

Not all sunglasses are polarized. In fact, there times when you DON'T want to have your sunglasses polarized. On the golf course polarization will make everything seem flat. Imagine how hard it would be to putt if you couldn't see the break on the greens!

Come visit us at the sky vision sensors optical to see our polarized sunglasses from Oakley, Nike, Kaenon, and Maui Jim!

Sunglasses For Overcast Or Flat Light

Every daytime lighting condition can provide an opprotunity to enhance your vision by choosing the right kind of sunglasses. Overcast days, whether it's bright or dim, still require UV protection, especially if you are enjoying an outdoor activity like running, biking, skiing, or water sports. Since the amount of light is decreased when it is overcast or cloudy be sure to have a pair of sunglasses that allow a bit more light to come through. The Visible Light Transmission (VLT) should be anywhere from 25 to 50% under these conditions.

The classic sunglass lens color for these conditions is in the YELLOW family. True yellow, amber, orange, and yellow-green all tend to brighten objects in so-called "flat light" circumstances. These colors enhance contrast when bright sunlight is not available, increasing your perception of the environment. All of these lenses are great for Sporting Clays and hunting, and goggles with these colors work great if you are skiing or boarding in overcast conditions.

One of our favorite lenses is the Nike HD Orange. Dr. White likes to wear this one when it's raining. Since we all live in Cleveland he wears this one a lot!!