What Color Are Your Sunglasses? It May Matter for When You're Using Them (2024)

FAQs

What Color Are Your Sunglasses? It May Matter for When You're Using Them? ›

Darker tints, like brown or amber, are common and work well for everyday use, REI reported. Brown offers a multitude of benefits that make it such a popular color. It helps protect your eyes by cutting through glare and preventing eye strain. It also enhances warm colors and brightens your vision.

UV protection matters more than lens color

And the label on any quality pair of sunglasses should read 100% UV protection, whatever color the lenses. The color of your lenses does matter, however, when you are looking to filter high-energy visible light (HEV), or blue-violet light.

Dark colors (brown/gray/green) are ideal for everyday use and most outdoor activities. Darker shades are intended primarily to cut through the glare and reduce eyestrain in moderate-to-bright conditions. Gray and green lenses won't distort colors, while brown lenses may cause minor distortion.

Yellow: Perfect for low-light, overcast conditions. Blue: (Mirrored lens with grey base tint) Good for blue-dominant conditions, such as the Caribbean. Red: Heightens contrast in variable conditions, causes color imbalances.

Answer:For example, glasses with blue lenses absorb green light and red light but allow blue light (and blue-containing colors such as purple) to pass through into the eye. While wearing blue lenses, objects that normally appear green and red will become harder to see.

The short answer is no — blue light glasses do not cause any damage to our eyes. In fact, they are designed to do the opposite, reducing eye strain by minimizing excess reflections and bothersome glare from digital screens on devices like phones and tablets.

For example, some studies have shown that a warm rose-brown lens tint can help to reduce light sensitivity in some people by blocking certain wavelengths of light that cause light sensitivity and trigger migraines.

Different colors work best for various needs and activities. Gray is good for driving and outdoor sports. Yellow and orange increase contrast and are great in the snow. Green reduces glare.

Red or rose

Rose-colored lenses are the perfect pair of lenses for many sports activities like skiing and cycling. Red or rose-colored sunglasses block blue light, helping to reduce eye strain.

The consensus is that the "non-colours", white and black, and the colours yellow, green, and orange are generally most acceptable. These colours (yellow, green, orange) are in the middle of the visible spectrum (the range of colours that our eyes can detect) and are the easiest for the eye to see.

What color tint is best for glasses? ›

Green-tinted sunglasses

Green lenses are considered the most protective type, as this tint blocks blue light and UV rays, reducing eye strain and glare in bright environments. These tinted lenses are great for: Rainy or sunny weather conditions.

Look for sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection from all UV light (UVA and UVB) or 100% protection against UV 400. If you are uncertain about an older pair of sunglasses, check the level of protection they offer by taking them to an optical shop with a UV light meter.

Gray is good for driving and outdoor sports. Yellow and orange increase contrast and are great in the snow. Green reduces glare. Brown tones block blue light and increase contrast against the grass and sky.

Like green lenses, the darker tint of grey or black lenses balance light rather than enhance its contrasts. They also reduce glare like blue or purple lenses. However, you'll want to leave your grey or black shades at home if you're participating in activities that require a heightened sense of visual depth.

Brown sunglasses look best on women with medium or dark hair. They also bring out some nice tones in women with red or auburn hair. Black shades, on the other hand, are perfect for fair-haired, fair-complexioned ladies. The contrast makes blond tresses stunning.

Antireflective coatings can increase UV exposure by causing back reflection of the UV rays into the eye. There's no such thing as sunglasses that are too dark. However, dark lenses can be harmful if they do not offer good UV protection or if UV rays reach the eye from the sides.