We all know it’s important to protect our eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses, blocking harmful UV rays. You’ve probably wondered what the difference is between tinted and polarized lenses when choosing your sunglasses.
Both types of lenses benefit our eyes, our guide below will discuss the differences between the two and which type will suit your needs best when customizing your sunglasses.
Understanding Tinted Lenses - What Are They?
Tinted lenses are eyeglass lenses that have an added color such as brown or green for cosmetic purposes as well as basic UV protection. Most of the time you find tinted lenses in tinted sunglasses.
The main purpose of tinted lenses is to reduce the amount of visible light entering the eye, essentially acting as a dimmer.
You can find tinted lenses in a variety of colors and impact light transmission in different ways from subtly to significantly. At GlassesShop we have tinted glasses in colors such as; gray, brown, green, blue, purple, and pink.
Beyond reducing too much light, tinted lenses also serve as a fashion statement allowing individuals to express their style through eyewear.
Darkest Sunglass Lenses & Polarized Sunglasses
Some people wonder what the difference is between dark-tinted sunglasses and polarized sunglasses.
What Are The Darkest Sunglasses?
The darkest sunglasses available block up to 92% of visible light, they are also known as category five lenses. These types of darkest sunglasses are not safe for driving since they block so much light.
These are the best dark sunglasses for intense sunlight since they make everything dark.
Polarized lenses on the other hand are not always dark since they are not designed to block lots of visible light, they instead block a certain kind of light known as horizontal light which reduces glare, improving visibility.
At GlassesShop we stock polarized sunglasses in brown, gray, and green colors.
The Role Of Polarized Lenses
The polarization technology works in lenses by filtering light with a horizontal axis, which is the type of light that causes glare. This then improves visual comfort in bright conditions.
Ideal Conditions For Using Polarized Lenses
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Outdoor activities - Polarized sunglasses help to reduce light glare and enhance vision while providing relief from reflected light during outdoor activities like sports.
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Safer driving - Anti-glare glasses also help in the sun when driving since they reduce the risk of temporary blindness from intense reflections
To learn more about polarized sunglasses you can visit our blog post here which will tell you everything you need to know about polarized sunglasses and their pros and cons.
Comparing Tinted Vs Polarized Lenses - What’s Better For You?
Both tinted and polarized lenses have benefits, especially for people who tend to be outdoors a lot. However, what will suit you best differs according to your needs.
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Visual clarity - Polarized lenses tend to work better for visual clarity since they have glare reduction in bright conditions. Tinted glasses on the other hand may darken your overall vision, sometimes making clarity worse.
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Glare reduction - Polarized lenses can block blinding glare from reflective surfaces, eliminating up to 99% of glare. They also block harmful UVA and UVB light, even the darkest sunglass lenses can’t do this if they are only tinted since they don’t filter out reflected light.
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Outdoor activities - For outdoor activities polarized glasses can be a great help, especially in water sports or when driving in the sun since they have glare reduction capabilities.
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Price differences - Polarized lenses are often more expensive because of their glare-reducing technology.
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Color options - Tinted lenses offer more color options than polarized lenses with colors such as gray, green, blue, yellow, and brown. They also come in graduated and solid colors.
Specialized Lens Technologies
There are other specialized lens technologies you can add to your sunglasses/glasses apart from tinted and polarized.
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Photochromic lenses - The lenses are designed to adapt to different lighting conditions, darkening in sunlight and brightening in the shade. These lenses automatically protect your eyes, offering convenience.
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Blue light-blocking lenses - These lenses are best for people who suffer from digital eye strain since they block blue light.
GlassesShop offers various blue light-blocking glasses, from prescription blue light glasses to photochromic blue light glasses and blue block pro glasses.
Choosing The Right Sunglasses At GlassesShop
Whether you choose tinted or polarized lenses, what also matters is the fit of the frame and your glass's aesthetics.
At GlassesShop we have a try-before-you-buy system so you can see how your glasses fit before ordering, as well as a fit and quiz and virtual try-on options to see how your glasses look.
The next factor to consider when choosing your sunglasses is your budget, lens type, and of course your accurate prescription. If you need help deciding on your glasses fit, check out our fitting glasses guide.
We have deals such as buy one get one free, free shipping over $69, and a 365-day guarantee on all our glasses and sunglasses.
Happy Shopping!