Buyers Guide For Sunglasses Lenses

When buying sunglasses, you may not be aware that there are various lenses on offer! Whilst the sunglasses will come with a particular type of lens, some frames allow for you to fit new lenses into your frames to meet your personal needs. We’ve listed a number of lens types to consider next time you decide to purchase a pair of sunglasses.

Julian Wilson + Oakley

Mirror Lens

More than just a bold fashion statement - mirror lenses can also protect your eyes, as the lens coating helps to reflect light away from the lens. This results in diminished eye strain often caused by glare.

These lenses minimise the amount of light passing through; ideal for environments surrounded by snow, sand, and water. This is why you may see athletes sporting glasses/goggles with mirror lenses.

Whilst mirror lenses have been around for a while, companies like Hoya are bringing in new technologies, like transition (or photo-chromatic) mirror lenses.

Paul Hueman sunglasses with mirror lenses

Polarised Lens

When light bounces off flat surfaces, it can create intense reflections that can cause glare and reduce visibility. Polarised lenses have a filter that blocks out this reflected light. As a result of reduced glare, polarised lenses also produce more vibrant colours.

Polarised lenses are a popular choice amongst outdoor enthusiasts, and are great for driving. But beware of blank LCD screens, like the ones at the train stations, as the polarisation can block out the screen at certain angles.

Maui Jim sunglasses

Photo-chromatic (Transition) Lenses

Photo-chromatic (or transition) lenses, are clear lenses that go dark when exposed to light.

These lenses are great for those times when you are constantly transitioning between indoors and outdoors, and don’t want to continuously switch between two pairs of glasses.

Australian Maui Jim Ambassador Lauren Vickers