Colored sunglasses lenses can make a serious fashion statement. But this isn’t the only thing that they can do. The colored lens that you choose does matter when it comes to filtering light from your eyes. 

And depending on the color tint sunglasses will filter the light in different ways. 

Some tints will enhance colors making them look more vivid. While other tint colors will distort colors, or improve visual acuity. Choosing the right colored lenses is important when it comes to the occasion as they provide different benefits - optimized performance, better visibility, and increased eye comfort. But the wrong tint can also cause some hindrances in the ability to see clearly such as how you see colors and contrasts.

And let’s not forget that sunglasses are also designed to block ultraviolet rays from your eyes. When we reduce the amount of UV light from our eyes we encourage healthy eyes, minimize brightness, prevent squinting and improve the activities that require visibility such as driving, fishing or actively playing a sport. The best shade for sunglasses is the one that offers you the best coverage and UV protection. 

Light tint sunglasses don’t offer you protection from the UV rays and this is something you might want to take into consideration when choosing a lens tint for outdoor activities. 

What are tinted sunglasses?

How our eyes perceive what we see can be altered on cloudy days or sunny days depending on the tint color of your sunglasses. Lens comes in varied tints that range from sunglasses light tint or even clear to very dark. They can also be solid or have a gradient. Each tint or shading receives a VLT that is given in a percentage. VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission. This is the amount of light that will reach your eye. The higher the percentage the more light will reach your eye. The lower the percentage the less light will reach your eye. 

Here are the VLT ​​sunglasses tint percentage and their ideal conditions for choosing sunglasses:

0–19% VLT: Perfect for bright, sunny conditions.

20–40% VLT: Excellent for all-purpose use.

40+% VLT: Great for overcast and low-light conditions.

80–90+% VLT: These are clear lenses for very dim and night conditions.

But the VLT isn’t the only thing that matters. The color tint you choose offers various benefits. Specific tints can reduce excessively bright or glaring light that will reduce eye fatigue and decrease eye strain from long hours spent on the computer. There is a tint for whatever type of environment. It’s just about understanding the colored lens tints that will increase performance and safety.

Benefits of different color sunglass lenses

So how do you choose the right color sunglass lens?

Each color comes with its own set of benefits. Understanding what these benefits are for the different color lenses might be exactly what you need. And the benefits of the different colored sunglass lens colors - gray, black, brown, green, yellow, orange, amber, and red vary. 

So when shopping for sunglasses taking the tint into consideration for what you’re using them for is essential. However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll need to sacrifice style. The color lens you choose has nothing to do with the shape, style, or color of the frame.  But choosing sunglasses with light tint or dark tint will alter the way that you see things, and how it affects your eyes plus various benefits and disadvantages. 

Here's a little help to select the best color for sunglasses and discover what are different colored sunglass lenses for:

Gray tinted sunglasses are one of the most popular lens tints mostly because it provides overall protection, but there are a number of other reasons. Gray tint does not alter the natural color of objects and provides anti-fatigue properties. This true-color perception makes it perfect for driving, playing sports, and everyday wear. Your eyes will be protected on both cloudy and sunny days while keeping the glare out of your eyes - making them perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities whether it’s fishing, boating, cycling, or active sports. 

provide better contrast than gray lenses and have a great ability to transmit color accurately. This tint is perfect for both sunny and low-light environments because they reduce glare. Making them perfect for all types of outdoor enjoyment regardless if it’s foggy, cloudy, or bright outside, you can enjoy sports, water, or skiing.  

are the sports and outdoor enthusiasts' choice because the yellow tint provides greater clarity. The baseball player can see the baseball much better than with any other tint.  This improvement in clarity isn’t the only reason to choose yellow. It can also reduce eye strain for prolonged computer use and gaming fans. So whether you spend lots of time in front of a screen, or enjoy playing tennis with your friends this is the right tint for you even if it does cause some color distortion. 

There is a red hue in amber sunglass lens and this color aids in improving depth perception. This makes these amber-tinted sunglasses perfect for fishing, baseball, golf, hunting, water sports, and more. They improve your depth perception and enhance your contrast, but they are not ideal for cloudy days. However, on sunny days you’ll find that they provide comfort for your eyes. In fact, these lenses are great for activities where distance needs to be judged. 

are more than just a fashion statement. These provide UV protection, reduce glare, reduce eye strain, and make focusing on the computer screen for an extended period of time easier - making these perfect for just about any environment including skiing, spectator sports, or playing golf. 

So what is the best color lens for sunglasses?

Choosing the right tint for your sunglasses 

When you’re looking to find the best tint for sunglasses it is important that you factor in the activities you’ll be wearing them for. Are they for driving, sports, or water activities or are you simply looking to make a fashion statement? If they are simply for a fashion choice, then the only thing that you’ll need to take into consideration is which color tint looks best on you. 

We often choose the lens tint based on preference, the color that best matches our style, or for that one specific outfit. But be sure to take the activities you do most often into consideration for the sunglasses you plan to wear most often. You’ll want to choose a yellow, green, or gray tint if you’ll mostly be in low light conditions, hazy fog, or cloudy weather. Or if you’ll be in brighter conditions you should choose gray, blue, or amber-tinted lenses.

First, determine what type of sunglasses you will be purchasing. 

Casual sunglasses: When you buy casual sunglasses these won’t be the ones that you wear to play tennis, go cycling or play any type of action sports. Gray tint is most suitable for everyday use and basic recreational activities. These will do a great job of protecting your eyes from the sun when driving or enjoying the outdoors. 

Sport sunglasses: If you need sports sunglasses for such activities as running, cycling, or playing sports choose a lightweight frame with a yellow tint. These will be the perfect options to enjoy your fast-paced adventures no matter what the lighting conditions will be.

Working glasses: Are you spending long hours watching a screen whether it’s the computer or television screen? The blue tint is designed to specifically protect your eyes from getting tired. 

Fashion glasses: Enjoy the dark tint that makes you feel like you. If it matches your hair, personality or style then any color tint is the perfect color for you.