TYPES OF LENSES AND SUNGLASSES

When we think about purchasing a pair of sunglasses we use to prioritize our appearance over other requirements such as the necessities they should cover depending of the environment and the conditions in which they are going to be used.

The purpose of any sunglasses is, certainly, to filter the damaging sun’s rays efficiently, improve the contrast, avoid fatigue and adapt to the changing light conditions.

Therefore, something that is basic and really important is to distinguish between the colour we see externally (the tonality generated due to the bounce of the light in the lens) in opposition with the one we discover when we look through them (in other words, the light that reaches our eyes after passing through the lens).

In other words, a lens can have a silver mirror finish, or it can be red or green, for example, but when we look through it the tonality can be completely different.

Besides, we have to take into account the coloration of the lens: it can be unicolour (or uniform), degraded (the ones that, gradually, are darker on the top side and less dark on the bottom side), polarized, (the ones that offer the best protection), or photocromic (the ones that automatically darken or lighten in response to the environment).

Last but not least, we should avoid making the mistake of believing that darker lenses are the ones that offer the best protection, because the outcome could be an impoverishment of our visibility.

Light Absorption and Eye Protection

We should distinguish always between visible light absorption and protection against UV (ultraviolet rays), which can be divided into five different categories:

0- They absorb from 0% to 19% of light and are used usually in indoor environments and cloudy days.

1-They absorb from 20% to 56% of light and are the best ones to be used in low-light environments.

2-They absorb from 57% to 81% of light and are used usually in medium-light environments.

3-They absorb from 82% to 92% of light, therefore are the best ones for high-light environments

4-They absorb up to 98% of light and are suitable for high mountain environments or water sports.

What about the colour of the lenses? Which lens colour is the most suitable depending on the situation?

Types of Lenses and Sunglases

GREY COLOURED LENSES

Model CANDEM NEGRO Its more relevant feature is that this tonality is the one that least disturbs the perception of the colours and it is recommended for people who suffer from photophobia.

BROWN LENSES

Model L.A GOLD TORNADO They provide a comfortable tonality that does not disturb too much the perception of the colours. Besides, depending on its opacity, they can be the best ones for low-light days.

YELLOW LENSES

Model DAYTONA DORADA They lower the blue shade of the light, which is a phenomenon that occurs when there is fog, mist or large areas of shade. At the same time, they favour brightness and improve contrast. So, for cloudy days, this is your lens colour.

GREEN LENSES

Model BARCELONA VERDE They remove the red colour, therefore they are the best ones for daybreak or sunset situations. Besides, they allow you to perceive the colours without too many alterations and reduce brightness without affecting clarity. They are the perfect ones for water sports.

CLEAR LENSES

They are generally polarized. They reduce a little bit the brightness. Although the final choice will always be subjective, one should try different options to know which ones are more comfortable for us or which one best suit our necessities, or with our face shape, as we mentioned in this post.

Which ones would be your Kimoa sunglasses?