Flash, Mirror, Tinted, Polarised and more...
There is a whole world of possibilities out there when it comes to customising our vintage glasses and vintage sunglasses with our massive range of high quality UV protective lenses. We have got all the classic solid UV tints in brown, green, grey and blue hues that will give your frames that perfect vintage look.
Then we have a myriad of gradient lenses in every colour under the sun. Of course, we also have mirrored, polarised and then the latest flash two-tone lenses that give a mind bending aesthetic.
With so much choice you are bound to have a few questions, so in this blog post we set out the differences between flash, mirrored, tinted, polarised and gradient lenses so you can make your customisation choices with all the facts at hand.
What Is The Difference Between Flash, Mirrored, Tinted and Polarised UV lenses?
So you have seen your idol rocking those cool vintage shades and you are trying to workout what kind of lenses are they wearing. Well, fret no longer! I am about to break it all down for you, explaining the differences between each type of UV lens and provide examples so that you can work out what lenses to customise your designer vintage eyewear with.
What Are Flash UV Lenses?
One of the hottest trends around right now in the lensing world is two-tone colour popping flash UV lenses. You will have seen them everywhere from the movies to festival stages and of course they are all over the gram. But, what are they? Flash lenses are simply a coloured or clear lenses that is then treated with a colourful mirror treatment that will only be visible from certain angles or light levels.
You can see from the video above how a flash UV lens is able to display two colours at once! We have a load of different colour options and styles available in our flash lenses selection so make sure you check out all our lensing options...
Flash UV Lenses
What Celebrities Wear Flash UV Sunglasses?
Flash lenses continue to be the biggest trend in sunglasses at the moment, with everyone from Will Smith, Quavo and Rihanna all spotted wearing them.
What Are Flash UV Lenses Best For?
Flash lenses are all about being seen! These are not lenses for the faint of heart, they will sparkle and draw attention to you and are the ultimate sunglasses for guys and girls who like to stand out from the crowd.
Are Flash UV Lenses Good Protection?
Yes they are as all of the flash lenses on our website have a full UV400 protection level.
What Are Mirrored UV lenses?
Unlike flash lenses where the name is a bit more vague, mirrored lenses do exactly what they say on the tin. These are lenses with a mirror coating applied to shield you from prying eyes and allow you to do all the prying you want! The mirrored lens has been around for a long time now and you will even find some of our vintage 1980s sunglasses have original mirror lenses.
Mirrored lenses can come in all different colours so why not experiment with your next frame and choose to fit some bold mirror tints and make some statement vintage sunglasses.
Mirrored UV Lenses
Which Celebrities Wear Mirrored Lenses In Their Sunglasses?
Freddie Mercury was rarely spotted without a pair of classic aviators perching on his nose and one of his favourite lens choices was a blue mirror.
What Are Mirrored UV Lenses Best For?
A mirrored lens is perfect for any environment where there is lots of sunlight and glare. It is for this reason almost all ski sunglasses and googles will have a mirror coating option for those bluebird days.
As mirrored lenses reflect and don't allow anyone to see your tired/hungover eyes they are also the perfect pick me up after a big night out! Just watch out where you put your mirrored frames down as they can be more prone to scratches than a traditional tinted lenses.
Are Mirrored UV Lenses Good Protection?
Mirrored lenses will provide a high level of protection against UV rays and more importantly sun glare in really bright environments. If you choose to customise your vintage frames with mirrored lenses you can rest assured your shades will keep you stylish and safe.
What Are Tinted UV lenses?
A tinted UV lens is the most commonly used term to describe a traditional sunglass lens. They are produced by coating a clear UV protective lens with any colour you can think of. The biggest distinction between tinted UV lenses is whether to chooses a solid or gradient style.
Solid and Gradient Tinted UV Lenses what is the difference?
As the name suggests a solid UV lens will be only one colour consistently applied across the lens. Solid tinted lenses are the most common lenses out there and by far the most popular lens to fit to any frame.
Solid Tint UV Lenses
Gradient lenses usually transition from a plain colour at the top towards a clearer lens at the base of the frame. However you can also find gradient lenses in our range that blend from one colour to another that add a touch of flair to any classic vintage frame.
Gradient Tint UV Lenses
Who Wears Tinted Lenses In Their Sunglasses?
Simply put everyone! These are the lens of choice for most people and can provide so many different looks that everyone from Kylie Kardashian to Kurt Cobain will wear a classic tint.
What Are Tinted UV Lenses Best For?
A solid tinted UV lenses is perfect for any occasion when the sun is shining or even if it's not! They will add that final touch to any outfit and keep your eyes protected too.
If you are someone who wants to wear your shades indoors without tripping over things because your shades are too dark then pick a gradient lens. Planning a road trip? Gradient lenses are the best driving sunglasses as they protect you from the sunlight coming from overhead whilst also given you a clear uninterrupted vista of the road ahead.
If you are in love with the style of the 1970s and 1980s then a classic tinted lens is the best way to keep your vintage frame looking as close as possible to their original vibes.
Are Tinted UV Lenses Good Protection?
All of the tinted UV lenses - both solid and gradient tints - on our site will provide 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays to keep you safe from any harmful rays. Your choose of lens tint can be dictated by where you want to use them rather than whether they will protect your eyes from UV rays.
What Are Polarised UV lenses?
Polarised lenses are one of the most misunderstood types of lenses on the market. So many people have said to us that they need polarised lenses because they provide better protection. The truth is a polarised lens is actually designed to reduce sun glare and improve clarity of vision. There are actually quite a few polarised lenses that don't actually provide any UV protections at all!
Polarised lenses were developed to only allow vertical light rays through the lens which prevents those pesky horizontal rays distorting your vision and the results are pretty impressive! The improvement in texture and depth of vision is the primary reason that polarised are so popular with outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Polarised UV Lenses
Who Wears Polarised Lenses In Their Sunglasses?
Popular with the X-games superstar Sean White, and royals (or former royals!) like Meghan Markle who wore hers to keep up with play at Wimbledon.
What Are Polarised UV Lenses Best For?
Polarised lenses with their extra sharp field of vision are perfect for outdoor sports and even if you just spend most of your time outdoors being inactive they are certainly worth consideration. Polarised lenses can reduce sun glare by a higher amount than traditional tinted UV lenses so if you spend all day outside your eyes will still feel rested and ready for more the next day.
Are Polarised UV Lenses Good Protection?
As I mentioned above it is really important not to confuse polarised treated lenses with UV400 lenses. Whilst the majority of polarised lenses on the market will have UVA and UVB protection it is not related to whether the lenses are polarised or not. So don't take any chances all of the polarised lenses stocked on our site have 100% UV protection to keep you stylish and safe.
Polarised or Polarized which is correct?
Technically both spelling are correct but as Zeiss use the spelling polarised for their world class lenses - stocked here - we use the European spelling!
Picking UV Lenses For Vintage Eyewear...
Can't decide which lens will work best with your favourite vintage frame? When you choose to customise your vintage eyewear with our UV lens collection one of the most difficult decisions is choosing what colour to pick to match the frame.
When selecting your lenses the two most important aspects to consider are comfort and style. The ideal lenses for your frames will achieve both of these!
The comfort you will get from your UV lenses is determined by the activity you plan to be doing most when you are wearing them.
- Obsessed with the great outdoors? - If your idea of a perfect weekend away is to load up the car/van with your kayak and spend the weekend flying down some white water then a set of polarised lenses should be high in your consideration.
- Fancy yourself as a Lewis Hamilton? - Need some new shades to look your very best whilst you drive through traffic in your town centre!? Then a set of gradient lenses will get you the admiring looks that your choice of car might not!
- Wear your sunglasses at night? - Choose a light tinted lenses that will allow people to see your pupils through in the day and keep you looking funky all night long.
Style is all about you so have some fun but keep it classy and you will love your new shades.
- Like to keep a bit of mystique? - A mirrored UV lens fitted to our vintage eyewear will have people talking about you and your style for days!
- Want a classic vintage look? - Nothing beats the old school glamour of a pair of vintage sunglasses. Keep their original aesthetic with a high quality tinted UV lens.
- Got a music video to shoot? - Pick out some flash lenses and fit them to a metal sunglasses frame to give the streets what they need.
Need advice?
Book a FREE online appointment with a member of the Ed and Sarna Vintage Eyewear team over Google meet and we can advise you on the best UV lenses to fit to your chosen frame.
