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Your Guide to Sport Sunglass
Lens Tints

Chart compiled by Gary Heiting, OD; reviewed by Donald S. Teig, OD

The best tint for sport sunglasses depends on the environmental and lighting conditions you tend to experience during sports.

For example, the best sunglass tint for volleyball on a sunny day at the beach likely will be too dark for golfing on an overcast or partly cloudy day.

While this guide offers "tried-and-true" tint solutions recommended by many eye care professionals, don't be afraid to experiment with lens colors and densities. Sometimes the best tints for optimizing performance are a matter of personal preference.

Sport Sunglass Lens Tint Guide

Colors	Uses
Yellow or orange	Heightens contrast in overcast, hazy, low-light conditions outdoors or for indoor sports. Filters blue light for sharper focus. Sports: cycling, hunting, shooting, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, indoor basketball, handball, racquetball, tennis.
Amber, rose or red	Heightens contrast in partly cloudy and sunny conditions, but causes significant color imbalances. Sports: cycling, fishing (amber lenses for sandy lake or stream beds), hunting, shooting, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, water sports.
Dark amber, copper or brown. (Includes melanin lenses.)	Blocks high amounts of blue light to heighten contrast and visual acuity. Particularly useful to improve contrast on grass and against blue skies. Sports: baseball, cycling, fishing (especially in waters with grassy bottoms), golf, hunting, skiing, water sports.
Green	Heightens contrast (mildly) while preserving color balance. Sports: baseball, golf.
Gray	Reduces overall brightness while preserving 100 percent normal color recognition. Sports: all outdoor sports in bright light conditions.

Most optical shops have tint samples you can use to help you decide which colors are best for you. Try to evaluate the lenses in lighting conditions that match those you will experience most often during your sport.

If you participate in several sports or in a variety of lighting conditions, consider purchasing more than one pair of sport sunglasses, with different lens tints in each pair. Some sport sunglass frames have interchangeable lenses for a variety of lighting conditions.

About the Author: Gary Heiting, OD, is senior editor of AllAboutVision.com. Dr. Heiting has more than 25 years of experience as an eye care provider, health educator and consultant to the eyewear industry. His special interests include contact lenses, nutrition and preventive vision care. Connect with Dr. Heiting via Google+.

[Page updated June 2010]