Sunglasses, also known as sun-protective glasses, are designed to shield the eyes from the sun. When exposed to sunlight, the human eye typically adjusts the size of the pupil to regulate the amount of light entering the eye; however, when the intensity of the light exceeds the eye’s ability to adapt, it can cause damage. Therefore, when engaging in outdoor activities, particularly in summer, sunglasses should be worn to block out the sun’s rays, thereby reducing eye strain caused by the eye’s constant adjustment and preventing damage caused by intense light.
Although sunglasses of different colours may not necessarily offer varying levels of UV protection, they do absorb different wavelengths of light. Darker sunglasses absorb a relatively greater amount of visible light than lighter-coloured lenses. The shade of the lens only affects its ability to absorb visible light and has no bearing on its UV protection, as UV protection is determined by the lens material rather than its shade.
Common Tinted Lenses
Pink lenses: This is a very common colour. They absorb 95% of UV rays and some shorter wavelengths of visible light. In practice, their performance is similar to that of standard clear lenses, which means that pink lenses do not offer greater protection than standard lenses. However, for some people, they still provide considerable psychological comfort, as they find them more comfortable to wear.
Grey lenses: They absorb infrared rays and 98% of ultraviolet rays. The greatest advantage of grey lenses is that they do not alter the natural colours of the surroundings, whilst their most satisfying feature is their ability to effectively reduce the intensity of light.
Green lenses: Green lenses are perhaps best represented by the ‘Ray-Ban’ range. Like grey lenses, they effectively absorb infrared light and 99% of UV rays. However, green lenses can cause the colours of certain objects to appear distorted. Furthermore, their light-blocking effectiveness is slightly inferior to that of grey lenses; nevertheless, green lenses remain an excellent choice for protective eyewear.
Brown lenses: These lenses absorb a similar spectrum of light to green lenses, but absorb more blue light. Brown lenses cause greater colour distortion than grey or green lenses, and are therefore generally less popular. However, they offer an alternative colour option and can slightly reduce blue light glare, resulting in a clearer image.
Yellow lenses: These absorb 100% of ultraviolet rays, whilst allowing infrared rays and 83% of visible light to pass through. The most notable feature of yellow lenses is that they absorb the majority of blue light. This is because, as sunlight passes through the atmosphere, it is primarily composed of blue light (which explains why the sky is blue). By absorbing blue light, yellow lenses make natural scenery appear clearer; consequently, they are often used as ‘filters’ or by hunters whilst out on the hunt. However, there is no evidence to suggest that marksmen achieve better results at the shooting range simply by wearing yellow glasses.
Post time: Mar-25-2026