Lens colours and their uses

8th November 2017

One of the questions we are often asked at Shows is what the different lens colours are for – what do they do. So here’s a quick guide.
Grey – the most popular lens colour. It reduces all light equally, does not increase contrast or alter the colour of objects.
Smoke – the lens colour mostly used as the base colour when a mirror finish is applied to the lens. Similar to grey but can have a brown or blue hue.
Amber and Brown – popular colours that increase contrast (field of vision will appear sharper), they provide a warm appearance and work well where judging distance is important (like golf).
Yellow – a light enhancing colour; good for low visibility, dark, hazy and cloudy conditions. Provides strong contrast and enhanced depth perception.
Clear – for protecting eyes from impact, dust, dirt or abrasion.
Green – improves contrast and provides a soothing tone to colours. Often used in classic aviator style sunglasses (grey-green lenses are used in most Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses).
Red, Rose and Orange – these colours filter out blue light which causes eye strain. High definition colours that will make objects appear in sharper focus. Ideally suited to overcast conditions. Popular with golfers, skiers, cyclists & clay target shooters.
Blue – a fashion colour but also helps to emphasise the colour yellow so useful for tennis players (yellow ball) and archery enthusiasts (yellow bullseye).
Purple – now very popular amongst clay target shooting enthusiasts. It helps the user see a moving object better against a dark background (such as trees). “Easy on the eye”, it’s good for extended wear use. Golfers may also benefit from wearing purple lenses.