Glasses-wearers know swapping back and forth between regular prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses can be a huge hassle, which is a large reason many people consider transition glasses. According to Natasha Herz, MD, board-certified ophthalmologist and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Transition lenses offer the convenience of adjusting to surrounding light so they can be used both indoors and outdoors.”
As convenient as they sound, shopping for photochromic lenses, also known as transition lenses, can often feel overwhelming. There are multiple brands, colors, tints, and other special features you may not have thought of. Finding the best transition lenses for your specific needs is more than just about picking out your favorite frame. Retro Sunglasses Mens
Here we took a deep dive into the world of transition lenses by speaking to experts and testing various lenses ourselves to find the four best transition lenses available today.
Transitions brand photochromic lenses have been on the market so long they’re pretty much synonymous with light adaptive lenses. The latest iteration in their Signatures line, the Gen 8, not only protects eyes from 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays, but they’ve also been praised for improving the speed the lenses darken by a whopping 30 percent. The Gen 8’s lens options were also the most varied of the others we tested, coming in seven popular shades to suit every lifestyle and aesthetic.
Our tester used glasses with Gen 8 lenses both for sitting indoors and working at a computer — and driving during the day and at night. They noted that upon stepping outside into bright sunlight in their backyard, it took less than 10 seconds for the lenses to reach full darkness, and they faded back to completely clear once back indoors in under five minutes. Out of all the lenses they tested, these were also the ones that got the darkest in the car and outdoors.
While it’s difficult to measure if a pair of glasses are actually protecting the wearer from blue light, our tester appreciated a noticeable decrease in eye strain and dryness after working at a computer for hours at a time. They also noticed that the glare from streetlights and car lights that usually bothered them at night while driving was significantly reduced; the lenses also helped cut down on squinting. The Signature Gen 8 is a versatile, high-quality lens that works well in a variety of light conditions, making them ideal for everyday wear.
EyeQLenz is a new three-in-one photochromic lens option from Zenni Optical. The light-adaptive lenses protect eyes from UV rays, infrared rays, and blue light from devices thanks to both a blue light filtering coating and a unique anti-infrared coating. Shoppers can choose from over 1,000 affordable frame options, many under $20, to pair with their EyeQLenz. The lenses themselves are incredibly budget-friendly, starting at just $29.95 for a nonprescription version and just slightly higher for prescription lenses.
The anti-infrared coating is notable, as most other photochromic lenses don’t offer this feature. It helps to protect sensitive skin around the eyes from heat damage, which can lead to premature aging.
Our tester appreciated how quickly the lenses changed from clear to tinted when they stepped outside — within six seconds — and noted that they were comfortable to wear while driving in daylight, especially for their light-sensitive eyes. They appeared to have the same effects as the regular sunglasses our tester normally uses. They did note, that while effective, the lenses themselves didn’t get very dark in the car, which is common for a lot of transition lenses due to the UV coating on most cars’ windows.
Once back indoors, the lenses quickly changed back to clear or kept a slight tint based on the lighting conditions of where the tester was sitting (such as by a window or not). The EyeQLenz are currently only available in a gray tint.
Zenni offers a 14-day full refund return policy, or 30-days for store credit. If the glasses break within 30 days, they’ll also repair or replace them for free.
Warby Parker was one of the first big names to emerge in the online-only eyewear retail space, offering free home try-ons and affordable prices. They now have brick-and-mortar storefronts and their own proprietary line of photochromic lenses called Warby Parker Light Responsive Lenses. Paired with three of their most popular frame types — Felix, Welty, and Wilkie — shoppers can now add transition lenses to their Warby Parker glasses. The lenses come in three color options: gray, brown, and green, and all of their Light Responsive Lenses have blue light blocking features.
Our tester appreciated how chic and stylish the frames are; she reached for them over and over again. The same tester noted that they helped reduce eye fatigue when working at a computer for a long time or looking at their phone, making them an ideal choice for working indoors.
The lenses did darken quickly outdoors, but they didn’t get as dark as other pairs we tested. This may be an aesthetic concern for some. The glasses worked fine for driving around during the daytime — much like wearing a pair of sunglasses — and definitely helped reduce glare from the sun.
If you’re not sure about committing, Warby Parker offers a 30-day return or exchange policy for both prescription and nonprescription glasses, as well as free replacements in that same window if they get damaged or broken.
Transitions XTRActive have been marketed to outdoor enthusiasts for a reason: They get darker than other photochromic lenses and turn back to clear faster (but still takes a few minutes). And while most other light-adaptive lenses don’t get very dark in the car due to the UV coating most car windows have on them nowadays, the XTRActive significantly darkens both in the car and outdoors in bright sunlight.
Our tester noted that while the XTRActive lenses didn’t get super dark in the car, it was outside when in sunlight that they really shined. The lenses quickly got nearly as dark as the tester’s normal sunglasses — and could possibly even pass as nonphotochromic sunglasses. The lenses they tried out were paired with Ray-Ban frames that allowed the lens to cover a great deal of the delicate skin around the eyes, providing even greater protection from harmful and skin-damaging UVA and UVB rays.
These specialty lenses are also designed to get nearly as dark as sunglasses in hot temperatures, which may be attractive to those who participate in a lot of outdoor sports and activities during the warmer months.
Shoppers should know that since they react so sensitively to light, the glasses with XTRActive lenses will still hold a slight tint inside. This may be helpful for highly light-sensitive persons and those who work in bright indoor lighting. The tint also helps protect the eyes more from blue-violet light from devices than traditional clear blue light-blocking glasses.
The lenses are available in three standard base colors, and are also available with a mirror coating in six different color options.
Photochromic lenses are lenses that change their color depending on the current light situation. They will be clear indoors, and darken to gray or another color when exposed to sunlight or UV rays. They can generally be used with any glasses frame. Think of them as a glasses-sunglasses combo. Other names you may have heard of these types of lenses include transition lenses, light adaptive lenses, or variable tint lenses.
Depending on whether a person is indoors, outdoors in cloudy weather, or outside in bright sunlight, the lenses will automatically darken to adjust to a setting to help best reduce eye strain and glare. Glasses with photochromic lenses won’t get as dark as traditional sunglasses, but will provide the same protection for your eyes and the delicate skin around your eyes.
They’re considered super convenient for people who often have to swap between prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses.
Transitions lenses are actually a popular brand of photochromic lenses, much like Band-Aid is a popular brand of bandages.The term “transition lenses” is also often used interchangeably with “photochromic lenses,” which is why some people may get confused. All Transitions lenses are photochromic lenses, but there are dozens of other photochromic lens brands available as well.
Transition lenses sense the surrounding UV rays and light input and automatically change the color of the lenses darker and lighter to offer the wearer a more comfortable experience without having to change into sunglasses. All of these types of lenses have a special photochromic dye added to them whose molecules chemically react to UV lights by darkening or lightening in response to the light conditions.
Photochromic lenses protect eyes from UVA and UVB rays, and many brands of light adaptive lenses also contain blue light-blocking technology. Some even boast an anti-infrared coating to better protect the delicate skin around the eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. Depending on the brand, some get darker in sunlight than others, but ultimately, they all serve the same purpose: They offer glasses wearers a convenient option for not having to constantly look for and tote around an extra pair of prescription sunglasses.
Transition lenses are convenient for many glasses wearers, especially if they do a lot of outdoor activities where swapping their glasses for prescription sunglasses (and finding a place to store the unused pair) may be a pain. Dr. Herz says there may also be a financial benefit, since patients only have to buy one pair of prescription glasses.
They’re also great for people with light-sensitive eyes, whether they have a prescription or not, and for nighttime driving. According to James Dello Russo, OD, an optometrist with a private practice in New Jersey, “I often recommend transition lenses to my patients who speak about light sensitivity throughout their daily lives.”
Like regular lenses, the price of transition lenses vary depending on a variety of factors, including the brand of photochromic lens, your prescription strength, and what retailer you’re purchasing them from.
Certain premium lines like the Transitions XTRActive, cost more than the more standard lines.
We thoroughly research each product to help people make the best choices for their lives. To distill down our picks for the best transition lenses, we did the following:
“Progressive and transition lenses are often used interchangeably; however, they speak to different vision needs,” shares Della Russo. “Progressive lenses allow vision to be corrected from a variety of distances, all in one pair of glasses. This means you can see from a distance, work on a computer and read through a single pair of glasses. Progressives can be clear, polarized, tinted, or photochromic.”
On the other hand, transition lenses adapt to the changing light in your environment, which allows glasses wearers to move from indoors to outdoors and vice versa with “a smoother transition.” So it’s not that one type of lens is better than the other; they both suit different needs and lifestyles.
Herz notes that the decision to swap to transition lenses is a personal one. “Some people may feel the lenses take longer to adjust to brightness than they would like, others have no issue with it,” she says. Another downside some people may experience if they don’t do their research first is that due to the protective UV coating most car windows have on them, some photochromic lenses won’t darken as well as others.
Most photochromic lenses also don’t darken fully like traditional sunglasses, which may bother some people — and is a factor to be considered.
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