How to Make Sunglasses Darker Naturally

Certain types of dark lenses on your sunglasses help protect your eyes.

Selecting the right pair of sunglasses, with appropriate UVA and UVB protection is essential to maintaining good eye health. The types and shades of the lenses on sunglasses are the leading factor to consider for the protection of your eyes. Certain materials are better for preventing retinal exposure to UV light, which can lead to cataracts and other eye related maladies. There are a few ways to make sure your sunglasses are dark enough and made from quality materials.

Instructions

How to Darken Sunglasses

1. Decide what you want from your sunglasses. The type of activities you will be doing while wearing your sunglasses determines what lens factors you should consider. For everyday wear, your biggest concern is UV protection and, according to Dailymail.co.uk, high contrast lenses are best, allowing the eye to react naturally to changes in light. If you are more sports oriented, you will want a lens that wraps around more of your eye area for full protection, with a more sturdy frame that isn't prone to bending or breaking. For your children, consider impact resistant and photo chromatic lenses, providing sturdy wear and a darkening effect in sunlight for versatile wear.

2. Discuss and verify the materials used in making the lenses of the sunglasses you are considering purchasing with the sales person. The color of the tint is personal preference and there are different chemicals used in these processes that block different colors of the visible spectrum. According to Talewins.com, amber or brown lenses reduce the most amount of UV light; however, gray lenses are a good general tint for reducing light and glare, without much color distortion. Mirror coatings, applied with a gradient that changes shades from top to bottom, are helpful for blocking light from above.

3. Discuss the types and levels of protection provided by the various materials and shades of the sunglasses with the sales person. Darker lenses don't necessarily mean more protection, the protection comes in the form of a UV coating that can be on lighter or darker lenses. Vision1to1.com says it's best to have sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays between 290 and 400 nanometers, or 75 to 90 percent of visible light. For glare reduction, choose polarized lenses. The different chemical liquid tint solutions and film coatings used in making lenses darker determine whether it is polarized, high contrast and what level of UV protection is provided.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your sunglasses clean and protected to avoid scratches that damage the protective UV coatings.

• Expensive sunglasses do not automatically ensure the best quality or protection for your eyes. Do your homework and visit a few different retailers for comparisons before deciding which pair of sunglasses you want to buy. Make sure if you have a prescription for your lenses, the type of coating and tint is conducive to the integrity of that prescription.

• There really aren't any safe, effective, natural alternatives to the chemical compositions of most darkening materials used in sunglasses.

References

• Talewins.com: Making sunglasses
• Vision1to1.com: Sunglasses
• Dailymail.co.uk: What to look for in your sunglasses