What color lenses for bright days and why

[FlipR70]

So I'm getting a new pair of sunglasses for my B-day and I've read & heard of about 1000 different opinions on what glasses are best, what brand is best, what shape, and what color.

The plan is to get a good pair of glasses for eye protection from the sun and from bugs, lures, etc.

I know what kind of glasses I'm going to get but I haven't made a final decision of what color lenses are best for bright days. Obviously, I'm going to get polarized lenses but the best color is still not for sure to me. Here are some of the things I've read...

from an online HSOforum (to try to be within page policy)

"Brown and gray are the most popular colors for sunglass lenses. Brown is the best color overall because it allows the wearer the widest light spectrum through to the eye, while blocking blue light and offering optimum contrast. Brown is great for applications where distances need to be constantly judged, like tennis or golf or skiing or other sports requiring acute visual perception and contrast differentiation. Brown is also best for lower light situations, like fishing in the late afternoon or early morning. Grey tint is best for bright light situations like water sports because it blocks out the brightest of the sun’s rays."

This article goes on to say that green is not so good whereas another HSOforum from a sunglass retailer says that "smoke green is ideal in bright sun where glare is a major factor"

So what do you think. So far, I have a pair of glasses with a bronze color and I think they're excellent. Do you think it's all personal preference or do you have some data showing that one is better.

Thanks,

FlipR70

[ikeslayer]

i would be willing to bet that someone on here has a impartial source that is the bomb for this kinda thing. i am gitty to see results. good luck on you sunglasses. i hope they float

ike

[RK]

Hiya -

Since I'm a muskie fisherman, polarized glasses are a huge deal for me. We see so many of the fish we catch before they hit that being able to see them and react is a very important part of being successful.

So I've tried most of the lens colors out there at one time or another... Here's what I've come down to:

Amber is a good all-around lens especially if you're fishing shallow water a lot. Very good in low light conditions or overcast days. Amber helps edges jump out at you.

Gray is a good color for bright sunny days. Color values stay pretty much the same but things are just darkened up. Don't like gray much for low light - things get too dim.

The best all-around lens I've found is the Backwater Green color from Ocean Waves. Good in most any water color, and really helps me see fish in the water. They're just about the only lenses I wear anymore just because I like being able to park one pair on my nose and not change glasses when conditions change (I used to switch back and forth between gray and amber).

Yellow or vermilion lenses can be great under very low light conditions.

If you're on the water a lot, invest in a good pair of shades for your eye health if nothing else. If you're coming off the water with a headache or 'tired eyes' that's a sure sign of eye fatigue.

UV rays are an issue too. A lot of cheap glasses that say the block UV rays will only block UV-A band rays. So will a piece of colored plastic - which is about all cheap glasses are really. UV-B and UV-C are the spectrums you need to worry about, because they're the ones that cause damage from long term exposure. It takes higher end glass or optical quality polycarbonate to block B and C spectrum UV light. Look for lenses that meet ANSI standards for UV protection...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Deitz Dittrich]

I could not have said it any better than Mr.Kimm

I have 3 pair of Costa DelMar sunglasses. One is a grey for very bright days. I have a vermilion for most of my fishing. And an amber for dark days. I always wear sunglasses, if not for breaking out the sun, but for protecting my eyes from hooks! I have a nick in one of my glasses as proof!

[DinkADunk]

I fly fish streams and spin/cast fish on Lakes. Most of the time I'm sight fishing part of the time. For that, brown lenses have been the best for me. I get better detail than the gray lenses I use to wear in Saudi (onshore and offshore) which was a fairly bright place. Yellow is good in low light and I keep a pair of clip-on's to wear over my regular glasses when I'm fly fishing in low light.

[Mr. Pike1]

I like Dietz have a variety. I like the polarized at times, a darker lense on those sunny scorthers, and on cloudy days I have the amber ones on to brighten things up and still protect my eyes from the sun and yes that wandering hook.

I usually also invest in some of the cheeper I gogs as I usually break or lose 3-4 pair each season and I feel much better when I know I only dropped 10-15 bucks a pair vs a hundred on some of the higher end ones.

[Fluker]

As you can already see, you're going to get a wide variety of opinions from individuals just like you get from companies. The good nes though, is these are personal opinions and not sales pitches!

I've worn every color but Green, so I can't compare those. I've fished with Grey, Amber, Yellow, Vermillion, Orange, Silver, Blue, Blue Mirror... etc. I also owned several brands, Ocean Wave, Costa's, Oakley, etc. (I'll stay away from comparing brands).

Unfortunately for you (fortunately for retailers) the only way you will truly know what is best for you is being trying them. Dietz and I have a lot in common, and I consider him a good friend, but my view of the best lenses is different than his. Neither of us are right, neither of us in wrong, it's all personal preference.

My personal opinion is that the Amber lens is the best for me. They say its best for lower light, but I also where them on Sunny days and like them the best then as well. It kinda goes back to the old "Amber Vision" days. Remeber those ugly things? Growing up a farm kid who was out in the hayfields all day, I wore those as they supposedly protected your eyes the best. With amber lenses, I feel like I can see the best (in the water and out) in all conditions.

I'm definitely not one for changes glasses, however my last 2 sets of glasses were 3-lens set. I did change them out on occasion, but most of the time (while fishing) I always had the ambers in. Even now, I have ambers in all summer, and grey in all winter, only because I don't want to scratch my ambers when I'm not fishing (for no reason). I tried the vermillon, and they were OK. Guess I just am used to amber and the "pink" didn't feel as comfy to me.

If you have buddies you fish with that have different colored glasses, ask to try them while your fishing and see what you think. Then make the decision on what you liked best. One other thing to keep in mind is different manufactures colors can be different too. Costa's amber might be a bit different than Oakley's amber. The Oakley ambers I have now feel a bit darker than others I've had in the past, which makes me feel that color is even more perfect for me.

Hope this helps

Chuck